DUNE: PART ONE
I had a lot of hype riding on this one. Although I don't hate David Lynch's film, it was a case of too much in too little time. The TV series was terrible, lacking the scope and splendour needed to convey Arrakis. And great though the documentary was, Jodorowsky's
Dune seemed like art director's dream more than an actual effort at being a film.
Others have tried to get
Dune made into a film. Over a decade ago, Peter Berg pitched an all-action adaptation, that was as far-removed from the book as one could get. Only Ridley Scott's ill-fated attempt seemed like it would have been the one to get Frank Herbert's novel. In fact, Scott had even mused with the notion of splitting it into two parts. Unfortunately, a personal tragedy pulled Scott away.
So it seems fitting that Denis Villeneuve (possibly the strongest candidate at being Scott's successor for dark and epic imagery) would adapt the novel, and do it so successfully.
Dune is a visual and aural wonder. Villeneuve ruffled some feathers when he decried watching it on the telly over a cinema screen. Charges of elitism or trumped-up authorism were levied at him. Yet, when you see what he delivered, it is impossible to disagree. The space ships look like a hundred miles tall. The roars of compacted sand torn apart by giant worms rattle the ground around you. Hans Zimmer's magnificent score storms over you like an imperial march.
Dune is the definition of enormity.
Even the actors feel like larger than life. Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, and Dave Bautista tower over the audience. You half-expect them to leap out and decimate half of the audience. Toxic bile appears to gurgle out of Stellan Skarsgard's Baron whenever his bloated throat crackles vague threats. And Oscar Isaac just commands the audience's respect and attention whenever he is onscreen.
It is a bit unfortunate for Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson to be put against such dominating performances. It's not their fault, as both Paul and Lady Jessica gain their strengths in the latter part of the book. Chamalet and Ferguson do a fantastic job at conveying how lost and confused they are, but I can see why some audiences may not be taken by them.
Do I have any other niggles? Not really. Like Scott, Villeneuve is a filmmaker that often overlooks plot in favour of mood and atmosphere.
Dune is no exception, with Villeneuve preferring to build suspense and intrigue through shadows and whispers rather than exposition. I honestly love this type of stuff, but I can imagine those who loved the intricate plotting and political backstabbings of the book being aghast at this.
Watching
Dune on the big screen is like being taken to Arrakis. You can almost taste the spice in the air. You can feel the sand under the nails, the dryness of the throat, and searing heat on your neck. It's hypnotic, enthralling, and mesmerising. Probably the film event of 2021.