Introduction
Dune is set in a far-off future in which humankind has developed in many scientific ways while also mutating in many spiritual ones. Dune was a pro-government, pro-eco-radicalism, and Islamophilic future worldwide metaphor (Alvarez and Franklin, 2017). Denis Villeneuve’s latest cinematic version of the novel, produced from a script he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, brilliantly illustrates those sequences. My general impression and attitude of the film are as positive as possible; I can confidently recommend it to my friends.
I will evaluate this work according to several main criteria for me: the plot, visuals, sound, acting, as an adaptation of a book, and as a whole for general analysis. I believe that these criteria will fully convey the film that I want to evaluate. I want to emphasize that my opinion is subjective; it may not agree with the opinion of a more experienced person in the field of cinema.
General Analysis
The film turned out to be quite mysterious for me from the first scenes, and the picture gradually begins to immerse the viewer in what is happening. Throughout the film, I sincerely worried about all the characters and even the bad ones since the motives of each character were very clear. Each actor plays his role at a high level that now all the characters are presented only in their guises, and I am sure that if there is a change of caste in the second one in the film, then there is a possibility of failure.
The Plot and Book Adaptation
The individuals in this situation are not on Earth, and the ruling dynasty of Atreides is entrusted with dominating the desert planet Arrakis in a power play with which we are not totally familiar for a while. Which produces “the spice”—crude oil for those eco-allegorists in the audience—and poses a plethora of dangers to off-worlders. Herbert’s perspective aligns with Villeneuve’s narrative preferences to the point that he did not feel obligated to add his own concepts to this piece. Furthermore, while Villeneuve has been and likely continues to be one of the most joyless directors alive, the book was hardly a barrel of fun either, and it is commendable that Villeneuve respected the script’s minimal light comments, which I assume originated from Roth.
Dune offers its outmoded primary sources a much-needed facelift. For one aspect, it is actually propelled by women’s voices: Lady Jessica’s considerably more important part, Dr. Kymes’ gender-flipping, and even Zimmer’s soundtrack with its female choir. In terms of protagonist Paul, Villeneuve’s version treads more cautiously than its contemporaries on his “Hero’s Journey.” Paul understands the power dynamics and wealth that led his family to Arrakis. This new “Dune” cycle may be building itself up for either a massive win or a catastrophic disaster.
Visuals and Sound
The clothing, videography, and set design are wonderful reminders of why we enjoy great sci-fi sagas in the first place. With such visuals, you could be inclined to ignore the performances entirely, which would be a severe error. Timothée Chalamet’s melancholy performance confirms all of the buzz surrounding his identity, the accompanying ensemble is extremely packed, and if you have not been paying close attention to Rebecca Ferguson, you ought to be.
While the hallucinogenic aura envisioned by Herbert for his novel is lacking, Villeneuve’s representation is congruent with his particular style: harsh and heartless, as seen in “Arrival” and “Prisoners.” While a more vivid and brilliant aesthetic, reminiscent of the desert heat, may have helped the picture more, Villeneuve’s concept emphasizes the technological features of Dune. His portrayal is diametrically opposed to what other filmmakers envisioned the film to be.
Dune mainly relies on its graphics to get audiences to see the film. Scenes of sandstorms, desert towns, and high-tech starships are all visually appealing. Villeneuve adds a more human element to the visuals, such as continuous shots of Chani amid the desert terrain staring back at the spectator. Regrettably, the film’s marketing is focused far too heavily on Zendaya’s role, whom we barely meet at the end. Chani’s personality is left hanging with no substantial advances, despite the fact that she appears in the majority of the advertising. This roughly pertains to the film’s character relationships, which were not completely established.
There are high-octane action scenes and rousing Hans Zimmer music, but there are also quieter moments. Hans Zimmer is currently one of the greatest composers for motion pictures, and his work on films leads them to success (Lehman, 2016). According to special effects director Paul Lambert and his crew, the huge sandworms that swim over landscapes like eels are no longer ridiculous but rather stunning. In my opinion, the musical accompaniment in the film is one of the most important aspects of its success, since these soundtracks allow you to feel the current situation and survive it.
Acting
Timothée Chalamet gives his trademark whey-faced Edward Scissorhands imitation as Paul Atreides, who is plagued by nightmares of Fremen female Chani (Zendaya) on the Arrakis planet Dune. Each actor in this film brought a certain charm, as all the roles were played out with a twist. Each character can be briefly described, which only helps to relive some moments because the person who looks at the picture feels part of it. I believe that acting is at the level, and many films can envy such a cast of actors because the director really tried and chose a role for everyone that would be very subtle in appearance and demeanor.
Conclusion
In my opinion, this picture is suitable for viewing for all ages and genders, since everyone can find something for themselves in it. Teenagers will be able to see bright events and technological battles, and adults will be able to reflect on events from the point of view of family values, building strategies. I can definitely recommend this film to fans of this kind, as it has everything that such people love: scale, family values, technology and, of course, magic. The history of peoples is detailed in great detail, which will make people look for a book after the films in order to understand the intricacies of each nation.
For me, the most obvious analog, so to speak, is Star Wars. The only thing that makes the difference is the setting and some concepts. However, both sagas have a notion of power, special people who feel this power, as well as large-scale battles mixed with family values. For those people who want to plunge into the universe of the distant future, where, however, the values have not changed, I recommend these pictures for viewing. They will take quite a long time during viewing, but after that, you will only think about what happened in the film and analyze the correctness of the actions of certain characters.
Works Cited
Alvarez, Carlos A., and Erick M. Franklin. “Birth of a subaqueous barchan dune.” Physical Review E 96.6 (2017): 062906.
Lehman, Frank. “Manufacturing the epic score: Hans Zimmer and the sounds of significance.” Music in Epic Film. Routledge, (2016). 41-70.