So with Denis Villeneuve's Dune right around the corner and it releasing in some international
markets this week, I thought it would be a good idea to look at why the project
is the perfect movie at the right time.
There are multiple reasons why I believe this such as the current landscape of blockbuster
releases alongside the messages and themes that the movie contains.
This video essay continues my Road to Dune series, where I create content on all of the
dune adaptations, Frank Herbert's original novel, Denis
Villeneuve's filmography and his upcoming 2021 film.
During the build-up, I will also be covering any news and information surrounding the director's
latest project.
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But without further ado, let's discuss why Dune 2021 is the right movie for our time.
In 1965, Frank Herbert’s epic novel Dune helped to reshape the face of science-fiction
with the story of Paul Atreides cementing itself in fantasy stories for years to come.
It's a game-changer that has never truly gotten its moment to shine on the big screen, despite
a previous adaptation from director David Lynch, which came to mixed
results.
But if all goes to plan, Denis Villeneuve’s big-screen adaptation could have a similar
effect to Herbert's novel in regards to the filmic landscape and make things right.
After decades of development hell and announced plans that went nowhere, Legendary Studios
finally announced in 2016 their intention to adapt Dune for the big screen once more,
now with Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve, fresh from the critical and audience praise
of films like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049.
This new take on Dune seems to have spared no expense, with an all-star cast that includes
Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa, as well as music by the legendary
Hans Zimmer.
What makes Dune special and a perfect movie for today, is a blend of factors that could
make it a staple of the genre, from the production and filmmaking to the relevance and
themes.
To begin with, this new adaptation is coming out at a time in film where massive budgets
and genre fare are not only the standard but the basic foundations of the industry thanks
to expanded franchises like the MCU, the DCEU and the new era of Star Wars.
But these billion-dollar successes, have of course been pre-established IPs and nostalgic
favourites, all of which are noted for their family appeal, and over time have become quite
repetitive.
Dune presents a fascinating alternative to the current norm.
It’s just as expensive, but exquisitely produced with people in front and behind the
camera being at the top of their games.
And this group of people are delivering a film that is also
targetting a more mature audience that I think is growing appeal for something a little less
in relation to the norm.
Herbert’s book is also dense, deeply political, and far from an easy read.
So adapting it in any form was always going to be a tough task and one that is inherently
incompatible with the core intentions of blockbuster cinema.
That’s partly what makes the sheer existence of Villeneuve’s Dune movie something of
a minor Hollywood miracle.
By the typical rules of blockbuster cinema, Dune never should have even made it out of
pre-production.
It’s thematically dense, it’s utterly unsuitable for family audiences, and its source
material is not a major household name in the way that studios now demand of franchises.
But the studios are taking a real risk on Dune just in terms of budget and scale, with
a sequel and prequel miniseries planned.
If they pull this off then it could pave the way for more lavish mainstream hard sci-fi
fare that isn’t reliant on multi-billion dollar IPs or pandering to a younger age
range.
It’s definitely a gamble but one that could change the game if it pays off come the end
of this year.
But alongside being a film that can potentially revolutionise the science fiction blockbuster,
Dune can also be a film that reflects change in the modern world.
When Frank Herbert’s novel was published in 1965, it
was praised for its blend of science fiction and non-scientific elements to bring us a
story that reflected on humanity’s ability to evolve, its relationship with its environment
and the politics of how empires can rise and fall.
Some decades years later, the themes of the novel are even more relevant to our world
today.
We face limitations of water, climate change, more power steadily passed to the hands of
the few, authoritarian governments and technology continuing to
advance into new realms even as it creates major issues in our society.
With the world seemingly challenged, director Denis Villeneuve said in a discussion with
Stephen Colbert that adapting Dune into a movie now is very appropriate.
“It’s a call for change, and it’s also a movie about
the capacity of that vision.
The ones who will survive are the people who are able to adapt and change because there’s
a lot of changes that are coming in the next decades”.
To drive home the movie’s themes of ecological change and adaptation, Villeneuve insisted
on filming in real places, like in Jordan and Abu Dhabi, using genuine locations and
physical sets as much as possible.
The director said, “I think that Dune is about the ecosystem.
I think that in order to bring Dune to the screen, I needed to be as close
to nature as possible, to make Dune as close to us as possible.
So when people will see the movie, they will be as amazed by the power of the landscape.
They will be amazed by the beauty of the creatures that we brought or things like that…
I think it’s important that in a subconscious way they feel that this world is real.
Because the movie is about us.
And at the end of the day, I want the audience to feel that deep inside their soul".
The saga touches on elements of science, politics, religion, prophecy, spirituality and human
rights, only set in a far future that is both advanced and feudal.
You can see it as a powerful, but simple adventure story, but it has so many rules and so many
themes.
That’s what makes the book so dense, and that richness has to be preserved in the movie.
And Dune is about how humans need to earn their destiny in order to change the world,
while being a kind of call for action for us to change things, specifically for the
younger generation.
That youth is represented in the movie by Paul Atreides, the heir of the ruling Atreides
family who is thrust into becoming not just a leader for the
Fremen but possibly the embodiment of an ancient prophecy that foretells the arrival of a superbeing
who can change the course of history.
But becoming a leader is not without its pitfalls, as Paul will eventually find out.
“We will need to change our ways of living", says Villeneuve.
“We will need to change our way of dealing with nature and the world, and that takes
a lot of courage and ethics.
And I think that Dune is a call for that.
It has its roots in all these topics, so that’s why I think Dune is more
relevant than ever".
So to conclude, Dune is a movie that has the filmmaking capabilities and resonance in themes
and storytelling to be transcendent for a new generation of film fans.
I don't necessarily compare it to star wars in terms
of these points, but what I will say is that it does have the potential to have a long-lasting
impact on science fiction like that did.
Now I know that Dune won't make anywhere near the money that Star Wars or other franchises
have made, but if this film is as bold and groundbreaking as the positive
reactions claim it to be and you consider the story and people behind it, then long
term it can have an effect that will make people invested come to the second film and
beyond.
Think Fellowship of the ring, and how the Lord Of The Rings was able to captivate people
of all ages to invest long-term in a story across numerous projects.
Denis Villeneuve's film can do this in its own way
and inspire films that come after it just like so many other science fiction projects
have before.
And this all comes back to the genius of Frank Herbert and the world
he created, filled with long-lasting meaning and fears of our future world.
It's predicted so much and has overseen what could
happen, and now it's time to see if this will be the definite adaptation that demonstrates
that for today's modern audience.
We need a film like Dune and I think it has come
at the perfect time.
But they were the reasons why I believe Denis Villeneuve's Dune is the perfect movie at
the right time.
It will be intriguing to see how the audience will react on a global
scale to Dune and hopefully if the movie is great, then many people will go see and appreciate
the director's latest sci-fi endeavour.
We will soon see, but I do think that this film is coming at the right time regardless
of the pandemic and limitations it has against its box office performance.
But let me know down below in the comments section what you personally think towards
Dune's potential impact and whether you think it's a film that is right for our times.
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I will be continuing to cover news and topics for DUNE whenever new information comes out
alongside episodes of my road to Dune series, which continues with videos every week, so
look out for all of these uploads.
But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.