Dune (2021) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Written by: Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem
Runtime: 155 min
Synopsis: Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.
It's no secret that Denis Villeneuve is one of my favorite filmmakers. Ever since Incendies, all of his films received my highest rating, except Enemy, which I still love tremendously. Therefore, it was impossible to set low expectations for an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune, one of the most prominent sci-fi novels of all-time. The first and only translation to the big screen was in charge of David Lynch back in 1984, becoming one of the most impactful movies of the respective decade to receive a cult following, despite the well-known production problems that resulted in a divisive flick.
I intended to rewatch Lynch's version a few days before Villeneuve's take, but due to recommendations from fellow colleagues, I stepped back in order to try and feel the immense scale of Dune - both technically and narratively - as if it was my very first visit to this vast universe. With a screenplay written by Jon Spaihts (Passengers), Villeneuve himself, and Eric Roth (A Star Is Born), plus the ensemble cast stacked with stars who could lead any blockbuster, I entered the glorious IMAX theater, and I left… completely and utterly stunned.
Fortunately, for good reasons. Despite the overwhelming hype from over-the-top early reactions - journalists craved for that pull-quote harder than with any other film this year - I tried my best to not let the global positive feedback impact my expectations too much. After all, "this is only the beginning". At the time of this review, the second and supposedly last part isn't yet officially confirmed, but it's a matter of time for it to be certain. But let me focus on this first chapter because it has a lot to explore and discuss. And I mean, a LOT.
The lengthy runtime and deliberately slow pacing don't come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Villeneuve's filmography. With Dune, his filmmaking traits fit like a glove. The lingering camera helps the viewers feel every story beat, almost as if the audience is watching a documentary and following the events in real-time. I'll get to each cast member later, but obviously, it's tough not to feel engaged in almost every scene when so many talented actors are around. One of the most challenging tasks about adapting Dune is its world-building.
Heavy exposition is somewhat inevitable, but Villeneuve is able to balance the different voice-overs - spoken in different, distinct languages - in seamless fashion. The riveting opening sequence with Zendaya's (Malcolm & Marie) narration quickly establishes an intriguing premise to an extremely complex, layered story that tackles numerous topics spread across Houses Atreides and Harkonnen, as well as the Imperial House and the Fremen - guardians of the Arrakis deserts.
Thematically, Dune is one of the richest sci-fi/fantasy narratives ever. Probably, the most political saga of the genre. The constant backstabbing between the distinct houses - Atreides has loyalty and mercy as their banners, while Harkonnen is based on power and brutality - gives rise to discussions about economic growth, limited resources, climate issues, war, wealth, space travel, and so much more. Villeneuve succeeds in taking a brutally intricate story and making the long runtime worth the viewers' investment.
Practically every scene with or without dialogue gets its respective payoff throughout the movie. Nothing is shown on screen without a purpose. Even the several shots highlighting the spaceships taking off or landing add to the tension of those moments, aided by Hans Zimmer's powerful score and Theo Green's impressive sound design. I'll take this last sentence as a transition to write about the award-worthy technical aspects because if there's something certain about this year's Oscars and similar shows is that this film will receive dozens of nominations.
Technically, Dune should be the new definition of "epic" in the dictionary. Nowadays, blockbusters "look great" regularly, but this new adaptation of the famous novel is simply a completely different beast altogether, just like Blade Runner 2049 was in 2017. From the eyegasmic visuals to the heart-pounding score, every single audiovisual element is meant to be witnessed in the biggest theater on the planet. An exceptionally immersive cinematic experience that will please the eyes and ears of every moviegoer.
The sound and production design surround Dune within a massive scope, a truly colossal, outrageously big film. Of all the hyperboles that people have been (over)using to describe it, I accept with all my heart the ones related to the gargantuan scale of this beautiful piece of cinema. The shot selection is on-point throughout the entire movie. DP Greig Fraser (Rogue One) delivers wide shots worthy of belonging in a museum. Every frame is dripping with visual quality, but the lack of a broader color palette is definitely a personal nitpick in an otherwise technically perfect flick.
The character work is remarkable, to say the least. With such a jammed cast, the writers develop each character through interesting dialogues and gripping action/war sequences. The viewers will have no issues differentiating each character and associating them with their respective House and role there. Honestly, to be able to balance and encompass so many people and storylines successfully is a monumental task, even with the extended runtime.
The acting is phenomenal across the board. Timothée Chalamet (Little Women) proves his haters wrong by compellingly leading a huge blockbuster filled with renowned stars. As Paul Atreides, Chalamet shows a much more serious side of him, and Villeneuve's style allows the actor's expressions to remain on screen enough time to show the viewers what his character is genuinely feeling and thinking. However, my personal standout has to be Rebecca Ferguson (Doctor Sleep) as Lady Jessica.
The actress offers the best performance of the entire cast, demonstrating her outstanding emotional range. An incredibly passionate interpretation of the second most important character of the film, who adds a mysterious layer to the already tense atmosphere. I won't go through the whole cast, but I still have to mention Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl) as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen - steals every scene he's in with a fiercely menacing display. Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), and Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Sex Education) also deserve much praise.
Zendaya and Javier Bardem (Mother!) are barely in the movie, which could disappoint a few audience members. If the viewers aren't familiarized with the original novel or the 1984's film, Zendaya's continuous presence in the press tour and marketing campaign will feel like false advertising for this movie, even though her character undoubtedly possesses a significant role in the sequel. The actors are great as expected, but their short appearances - mainly the actress' - are connected to my major issue with the film.
"Dreams are messages from the deep". That's the first piece of voice-over heard in Dune. Paul has countless dream sequences vital to better understand his arc, as well as the overall plot. However, both the moments where these are inserted and their quantity hurt the already steady pacing. Dune is indeed a slow-burn, but despite knowing it's only half of a gigantic movie, I still believe this part could have gone even further. I'd gladly watch thirty extra minutes to get a bit more of the Fremen's arc, but the unnecessarily repetitive dreams drag the narrative too much for my taste.
The more I think about Dune, the more I love it. In fact, there are many more memorable scenes than I ever anticipated. I vividly remember dozens of sequences, whether these are the energetic, explosive action/war scenes - impossible to imagine Dune out of the Best VFX category - or the highly engaging dialogues, such as one with Paul and a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother. Game of Thrones fans will find some political similarities that might help them enjoy this saga even more. In fact, comparisons with two other popular franchises have to be made.
From a filmmaking perspective, some shots resemble The Lord of the Rings' depiction of its famous kingdoms. The first time Arrakis is seen by the audience is quite similar to when Gandalf visits Gondor. In addition to this, Villeneuve truly cuts this first part in half in the sense that it feels like this film doesn't have a proper third act. In The Fellowship of the Ring, there's still a conventional climax and some sort of final build-up to let the audience know the movie is about to end. On the other hand, Dune ends somewhat abruptly, as if someone came in and stopped the projector midway through the film.
Nevertheless, from an audiovisual standpoint, Dune has much more in common with Star Wars. From the enormous spaceships to the actual space travel and various planets, it's challenging not to find several resemblances. Bear in mind that sharing common elements doesn't mean a particular franchise is as good or better than the other, far from that - in that regard, don't forget Dune was around way before SW.
Final Thoughts
Dune sets the new standard for epic cinema with eyegamic visuals, powerful sound design and score, and a compelling story surrounded by an absolutely massive scale. Denis Villeneuve adds yet another audiovisual masterpiece to his filmography, despite some narrative-pacing issues due to the heavy exposition and repetitive yet crucial dream sequences. Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson stand out in a stellar cast, where everyone delivers performances no short of impressive. From the remarkable character work to the constantly captivating interactions, without forgetting the spectacle of the riveting action/war scenes, the extremely layered screenplay is beautifully translated to the big screen, where every viewer should definitely go to watch this movie. Finally, don't forget that epic sci-fi/fantasy films are quite rare, so enjoy them as much as you can when they come out, instead of worrying about the comparisons with other sagas. There's enough space to love them all.
