THE FILM
TITLE: Dune: Part Two
RELEASE DATE: 12 Feb 2024
WATCH DATE: 01 Mar 2024, 12 Mar 2024
TYPE: live-action feature film
ACCESS: movie theater, XD (IMAX) (also streaming on Apple TV)
TIP: you want to see this in IMAX
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THE PEOPLE
DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve
PRODUCER: Cale Boyter, Patrick McCormick, Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve, Jessica Derhammer, Tanya Lapointe
WRITER: Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Greig Fraser
ACTORS: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård
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THE STORY
RUNTIME: 2h 46m
STORYLINE: a gifted young man embraces life with the desert people, but is also faced with the prophecy of becoming their messiah and must choose his path
GENRE/THEMES: sci-fi, action, political drama, space/interplanetary drama
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THE CRITIQUE
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
My mind is reeling.
That was one of the best films I have ever seen.
Dune: Part Two is one of the best sequels I have ever seen. High in the ranks with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Dark Knight, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, it stands strong in the center of a story, where other second installments have failed. The film picks up right after the ending of Dune: Part One. It feels as though the last 2 years and 4 months (the 2021 October release of Dune: Part One) have only passed in the blink of an eye. Dune: Part Two is crafted with precisely the same skill, passion, and creativity that Denis Villanueve and his team brought to Dune: Part One. It is impossible to select a favorite as they are just what they are titled - two parts of the same story. Watch Part One before going to see Part Two, and you’ll walk away thinking it was a single 6-hour film.
Seamless.
The first act of Dune: Part Two is noticeably slower-paced than the first movie, so at first it's concerning as a potential indicator for the rest of the film. This first hour-and-a-half is dedicated to the development of the characters and important plot points and is interesting enough to keep you engaged. This section of the storyline climaxes with Paul riding the sandworm. The scene is astounding, powerful, jaw-dropping… it is the high point of Paul’s character development arc. In this video, 'Dune: Part Two' Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down a Scene | Vanity Fair, Villanueve shares the vision and production magic behind this scene.
See my list on Letterboxd, Best Moments in Film, for more iconic and powerful scenes.
Just when you're wondering when something terrible will happen, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen steps onto the screen. The middle of the film is dominated by the gladiator arena scene, shot in infrared black and white. This brilliant cinematography choice amplifies the contrast of the pale Harkonnens against their black war paint. It's more than enough to set you on edge and show you that Feyd-Rautha is a formidable enemy.
Austin Butler portrays this character with such fierceness. His expressions strike fear into the mind. However, there were a few moments when the voice he created for Feyd-Rautha seems to falter or crack, sounding fake instead of ominous. It is unexpected, given Butler's stellar work on Elvis, but only a slight hiccup in the grand canvas of Dune. The Baron's nephew is chilling in every scene, a perfect role to rachet up the intensity of the Baron's villainy in Dune: Part One. Florence Pugh also joins the cast with an external view of the events unfolding on Arrakis. Her levelheaded portrayal of Princess Irulan, the emperor’s daughter, is the ideal balance to the unhinged and “psychotic” Feyd-Rautha.
Rebecca Ferguson and Timothy Chalamet take their characters to new depths only hinted at in the first film. Ferguson transforms Lady Jessica’s character from her life as an Atriedes, wife to Leto, into a Bene Gesserit Revered Mother for the Fremen, authoritative and all-knowing. Paul develops into manhood as he follows his road into the desert and away from his mother. His chemistry with Zendaya is tender as he struggles between the path of Fremen life and becoming their prophetic messiah. Chani’s role is well-written to provide a contrast of softness to the harsh desert and chaos of the story. The cast as a whole is phenomenal. Hats off to them for bringing the story and world of Dune to life.
At a certain point in the story, there is a significant point of view shift. It's directed very seamlessly, but it's noticeable. Through Dune: Part One and most of Dune: Part Two, we are experiencing the story through Paul’s eyes… and then, we are shut out. He knows everything now, so we can no longer see what he sees. This matches and emphasizes the shift in the storyline - just because Paul is becoming the messiah, doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. This was the whole point of Frank Herbert’s books (so I’ve learned): the dangers of messianic prophecies.
There is something to be said of this; Herbert may not be far off. There are many messianic messages out there. Countless prophecies and promises of a person who would be a savior to the people of that culture, religion, tribe, nation… but none of those ‘saviors’ are actually able to save. There is one Savior, one Messiah. His name is Jesus. And there are countless prophecies about him (Old Testament of the Bible)... the difference, is that he can save - he DID save us. Those prophecies spoke of a man who would die for the sins of the world - for the sins of you and me - and that act would make us clean if we accept him as our Savior, our Messiah. Believe in those prophecies about Jesus, believe in Jesus the Messiah, and you will be saved.
There is a veiled tragedy, slowly unfolding in the characters and events of Dune. Underscoring this shift is Hans Zimmer’s theme for Paul and Chani. Beautifully painful… tender and heartbreaking all at once. The very essence of bittersweetness. Once again, Zimmer's score is unmatched. I can barely believe my ears. Familiar themes heard in Dune: Part One have their moments, while we are also introduced to new themes, iconic to Dune: Part Two. If ‘epic’ was a sound, it would be this score.
I am so excited and feel so thankful to live in an era of film like this.
I don’t know if it can get any better.
Unmistakably, the Dune saga has changed cinema forever.
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THE RECEPTION
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THE IMPRESSION
IN A SINGLE WORD: MASTERPIECE
MOST STRIKING ELEMENT: cinematography, score, acting
REWATCH: undoubtedly yes
RATING: 5 // 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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