Well, here we are. After being delayed over five months because of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two (and its infamous popcorn bucket) has hit theaters worldwide. This second film, an adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, follows immediately after Dune (2021) and continues the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet).
Paul is the son of Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) and Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), a member of the religious body the Bene Gesserit. After he escapes from the Atreides massacre that killed his father and bookended the second act of Dune (2021), Paul joins the Fremen, the native residents of desert planet Arrakis, in their fight against the Harkonnens. The Harkonnens are a family of fascists who run a dictatorship that is blinded by capitalistic desire. The maniacal family, whose home planet is leeched of color, run the trade for Spice.
Spice exists on Arrakis and is a highly sought-after ingredient in fuel for faster-than-light travel. Paul, who has been lauded as a messianic character who will save the Fremen, assists them in their attacks on the machines extracting the Spice that the Harkonnens will sell for intergalactic profit. During this time, Paul ingests the Spice, which makes his visions of the future clearer. By the end of Dune: Part Two – where an hour of the film is dedicated to Paul’s integration into the Fremen, complete with a blisteringly entertaining section of worm-wrangling that puts every Western to shame – Paul has accepted his position as a messianic figurehead after having first rejected the notion that he was their savior.
This feature was first posted on March 15th 2024. Full feature linked below.
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