With the release of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel Dune, fans
are eager for answers to several burning questions.
While Dune part one has been hailed as a cinematic masterpiece and a mostly faithful interpretation
of the iconic novel, many have voiced their desire to see more world building elements
and were left with lingering questions regarding the powerful institutions that make up this
universe.
For example, in this first film, the Spacing Guild and how space travel works were for
the most part left shrouded in mystery.
The cast and crew have been relatively careful when it comes to spoilers when speaking to
the press; however in an interview with Empire magazine director Denis Villeneuve has now
revealed his reasoning behind some of his creative decisions.
In this interview I found a few of his comments regarding the Spacing Guild and the design
and function of their ships especially enlightening.
In this video I’d like to briefly discuss the Spacing Guild and how space travel works
in Frank Herbert’s story versus how this was adapted for Villneuve’s first film.
Frank Herbert’s Dune Series depicts a future where computers and thinking machines have
long been banned from society.
As a result the social, religious and political powers have evolved and continued to advance
and heighten their own abilities by means of intense mental and physical conditioning
aided by natural resources.
Commerce and Industry throughout the Empire without the crutch of technology relies almost
solely on the precious substance known as Spice melange.
By making use of this resource, the Guild has gained an absolute monopoly on interstellar
space travel.
While they are capable of faster than light travel by means of their space-folding engines
which are equipped in their massive heighliner ships.
It is the spice that is crucial to navigating or charting safe paths through space.
Guild Steersman or Navigators accomplish this by consuming vast amounts of spice to gradually
reach the point of becoming completely and continually saturated with it.
Over time they have the power of prescience unlocked to a degree where they can foresee
a ship's path to its intended destination and avoid any hazards along their route.
In the film this concept is relayed by means of a voice readout from Paul’s filmbook.
Specifically that “For the Imperium, Spice is used by the navigators of the Spacing Guild
to find safe paths between the stars.
Without Spice interstellar travel is impossible, making it by far the most valuable substance
in the universe.”
Altogether this statement is faithful to how space travel is explained in the book.
Though a detailed description of the Heighliner’s design isn’t provided in the novel it is
noted they are truly big.
Duke Leto Atreides says of their impending trip on such a vessel as they make their way
to Arrakis that all of House Atreides’ frigates and transports would be tucked into a little
corner making up only a small part of the ship's manifest.
Such a brief description certainly allows for some creative liberties when it comes
to ship design but after viewing the film it’s apparent that the function of these
vessels has deviated from the source material.
When the first image of a spacing guild heighliner was shown in trailer footage for the film,
many fans speculated that it appeared that the vessel was operating as a portal of sorts
instead of functioning as a freighter as it was described in the book.
Through the course of the film, a vessel carrying the Bene Gesserit Reverend mother appears
to come through the heighliner from what many assume to be the Emperor’s planet Kaitain
enroute to Caladan.
While the change from freighter to portal doesn’t dramatically impact the story it
is an interesting deviation from the source material so I for one, was curious what Villeneuve
had to say regarding his heighliner’s design and function.
When asked about the relationship between Spice and Space Travel Villeneuve said quote:
“Yes, there's something about- “I insisted that we will never go inside the spaceships.
Dune is really a project that was, for me, focusing entirely on Arrakis and the Fremen
planet, and focusing on the ecosystem of the planet.
It's a story that is very grounded.
It's not a story about space-travelling.
It's so [much] more beautiful when we don't see.”
I do agree with Villneuve’s expressions, though Dune is hailed as one of the greatest
literary works of Science Fiction it is unique in that the focus of the story is not on what
would be considered the more traditional sci-fi elements, like the technology or the minutiae
of space travel itself.
Rather these details serve merely as the backdrop for the character focused story.
The interviewer then asked him about the The transport ships themselves, how they appeared
to echo the shape of the worms – and whether or not it was a sort of stargate that people
pass through, or if that structure was in fact the ship itself.
To this the director replied.
“The Heighliners that are used by the Spacing Guild are ships.
We went through a long period of design.
When we came [up] with that shape, I knew we had the right one.
It feels like an echo to the worm, and at the same time it feels like it could be seen
as a stargate.
It's like the system that [the Imperium] are using to travel and to bridge space and time
is…
I like again to not explain it and try to stay in a zone of [the] unknown.
I think it's absolutely beautiful.
And that's where we took a little bit of liberty from the book, where it has a feeling that
it could be something that is folding space in a way, that you can see it almost as a
stargate.
But I like to keep it [a] mystery right now.
It will be more permanent and explained in Part Two.”
While these comments certainly shed light on Villeneuve’s take on the design of these
vessels, it seems to me that there are many more questions to be answered regarding their
functionality.
With these remarks it seems clear to me that Villeneuve wanted to maintain the aura of
mystery surrounding the guild and their ships and that the presentation and beauty of these
vessels on screen took precedence.
Certainly if these ships are intended to act as a portal of sorts, as I noted before that
would be a departure from the book.
However with the feedback I’ve seen so far from other Dune fans, it seems that in general
the creative liberties taken with this change have gone over well.
I personally appreciate the aura of mystery that Villeneuve strived to maintain in the
film as the Guild is a very secretive organization in the book.
But if I had a choice, I would have preferred a depiction that stayed truer to their functionality
as freighters rather than acting as a sort of traveling portal ship.
However, it should be noted that these kinds of liberties appear to be par for the course
as each of the previous adaptations have had their own unique interpretation of this particular
element of Frank Herbert’s Dune.
In the 1984 David Lynch movie, the Navigators themselves are the ones who fold space, a
function that in the book is accomplished by the ship’s engines.
The sci-fi channel miniseries also had a unique interpretation of Space Travel and the design
of the navigators.
In my opinion, that version appears to be the most faithful depiction of the function
of the navigators we’ve seen so far.
In the book it is established that the Spacing Guild is just as jealous of their privacy
as they are of their monopoly on Space travel.
So in line with that no description of these beings can be found in the first book.
When asked about the spacing guild members that were seen in Dune Part One Villeneuve
said quote:
“They were Guild representatives.
They were not Navigators.
We don't see the Navigators in this first part.
That was one of the challenges of this adaptation – I was trying to keep mystery alive as
much as possible.
We don't show the Emperor, we don't see the Spacing Guild Navigators.
There's a lot of characters that are mentioned or that are in the background that we don't
see right away.
I tried to keep all the space-travelling as mysterious as possible, like almost bringing
some kind of mysticism or sacred relationship with that part of the movie.
Everything involving space is just evocative and very mysterious.”
With Villeneuve’s seeming confirmation of the portal aspect of his heighliners, I’m
curious to find out what design the director has in mind for the Navigators and specifically
what role these beings play in the operation of their vessels.
In Dune Part One, the mentat Thufir Hawat mentions that the Spacing Guild required 3
guild navigators for the Imperial Delegation’s trip to Caladan.
And with the details given by Paul’s filmbook reaffirming their role in finding safe paths,
it will be interesting to see just how Villeneuve intends to further explore the mysteries of
Space Travel in Part Two.
But I’m curious to know what you think of the depiction of the Spacing Guild and Heighliners
in Dune Part One.
Do you enjoy the way these vessels and the Guild Members were depicted or is there something
you would have changed if it were up to you?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
I hope you enjoyed this video.
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Thank you all so much for your support and as always have a very nerdy day.