Beware Heroes — Dune: Part Two
This article contains spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.
Power over spice is power over life.
So begins Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, the long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed Dune: Part One (2021). And my God, it was well worth the wait.
Before I begin dissecting the film, please humor me while I give you a crash course on most things Dune. (Trust me, you’ll thank me later.)
Adapted from Frank Herbert’s 1965 epic science fiction novel of the same name (the first of a six part series), Dune is set in the distant future in an interstellar feudal society in which various noble houses rule over planetary fiefs. The story follows 15-year-old Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the son of Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), and his concubine, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) — who is a Bene Gesserit.
The Bene Gesserit Order — also referred to as the Sisterhood — is an elite and secretive organization that operates behind an almost impenetrable screen of ritual mysticism. Because of this, Bene Gesserit women are viewed as witches. Bene Gesserit schools were designed to maximize the physical and mental capacity of humanity. Thus, they possess unrivaled abilities such as The Voice — a form of vocal influence that is impossible to resist — and fertility control. Fertility control is especially important because the Bene Gesserit Order has used genetic experimentation, galactic political interference, and religious engineering to further their own agenda of ascending the human race with the advent of their chosen one, the Kwisatz Haderach.
The Kwisatz Haderach would be a male Bene Gesserit with the ability to bridge space and time; he will be able to see the entire past and future. The Kwisatz Haderach would also have the power to access the genetic memories of both his male and female ancestors (Bene Gesserit only have access to the female). As a result of centuries of meticulous breeding, Paul is believed to be the Kwisatz Haderach a generation early, as Jessica was tasked by the Sisterhood to bear a daughter but chose, instead, to have a son.
House Atreides, under orders of the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV of House Corrino (Christopher Walken), must leave their home planet Caladan for the planet Arrakis, replacing their enemies House Harkonnen as the planet’s stewards. Arrakis is coveted for its production of “spice” — a drug that extends life, enhances mental abilities, and aids in space navigation. Arrakis is also home to the native Fremen people, who are adept at navigating the desert wasteland.
While on Arrakis, Paul discovers that the Bene Gesserit have spread the legend of the Kwisatz Haderach to the Fremen via the Missionaria Protectiva. The Missionaria Protectiva was a plan enacted by the Bene Gesserit to sow the seeds of superstition in primitive cultures, so that the Sisterhood could take advantage of them when those seeds grew to full-fledged legends. The Fremen believe that the arrival of a Bene Gesserit woman and her son will usher in the arrival of their messiah, whom they refer to as the Lisan al-Gaib (the Prophet) and Mahdi (the Savior). The prophesied messiah will then lead the Fremen to freedom and bring water to Arrakis. They believe Paul to be the Lisan al-Gaib.
The arrival of House Atreides to Arrakis is also their end as House Harkonnen attacks and nearly wipes out every member. This is done under order of the Padishah Emperor, who was advised by the Bene Gesserit to eradicate the entire bloodline because they had become too “wild” and “unpredictable.” Although Duke Leto and the rest of the house are murdered, Paul and Jessica escape into the desert where they make contact with the Fremen.
This is where Part One leaves off and Part Two picks up. Congratulations, you made it through the crash course.
Part Two begins with an exhilarating sequence completely bathed in a wash of orange. Immediately, we are reminded of Paul and Jessica’s shared violent nature as they ruthlessly dispose of Harkonnen soldiers. From there, time moves strangely, and I don’t mean that the film has a problem with pacing. Rather, the film jumps forward in time without any indication of exactly how much time has passed. One moment, Paul and Jessica are considered outsiders among the Fremen, and the next, Paul is successfully performing Fremen rites of passage — riding a giant sandworm — and adopting the Fremen names “Maud’Dib” and “Usul.” Meanwhile, Jessica has not only inserted herself into the community but also completely taken over as the Fremen’s religious leader — their Reverend Mother.
A Reverend Mother is a Bene Gesserit woman who has unlocked the full breadth of their mental abilities. To achieve this, Jessica had to drink the Water of Life, or the bile of a juvenile sandworm that had been drowned. Incidentally, when Jessica drinks the Water, she accidentally prematurely awakens the mind of her unborn child (who later becomes St. Alia of the Knife, briefly portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy). Because of this, Jessica and Alia are able to communicate telepathically, and it is Alia’s idea to spread the word that Paul is the prophesied Messiah.
Thus kickstarts the moral conflict of Part Two. Throughout the second act, Paul constantly pledges his love and humanity to Chani (Zendaya), even as more and more Fremen begin to worship him. Despite the machinations of his mother and the fanatical zealotry of Stilgar (Javier Bardem), one of the Fremen leaders, Paul denies — or rather, delays — his destiny because he has foreseen the carnage that will inevitably come as a result. And yet, despite all his efforts, fate — whether natural or manipulated — catches up to Paul, and he must drink the Water of Life and accept his destiny.
The situation, however, is still not as clear as it seems. The paradox of Paul being both the genuine Chosen One and the product of centuries of careful manipulation is present, if not thinly veiled behind the dread that builds and ultimately crescendos when Paul — in full Kwisatz Haderach, Lisan al-Gaib, Mahdi mode — instructs his massive army of Fremen warriors to lead the great Houses (that had arrived to defend the Padishah Emperor from Paul) “to paradise.”
In other words, Paul sets in motion the Holy War — or Maud’Dib’s Jihad — that will claim 61 billion lives across the Known Universe. But that’s a plot point that won’t matter until Dune Messiah (which has yet to be announced).
Chalamet has always been one of those young actors that demands your full attention, but his performance in Part Two is startlingly brilliant. Most notably is his ability to completely transform his body language, stature, and attitude when moving from Paul Atreides to the Lisan al-Gaib. He was frightening, with the way he effortlessly commanded thousands of soldiers and threatened to topple an entire pre-established system with a snap of his fingers. Still, the internal conflict that plagued him in act two is present in his eyes, especially at the end of the film when he swears his love to Chani.
Speaking of Chani, Zendaya is a marvel as not only the heart of Part Two, but the reason as well. She is the only character not blinded by power or religious fanaticism. Therefore, she is the only person to truly recognize that Paul accepting his position as the Lisan al-Gaib only leads to disaster and further enslavement of the Fremen. It’s one thing for an outsider to adopt the ways of the Fremen, but it’s another thing for that outsider to take complete control of and autonomy from the Fremen. Zendaya’s performance in act three is especially subtle, yet incredibly powerful and effective.
I would also like to mention that Part One opens with Chani watching invaders colonize her world, and Part Two ends with Chani watching her people invade and colonize other worlds.
The most devastating aspect of Paul and Chani’s relationship is not the fact that she is the only living person that expects nothing from him — the other is Paul’s father, who, if you’ll recall, is dead. Rather, it is Paul’s willingness to descend into the pit of darkness where Chani cannot and will not follow that DESTROYS ME. Think Michael Corleone and Kay Adams at the end of The Godfather. (And Paul’s arc in Dune Messiah is practically identical to Michael Corleone’s in The Godfather Part II.)
Zendaya’s Chani is, perhaps, the only true, earnest, and good character in Part Two. Ferguson’s Lady Jessica is sinister in the way that she inserts herself into another people’s culture to manipulate them. Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is a prowling, deranged, and sadistic freak that is the distorted image of Paul himself. Bardem’s Stilgar is a frightening depiction of the religious fanatic that believes in nothing but the messiah.
Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, unfortunately, is given very little to do throughout the three hour runtime. However, the last shot of Irulan emotionally in between Paul and Chani is jaw dropping (that entire scene and everything that Paul does, actually, is jaw dropping).
If, after all this, you still think Paul is the hero of the story…I don’t know how to help you. Dune, at its core, is a critique and condemnation of the white savior trope. It warns you to beware the hero! He’ll destroy entire planets and religions in the span of 12 years! He’s a terrorist and war criminal with foresight and telepathy!
All that being said, Part Two is a cinematic masterpiece. Unlike the modern blockbuster, Part Two isn’t concerned with planting glib Easter eggs or setting up half a dozen spin-off series. Rather, the film is contained within its — presumably — three film arc (please give me Dune Messiah).
With a budget of $190 million, VIlleneuve is able to deliver a flawless vision of science fiction and magic that would put the box office vultures at Marvel Studios and DC Studios to shame. From Greg Fraser’s stunning cinematography to Hans Zimmer’s triumphant, soaring score, the scope and scale is bigger than anything I’ve ever seen, rivaled only by Part One. Each frame is meticulously crafted to better enhance the majesty of Arrakis.
It would be unlawful of me to not talk about Feyd-Rautha’s gladiator fight (his introduction!) The entire scene — set on Geidi Prime, the homeworld of the Harkonnens — switches seamlessly from full color to stark black and white (this is caused by the planet’s black sun). According to Entertainment Weekly, Villeneuve and Fraser filmed the sequence by mixing monochrome with color photography.
Also in this sequence is Lea Seydoux’s Margot Fenring — a Bene Gesserit — seducing Feyd-Rautha to secure his bloodline i.e. she gets pregnant. This is because Feyd-Rautha, like Paul, is the product of the Bene Gesserit’s centuries-long breeding program. The Bene Gesserit planned on marrying Feyd-Rautha to a daughter of House Atreides (remember that Paul was supposed to be a girl?) to end the feud between the two houses and bring forth the Kwisatz Haderach.
But why did Margot seduce Feyd-Rautha? The Bene Gesserit were afraid that both Feyd-Rautha and Paul would die in the ensuing fight, thus destroying thousands of years of genetic engineering.
In separate parts, Part Two — and Dune as a whole — is insane. But when combined, Part Two is a phenomenal display of science fiction. Although not your standard blockbuster (Sorry boys, this film doesn’t have giant action set pieces every five minutes or witty quips thrown in your face) Part Two is absolutely delicious cinema that will not only leave you satisfied, but desperate for more.
Dune: Part Two is now playing in theaters.
Photo courtesy of IGN and Space.com.
