Counting on a $190 million budget and two hours and 46 minutes long of screen time, Dune: Part Two is one of the most expected movies of 2024.
Whether you like it, understand it, and are a fan of sci-fi or not, its popularity is undeniable.
Many aspects turned this movie into a highly hoped-for piece, from the new Hollywood stars joining the cast such as Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Anya Taylor-Joy, to the incomparable real desert scenario.
If you are not familiar with the plot of Dune: Part Two, here is an overview: After the massacre of House Atreides by the Harkonnen, who wanted to control Arrakis again, only Paul and Jessica Atreides managed to escape. The survivors found asylum with natives of the desert called Freemen.
Long before this happened, there was an old prophecy spread by the Bene Gesserit witches about a messiah, the “Lisan Al Gaib”, a man who would have unlimited power and reclaim Arrakis.
Freemen believed that Paul was this prophet, so he became their leader and guided them to a vengeful war against the Harkonnen and Emperor.
Now that the story is well known, let’s understand what to expect from the new Dune.
Cinematic Art: Beauty of the Desert
Dune has one of the most breathtaking cinematic photographs of all time, a truly visual spectacle.
The images throughout the movie evoke strong feelings, due to the depth captured between the actors’ interactions, the greatness of the Middle Eastern desert, and the religious scenes.
There are many takes in the movie that could be appreciated just as a piece of art would be.
The reason why the scenes are so beyond impressive is dedicated to the effort of the VFX producers to create practical effects and film on true sets, instead of making them digitally.
As a result, the film has much more genuine performances and feels as real as a giant desert worm coming out of the sand could feel.
Additionally, most of the clips were filmed in secluded areas of the Jordan and Abu Dabi’s desert, and those that weren’t taken place in Budapest’s Origo film studios.
Finally, there was an entire “Worm Unit” created to perform the riding of worms, which was a remarkable event in the development of the “Lisan Al Gaib”.
The director Denis Villeneuve said: “If it were not for the Worm Unit, I would still be shooting the movie right now (…) I wanted a level of realism that had not been seen before, and I wanted to make sure that the audience would believe in Paul’s journey. “
Religiosity and Politics: A messiah is born
A universe of Noble Houses, the fighting for a scarce resource, a sisterhood of witches with superhuman powers, and the expectancy of a messiah: Everything in Dune Part Two revolves around religion and politics.
The Bene Gesserit witches have been disseminating the prophecy of a Messiah for many generations. Simultaneously, they carefully manipulated many bloodlines by inbreeding exclusively to create a being of absolute and omnipotent power.
The whole life story of the protagonist, Paul Atreides, is based on his personal development into this messianic prophet, that has been awaited by many.
The first movie shows us a young and innocent Paul Atreides, only performing his duties as the son of a Duke. However, in the second movie, we are presented with the “Lisan Al Gaib”, “Muad’ Dib”, and “Kwisatz Haderach”, all names used to refer to the savior that Paul is turning into.
Those titles mean, respectively, “The Voice from the Outer World”, “The One That Will Lead Freemen to Paradise”, and “ The Chosen One”.
Also, the political scenario in Dune Part Two is so tense that you could cut the air with a knife. After decimating House Atreides, The Harkonnen took possession of Arrakis and began hunting the Freemen once again, but now, they were under close watch.
Ever since Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV helped in the genocide of Atreides, by sending his army to Arrakis, the fear of Paul Atreides being still alive and that the other Great Houses could discover their doing, left no space for mistakes.
Thirst for Revenge: The Promise of War
Paul Atreides has lost everything that he’s ever known.
His house, his mentor, his father, and most importantly, a destiny free from bloodshed.
After the Massacre of House Atreides, there is no other option for Paul other than to seek vengeance in the name of what he lost, even if it means that all of his visions about a Holy war are about to come true.
In Dune part two, we follow the dilemma of Paul’s decision about the future:
Either to go after those who have dissipated his family or to avoid the mass massacre he has been seeing in visions.
Meanwhile, Paul is happily living among the Freemen but has constant predictions about a future in which billions die, so he tries to avoid at all costs the beginning of a war.
At the same time, he feels the pressure of his mother Jessica, the Reverend Mother, and the Freemen, to step up and lead them against those who have taken everything from him and now monopolize Arrakis.
A decision is made, and the future is built, we will give you a little peek at the film, but to know what steps follow next you will have to go to the nearest cinema and watch Dune Part Two yourself! ;)
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The article above was edited by Julia Tortoriello.
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