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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTimoth\u00e9e Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Charlotte Rampling as Gaius Helen Mohiam in Denis Villeneuve\u2019s \u201cDune.\u201d (Warner Bros.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Walking into the movie theater, I realized my mistake. I should have read <\/em>\u201cDune.\u201d It was 10 minutes until the 7:30 p.m. start, not enough time to skim over the book\u2019s long Wikipedia page. I first attempted to open the epic novel in the early stages of the pandemic but, even then, I lost focus. This isn\u2019t to discredit author Frank Herbert\u2019s master world-building \u2013 the dense language and lore went over my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Denis Villeneuve is one of my favorite filmmakers, I admit I was nervous to see if he could pull this off. Is it truly an \u201cunfilmable\u201d story? David Lynch\u2019s 1984 version isn\u2019t exactly a masterpiece, and Alejandro Jodorowsky couldn\u2019t even get his project off the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But Villeneuve succeeded. In one of the year\u2019s best films, Herbert\u2019s world is fully realized by the Canadian director who fell in love with the sci-fi classic at age 13. Technically stupendous, the scope and design of this film overshadow whatever storytelling complexities hinder it, such as its lack of emotion. It masters what all blockbusters should: remarkable imagery matched with careful sound design and an A-list ensemble cast. A big tale demands a big film \u2013 or a big series, as Warner Bros. recently announced \u201cDune: Part Two.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The title refers to Arrakis, the desert planet that produces the \u201cspice,\u201d a drug essential to space travel and development. The story follows Paul Atreides (Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet), heir to Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) and son of his concubine Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), and his journey from House Atreides\u2019 home planet Caladan to Arrakis. Formerly controlled by the tyrannical House Harkonnen, the resource-rich planet is home to the native Fremen tribe. When the space emperor gifts House Atreides with the planet, they are suddenly at odds with the Harkonnens, ruled by the Baron (Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd), who seek to regain control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the layers of world-building, from made-up languages to massive sandworms to Bene Gesserit politics, the story of \u201cDune\u201d is one that audiences have likely seen before: a messiah protagonist embarks on a hero\u2019s journey. Unsurprisingly, Herbert\u2019s idea of \u201cThe Chosen One\u201d inspired the main characters of \u201cStar Wars\u201d and \u201cHarry Potter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Villeneuve understands the use of physical space and scale, which has become more apparent with each of his films, especially \u201cBlade Runner 2049\u201d and \u201cArrival.\u201d For those familiar with his work, you can see that the director had this movie in the back of his mind his whole career. It\u2019s truly a filmmaking achievement, as the visuals are legitimately mind-blowing. And it was worth the wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n