“A great man doesn’t seek to lead. He’s called to it. And he answers. And if your answer is no, you’ll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be. My son. I found my own way to it. Maybe you’ll find yours.” – Leto (from the movie, Dune)
My wife and I went and saw the 2021 rendition of Dune (Part One) last night in the theater, featuring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. We both went in with a different relation to the film: I had read the book; she had not. Although this affected what each of us expected and received from the movie, we both walked away with wonder and sheer amazement. Although she was a little lost at times, she was still able to enjoy the film and it made her want to read the book to understand the storyline and characters better.
I don’t plan on writing a deep and detailed review. I just wanted to give a few general thoughts and impressions based on our experience. First, Dune is a 1965 science-fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert. It is the first in a series of books set in this compelling fantasy world of his creation. The 2021 film of the same name is based on this book (actually, the first half of this book), and is the second (to my knowledge) film adaptation of the book.
Second, I was in my early teens when the original Dune movie came out. I vaguely remember watching it as a youth and all I really remember was the Baron (aka “The Blob”) and the stillsuits (which I thought were pretty gross and cool at the same time). My overall memory imprint was just a sort of creepy and gross feeling. Keep in mind that I had not read the book at that point.
Fast-forward 2021.
Over the last few years, my appetite for fiction was rekindled as I began to read through series after series and discuss with my y’adult (young adult) children. Then I saw the Dune previews. My curiosity was piqued, so I purchased the audiobook (my actual reading time is extremely limited, so thank God for audiobooks) and dove into the world of Dune. I really enjoyed the book, so I was hoping I would enjoy the movie as well. I was not disappointed.
Once the movie began I was completely immersed in Frank Herbert’s world and engaged in a way I have not experienced in many movies. The sensory experience alone is well worth the admission price. However, the cast, acting, directing, editing, scoring, etc. all worked together seamlessly to faithfully tell the story of Arrakis (Dune).
Although there was some creative liberty taken by the director (Denis Villeneuve), overall I thought this film adaptation to be one of the most faithful to the original book. I loved hearing the famous lines from the book: “Fear is the mind-killer,” “Bless the Maker and all His Water. Bless the coming and going of Him, May His passing cleanse the world. May He keep the world for his people,” etc. I loved how all the characters (but two – see below) were well-developed and felt three-dimensional. I thought Leto, Paul’s father, was perfectly cast and had a richness to his character that connected me to him immediately.
My two complaints are really related to the limitations of the movie format. First, it was difficult to show a fully developed character for Dr. Yueh and his motivations for his betrayal of House Atreides. In the book, we have more time to get to know him and his internal conflict of betraying the family he loves. We also learn of his “Imperial Conditioning,” of which the movie makes no mention. His role in the film seemed to come off as not really having any emotional connection to the family. Second, although it surprised me that Dr. Kynes was cast as a female (which actually worked nicely), it was disappointing to not get to fully understand her role in the ecology of the planet, which the book goes into detail to explain.
Overall, I would say this could easily become a classic and I look forward to experiencing more of Villeneuve’s compelling vision of the world of Dune in the years to come.