2024, d. Denis Villeneuve - In Theatre
I felt like a loose beige scarf, flapping in a desert sandstorm while watching Dune, Part 2. I was not lost, as I was securely draped around someone's neck who was still forging ahead through the swirling grit with purpose, but I was ready to go where the wind was trying to takes me yet feeling the tug of resistance to stay in place.
I have a love for David Lynch's Dune, a brilliantly messy, often impenetrable film that looks like the product of a brainstorming lunch between H.R. Geiger and David Cronenberg. There's nothing like it. But I've never read Frank Herbert's novel, so the only think I have to compare Villeneuve's Dune(s) to is the Lynch movie.
Most of Lynch's Dune is covered by Part 1 and the remaining final act of Lynch's version, I learned after watching Part 2 and having a detailed discussion with Toasty about his recollection of the novels, was largely constructs of Lynch, and not Herbert.
So I sat through Part 2 waiting for some iconic moments (to me at least) of the Lynch film that would never arrive because they were not from the source. Thus, pretty much of all Part 2 was surprising.
I'm so used to the idea of sequels picking up with time passing in universe (especially when years of real time has passed in between releases) that it's always a shock to me when the sequel picks up immediately where we left off, no recap or nothin. We don't have time to backtrack.
Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) is creating a stir among the Fremen. There are those who believe he is the Kwisatz Haderach, a prophecy that the Bene Gesserit witches have been seeding for centuries as part of their religion, and have been trying to make literal in this current age in a push for more power. But there are also Fremen who think him just an outsider and should be left to waste in the desert. Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), meanwhile, takes over for the ailing Reverend Mother of the Fremen, and has a powerful spice-augment witch gestating in her belly whom she already communes with.
The Bene Gesserit who have the ear of the Emperor (Christopher Walken) are uneasy with the Atreides' possible rise to power, have contingency plans for the Kwisatz Haderach with Fayd-Rautha of the house Harkonnen (Austin Butler), as cunning as he is sadistic. The Emperor already put the Atreides down because they were rising too high, and now things only seem to be getting worse.
But what Paul wants is not "destiny" or "power", he wants Chani (Zendaya), the girl he's been dreaming (/having future visions) about for years. She's reluctant at first, but does start to develop feelings for Paul, but is also very uncomfortable with all the prophetic worship he receives. With good reason.
At it's heart, these two pieces of one text are about whether destiny means that you have no control about where you wind up. It's about power, how to accept it, and how to use it wisely...and it's a warning about the corrupting influence of it. Where the first film was highlighting political intrigue, Part 2 plays with religious intrigue, and to be clear, it doesn't denote a whole heck of a lot of difference between them.
The acting in this is all pretty great, with one exception. Many people complain that Walken is "too Walken" and they can't separate Walken the pop-culture icon from the role. I had no such trouble. Cast the glance aside, though, and one of my favourite actor among the Millennials, Florence Pugh, has moments in her performance that made me wince. She's only in a couple scenes and I suspect the casting is largely in preparation for the next movie. If she spent more than a week on set I'd be surprised, so maybe she's not so heavily invested. I have to wonder if she was a late addition. Butler is the scene stealer, here, simultaneously repulsive and alluring. You hate him, but you can't look away from him.
Toasty said that he wasn't sure how Chalamet would pull off getting into the leadership role, as he seems so low key as a person, but time and again in these films he proves himself. Just as Paul has to prove himself to the Fremen, Timothee has to prove himself to the audience, and both are very big wins. Unlike Toasty, I though Zendaya was remarkable. I think her whole deal is that even as she's falling in love with Paul, she's still wary of him, and though I haven't read the book, from what I hear it's in how this relationship plays out that is the biggest change. Just as Paul had visions of Chani coming into his life, and he was in love with her before he even met her, it's almost like she had visions of outsider bringing absolute ruin to everything she loves and holds dear. Her heart and brain are in conflict and Zendaya sells that throughout. She never goes "soft" emotionally, she's always guarded, she's a warrior, so she not going to let her emotions get the better of her.
I'm talking a lot about themes, plot, and acting, which is testament to how involving a story its, and how well performed it is that I'm really not talking about the visuals, which are, as with the last film, epic. The visual tone of this film is daringly monochromatic. The only real colour seems to be the blue of the Fremen eyes, where everything else is browns and greys, blacks and tans. But it's richly realized and gorgeous. Everything fits, from wardrobe to makeup, sets and effects, creature design and sound design.
If there's a weak point, and even that is subjective, it's Hanz Zimmer's score. The chanting seemed...overused, and began to irritate me (if only because it was reminding me of the Snyder Cut of Justice League, bleh).
I rewatched Part 1 the morning before our afternoon screening, and as I mentioned in our review (yes, Toasty and I did a joint review which for a few glorious weeks in 2011 was going to be the whole deal blog) I didn't outright love it upon first watch. I did suspect, however, that "when it's completed with its second half, it will be even better.... probably amazing." and I have to say, that prediction bore true. I loved it pretty fully on rewatch and it had me so psyched for Part 2.
But with Part 2, I once again felt like I did when I came out of Part 1, that I didn't love it, but once it is more of a complete story with Dune: Messiah, as promised by Villeneuve, I will feel much more strongly about it.
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