DIRECTED by Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two, follows Duke Paul Atreides, who joins the Fremen and begins a journey to become Muad’dib, while trying to prevent the horrible but inevitable future he’s witnessed. Tom Parry and Stefan Bradley went to check it out.
Tom Parry: Stefan, we’re here to talk about one of the most anticipated films of the year, and one I expect to be a box-office hit. Dune: Part Two is an astonishing movie. Whether you classify it as a sci-fi film, a blockbuster, a popcorn movie, or a thoughtful narrative, it just blows you away in every respect.
Stefan Bradley: I agree with you, with the caveat that I wouldn’t call myself a science-fiction fan, and I haven’t read the book or seen previous adaptations. With the original Star Wars trilogy I can watch and appreciate their greatness but they’re not going on my list of favourite movies – but for others it’s an obsession. I feel the same with Denis Villeneuve’s two Dune films. I can objectively see that they’re incredible films and I had a great time, but I know for a certain target audience it will be one of their greatest cinema experiences in years. It may be the best looking big-budget movie I’ve ever seen, with truly epic action scenes and an incredible score. The lore is fascinating and the story is deep.
TP: I think the action scenes were more exciting in the first movie, but I agree with you about the score. It’s composed by Hans Zimmer and probably his best work to date, pairing well with the sound editing and cinematography to elevate the experience. If you had to twist my arm, I would say the second film is marginally better even though it was too long. I wasn’t a fan of the comic-relief from supporting character Stilgar (Javier Bardem), and in general I found the characters more likeable in Part One. The persona who stood out most for me here was Austin Butler’s villain, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, because you can tell he’s immersed in the role and having fun with it. And Christopher Walken was a delightful presence too.
SB: Timothée Chalamet as an actor has been absolutely elevated by his performance as Paul Atreides in this second part in particular, and he has a great dynamic with Zendaya and Rebecca Ferguson. In the first movie he’s mostly a reluctant participant in the events thrust upon him. The second movie explores religious dogma and the Freman population has to be convinced that Paul will bring them prosperity as is written in the prophecy. By the end of the movie, I wondered how much Paul believes in the prophecy and himself. Is he a non-believer that is just happy to manipulate the Freman population for power, or is he all-in on embracing his religious duty to become the Messiah? Perhaps he’s driven by anger and revenge, or has been influenced by his mother. I thought the ending was bold and I admire that you can come to different conclusions from Paul’s arc.
TP: Those questions will probably be answered in a third Dune film – Part Two’s conclusion makes it clear that there’s more story to tell. Also, one of the things that disappointed me about the first Dune is that it buried those political and religious allegories, whereas in Part Two, they are front and centre. And that was really fascinating for me. So as somebody who really appreciated the first film, I was absolutely enthralled by Part Two, and I can’t wait for the eventual sequel once it reaches Sale Cinema.
SB: To conclude, if the reason you didn’t like the first one is because you wanted the end of this story, or more action, or more lore, this gives you what you want. But if you disliked the first one because you found it too slow or boring, then stay away. I enjoyed it enough that I’m sure I’ll revisit it eventually to appreciate what I missed, and I’d happily watch future instalments. Huge fans of the first Dune and sci-fans in general may have found their new favourite film. It is quite long, but I think they had to respect the source material by not taking out too much.
Dune: Part Two is rated M for science-fiction themes and violence, and is currently screening at Sale Cinema.
