Dennis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ Introduces a Sci-Fi Staple to the Mainstream Media

The casting department and media team knew what they were doing when it came to making this movie appeal to the masses. 

Ever since the buzz began about this film in 2020, it’s been clear that appealing to the mainstream audience has been a high priority. This is made evident in the casting of Timothee Chalamet as the protagonist, Paul. Not only did he nab an Academy Award nomination at the age of 22, he also has quite the following and fan base among the millennials and gen Z alike. The cast is rounded out with movie star alums of the Star Wars, Marvel, and DC franchises to name a few, including Oscar Isaac as Duke Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, and Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck. Not to mention the absurd amount of ads and posters promoting Zendaya’s performance in this film, despite her screen time only adding up to about six minutes of the film’s total two and a half hours. The casting department and media team knew what they were doing when it came to making this movie appeal to the masses. 

However, Villeneuve had a difficult undertaking. Casting relevant actors might get the general public to come see the movie, but when it comes to adapting a story that is often considered the blueprint for modern science fiction writing, the film is bound to be looked at under a microscope. Where Lynch’s film may have faltered in trying to tackle too much of the 600+ page novel, Villeneuve instead introduces us to the world in a film that feels more like an extended tv pilot than a stand alone feature film. There is no denying this is a well-made picture, with an incredible attention to detail, but there are certainly some moments that feel a little slow. It’s a slow burn of the movie, and by the end of the film over half the characters you’d been introduced to have already been killed off. Having read the first half of the book I found myself surprised by how little screen time or development occurred in some of the characters who felt so relevant to the story I was reading. This is most notably seen with Dr. Yueh (played by Chen Chang). When we’re introduced to him in the book we find out about his wife’s capture by Harkonnen soldiers; however, he’s given barely a minute of screen time in the movie before we learn of his betrayal of the Duke and plan to take down the Baron. Additionally, Oscar Isaac’s Duke Leto was presented as a good man capable of both great strength and restraint, but we were given a very small taste into his personal relationships that his death felt more like a set-up for the sequel than a powerful or emotional moment for the film it existed in. 

Now, it’s always hard to judge a film when you’re familiar with the source material. And if you didn’t go into the movie knowing that the Duke was going to die a little over halfway through, this scene might’ve held more suspense for you than it did me. It can be difficult to judge a film when you are looking for more than what the book gave you and it instead delivers the same amount, if not a little less. On the other end of the spectrum, one death scene that felt more impactful in the film than the book was that of Duncan Idaho. Jason Momoa brought a warmth and charm to a character that would be very easy to play as just a strong defender. While scenes of strategy and mystery can often be better demonstrated on the page, a scene based almost entirely in combat thrives on screen. In his final battle scene, we not only experience his expertise as a swordsman but also his character as a human being. 

Aside from some character arcs being forced to take a backseat, the film does an admirable job of adapting this complex novel. It can be difficult to present a story on the big screen in a show-don’t-tell-manner, but Villeneuve (who worked on the screenplay with Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth) finds balance between explaining the circumstances of the world and letting the audience become informed of the world through the experiences of the characters. The benefit of Dune is that most of the characters are learning about the people and ecology of Arrakis at the same time the audience is; so, we can learn about the mystical properties of spice and the dangers of the sandworms at the same time Paul and the other members of House Atreides are. 

In addition to the storytelling, the world comes alive in vivid detail at the hands of the production and costume teams that value function over fashion. The imagery is stunning, the dark fortresses and ships are certainly impressive, but they never feel overly show-y. We’re a long way from the sci-fi costumes of the Star Wars films which often put their characters (specifically the female ones in the first two trilogies) in elaborate and sometimes gaudy dress. Instead, we have characters in functional clothing that’s almost a character all it’s own. Instead of trying to appear like clothes of the future, Jacqueline West designed the costumes with the function in mind, meaning the military uniforms bare a strong resemblance to that of contemporary military design, and the desert suits have an otherworldly look based on their technology more so than their theatricality. 

Overall, Dune does an excellent job in setting up what one can only assume will become an epic on-screen saga. The sequel has yet to be greenlit—despite this film being titled Dune: Part 1 in the credits—but one can only assume with the success of its opening weekend, a confirmation for part two is bound to come. It will be interesting to see how Timothee Chalamet builds the character of Paul, since we see him as a reserved boy for the majority of the film, only just beginning to understand his power and responsibilities. While Chalamet is certainly a talented actor, he has the tendency to come off as meek in his performance, which might prove troubling when he continues to portray someone of both intense mental power and control but also great physical strength and agility. I’m not saying he isn’t capable of portraying this; it just might prove more of a stretch in type for him. 

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