So I have finally seen Denis Villeneuve's Dune, and already, it's my favourite movie
of the year so far. I was floored by the experience and the director's take on Frank
Herbert's seminal novel, so I'm not gonna waste much time in this video and get straight into
my spoiler free review. But before I get into the reasons why I loved this movie so
much, if you want to see much more videos on DUNE leading up to its release date
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in the description below. But without further ado, let's dive into my spoiler free review for Dune.
It's been a long wait to see Dune finally come to the big screen,
and after many delays and much anticipation, Denis Villeneuve's film does not disappoint.
Dune is the movie that I was hoping it would be, adapting the material in an impressive way
and taking its time to really address the details that previous adaptations haven't. Frank Herbert’s
book is beloved because of its impressive attention to detail, and this incarnation
has the patience and resources to bring the source material into spectacular, jaw-dropping
reality. The cast is tremendous, the themes are prominent and tackled perfectly,
and every shot is transportive to such a level that you become mesmerised. It’s
exactly what an adaptation of the first half of Dune should be and if we do in fact get a Part 2,
it will be all the better for it. The one problem I think that some people will have is that
being based on only a fraction of the book, it could feel slightly incomplete,
and persuade a need to immediately watch Part 2. But from my own personal perspective, I saw
the ending of this movie as a perfect conclusion to the early story of Paul Atreides
and the questions that it leaves with us, are ones that the whole movie explores and builds on
to a satisfying degree. The ending, although very open, fits with the story told in this first part
and gives a feeling of accomplishment of a quest while making the audience
understand that nothing is finished and that we are far from there. It’s an exceptional
big screen experience and does a brilliant job at laying the foundation for what is a
gigantic and unique universe. It's weird that I'm going to say this soon after
watching Christopher Nolan's classic film at Leicester Square but Dune is the first
time I've been captivated in a huge way by science fiction since 2014's Interstellar.
Yes, there have been incredible films like those by Denis such as Arrival and Blade Runner 2049,
but Dune reminded me of Interstellar in the sense that the image, emotion and scale of a
film can really keep you along for the thrilling ride. If anything though it reminded me more of
my experience of Kubrick's 2001 in that all the elements of the film, whether the image,
the sound or even the themes can really grab you in the perfect way cinema can. Not just through
transporting you but also through relating heavily to the world around us today. It's a
hell of a spectacle and there are many reasons why this is my favourite movie of the year.
The complexity of the plot and the expansiveness of the world are the
reasons Dune has been seen for decades as a book impossible to properly adapt,
but Denis Villeneuve and his team have done so with their approach and have crafted an epic
that is stunningly faithful in its depiction of events from the book and in its greater
transcendent spirit. Now there are scenes that are shifted around, minor details changed, and
there are a few key characters seemingly put aside in anticipation of Part 2, but the movie
is extraordinary in its own ability to directly translate the source material across mediums. In
fact, before watching the film I was concerned that the story and ideas on display would come
across as confusing or limited in its adaptation, but to my surprise, this is
a film that is very simple to follow and anyone can be transported or follow the plot the way it
is told. One of the great challenges in the adaptation process was also the battle between
scope and pacing. By showcasing the scale of the universe and its intricacies you can
really hurt the movement of the story. But Denis and his co-writers keep it constantly
moving without any sacrifices. This is by far the quickest of Villeneuve's movies
and its editing doesn't relate as much to a film like Blade Runner 2049. Yes, the scope
and gorgeous cinematography is still there in that film, but the portrayal of the story and
characters here is much more relentless. The layering of characters and plot work in harmony as
you are simultaneously drawn in by the political intrigue. And as far as the characters go,
it also certainly helps that Dune’s cast is both loaded with extreme talent, and is perfectly put
together, with everyone getting to the core of who they are playing even if they have limited screen
time. Timothee Chalamet's Paul is restrained by the weight of his greater destiny, written
with a lot of subtlety, complexity and emotion. Everything is done, including the acting, so that
the audience understands and sympathizes with this affectionate teenager, still immature and lacking
in self-confidence, who is aware he must grow up and try to live up to his position as heir
to a Duke. Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica is also emotionally torn in her loyalties and we witness
the mysterious aura of her Bene Gesserit order. Alternately self-confident, emotional and strong,
she is a complex character that is still a little mysterious but terribly human and understandable.
Oscar Isaac’s Duke Leto is further impressive in his nobility, Jason Momoa is subtle and powerful
as the warrior Duncan Idaho and Stellan Skarsgard’s Baron Harkonnen
is fittingly grotesque and horrifying much like the Harkonnenes in general. Both Javier Bardem
and Zendaya deliver great performances too as determined characters, even though we won't see
Stilgar and Chani as much until a Part 2. Truly there are no bad performers among the cast here,
giving us portrayals that are taken seriously, and this only helps to develop the
things on display in this first film. All the characters serve their purpose
and the ones that revolve around the Atreides are especially well written. Each has their own
personality, function and relationship to other characters and the acting combined with the
writing allows the audience to become attached to these various characters, to understand
them, to have empathy for them and to fear for their lives.
This is all on display through a very well written story, in which the director takes the
time to set the scene, introduce the universe and put the characters in their comfort zone
before launching the plot. This time is given to the exposure of the world
and the characters allows the audience to understand the issues at hand,
to know the different relationships and what is going on in the minds of the characters,
mainly that of Paul's. The film builds a palpable but subtle tension throughout
its first arc which leads us to the mid-film climax and the pace doesn't slow down after that.
This is because it dynamically alternates action scenes with more poised ones. The action is
present and well-paced without being too enforced and does not overwhelm the audience with endless
sequences without emotion. All while doing this, it is understandable for everyone and it takes the
time to present the different political factions and the issues while maintaining the mystery.
But as intricate as Dune is, and as many characters, as there are,
it’s made simple to fall into the world simply because of its magnificence. This is in no way
surprising given what we’ve previously seen from Denis Villeneuve as a director, but that doesn't
undermine its amazing success. It’s not an overly complicated futuristic universe, as the sci-fi
aesthetic is made to be grounded and familiar, but all the same, you feel like you’re looking
into a period across space and time, and it’s outstandingly thrilling. The cinematography,
the production design, and the genius visual effects blend in such a way that the line
between fiction and reality disappears from your mind, and it’s breathtaking.
It gives you the purest sense of cinema, as every department on the film has delivered
work that aims to sweep the audience away, and it does in incredible fashion. Visually,
no special element of the source material is left unexplored, from the beautifully designed
stillsuits to the dragonfly vehicles known as ornithopters, to the god-like sandworms
that live below the surface of Arrakis. Dune is also an auditory experience, not only building
its world through sound editing but a film that presents us with one of the best scores
that Hans Zimmer has ever composed. The sound does not have a musical function it often has
in films. It is a real effect to immerse the viewer in the universe,
underlining an action, a noise and so on. The rumblings, tremors and pulses make the world of
Dune alive and these are the kind of details that expand the universe. It reminds me of how Zimmer
used ticking or raindrops in the mountain score from Interstellar to really connect
you to a sense of diminishing time while also reversely linking this to how natural it is in a
monumentally sized universe that is beyond our imagination. Zimmer is constantly using
notes or sounds that familiarize you with the world and what is going on. These elements just
show how much collaboration and effort went into this to bring the complete cinematic experience.
Overall, Dune by Denis Villeneuve is an exceptional film. Now you know that I was excited
for the movie but I didn't expect it to be this good. It is rare to succeed in combining visual,
sound and storyline without it being to the detriment of one of these elements.
It's also complicated to make an adaptation of a book that satisfies both readers and non-readers.
Non-readers will not understand everything 100%,
but the film gives them enough to understand most of what it is saying. The rest can remain
a mystery, understandable after a second viewing or when Part 2 hopefully releases.
After all, when the first Star Wars came out, not everyone fully understood what
things like the Jedi, the Force, or even who the Emperor was, but that didn't
stop us from enjoying the adventure. Dune is intended to be more political, more immersive
and the audience has a lot more information and explanations. Dune is a real science fiction
journey and a story of tragedy all brought to the screen as a perfect example of merging art
with the blockbuster. It's an immersive film, affecting the human soul through imagery,
sound and narrative meaning, one which must be seen on the biggest screen possible.
But that was my spoiler free review for Denis Villeneuve's Dune. Thrilling,
stunning and ambitious, Dune is defined as being a part 1 and just by its nature, it doesn’t provide
conclusions for its biggest character arcs and themes. But for the directing that this
part 1 takes and ends up at, it is a perfect ending for the first half of the book in the
sense that Paul Atreides is becoming something that he once feared. It’s certainly an experience
that must not be missed, but it’s also undeniable that it will require revisiting when the rest of
the director’s vision is complete. Until that time comes, Dune Part 1 is a cinematic accomplishment
to be marvelled at, the interpretation of the source material that fans have been waiting to
see for a very long time and a film that should be experienced on the biggest screens multiple
times. This is both to experience it the way it is meant to be seen and to establish that
this epic story can continue. I'm giving Dune a rating of 9.25 out of 10. But to those who
have already seen the film what do you think of Denis Villeneuve's Dune, and do you agree that
it's one of the best films of the year. I think it's the best we have seen so
far and I wouldn't be surprised if it got loads of Oscar nominations, especially in categories
like Direction, Cinematography, Production Design and so on. Again, it's all subjective
and I appreciate a range of reactions and reviews, so let me know down below
in the comments section what you personally thought towards the film alongside things
that stood out with your first impressions. For lots more videos surrounding DUNE during its
release, then subscribe to the channel and turn on your notifications. Also if you enjoyed this video
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But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.