{"id":72335,"date":"2021-11-14T10:16:19","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T10:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=72335"},"modified":"2021-11-14T10:18:42","modified_gmt":"2021-11-14T10:18:42","slug":"spice-of-life-new-film-of-frank-herberts-dune-is-an-enthralling-cinematic-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2021\/11\/spice-of-life-new-film-of-frank-herberts-dune-is-an-enthralling-cinematic-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Spice Of Life: New Film Of Frank Herbert\u2019s \u2018Dune\u2019 Is An Enthralling Cinematic Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dune<\/em> can be somewhat confusing to follow, but is entirely worth seeing owing to it being an enthralling cinematic experience. There are quite a lot of things setup in this film, but if the inevitable second film is as well-made as this is, then the Dune<\/em> film series has the potential to be an instant classic. If you have the opportunity, see it in cinemas in order to do it full justice.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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The complexity of the film\u2019s story can\u2019t be overstated. A significant portion of the first hour is dedicated to introducing the concepts and ideas needed to build a multi-film series, so try not to miss anything. I can\u2019t accurately state how confusing the film really is, because I\u2019d read the original novel a few years prior, and therefore went in knowing a basic outline of the plot, and most of the characters and organisations portrayed. It\u2019s an unfortunate casualty of what\u2019s lost in adapting a book (especially one as dense as Frank Herbert\u2019s Dune<\/em>) to screen – much exposition and character motivation falls by the wayside once you lose the ability to witness a character\u2019s point of view, and their internal monologue. A good litmus test of how well you\u2019re able to follow the plot of Dune<\/em> would be remembering your experience in watching Game of Thrones<\/em>, if you indeed did. If you weren\u2019t confused watching that, and if you pay attention to the film, you\u2019ll be fine – so don\u2019t let it be a turn off. Once you\u2019ve taken all of this in, however, Dune<\/em> totally ramps up the spectacle, leaving you enthralled for the remainder of the runtime.<\/p>\n

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As for the story\u2019s content, at its most basic level, it\u2019s a science fiction epic about the politics of an empire spanning the known universe. We follow the struggle for survival of a noble house as they deal with the threats posed by the greed and envy of others, interwoven with the plots, hopes, and motivations of other groups and organisations. Crucial to the plot is the substance, Spice, that allows interstellar travel, allows users to mutate themselves physically and mentally, and has psychoactive, hallucinogenic properties that awaken prophetic visions in certain people. The substance, the most valuable in the universe, provides much motivation for the expansive cast of characters, hoping to possess the great power from controlling its sale and production. The film is fairly obvious at first in its portrayal of the \u2018good guys\u2019 and the \u2018bad guys\u2019, and doesn\u2019t fully succeed in elevating the antagonists above mere caricatures. The interest lies in discerning the ambitions and plots of those that don\u2019t fit into these simple labels, like the shadowy sisterhood of psychic warrior priests, or the native peoples of the planet Arrakis, the only known location for the production of Spice. As mentioned previously, there is a great deal of setup for a future franchise in this film, and based on how this film only covers the first half of Frank Herbert\u2019s first book in the larger Dune<\/em> franchise, it\u2019s plain to see that there\u2019ll be a lot more of interest to offer in the upcoming second film, where we\u2019ll witness the culmination of most of the arcs and questions raised here. Whether this film suffers from this setup is up to you – I for one believe there\u2019s more than enough spectacular payoff in the last two acts to make up for obvious franchise building.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Special praise has to go to director Denis Villeneuve and the others responsible for this film\u2019s production design. The film squeezes out every last cent of its $165 million budget, and it all shows on screen. Everything from the sets, costumes, environments, effects, music, and choreography could be held up as the greatest we\u2019ve seen in years. The only potential peer in recent memory is possibly The Lord of the Rings<\/em> trilogy – with easy comparisons to make in the apparent care taken to make this movie, from every level, top to bottom. Much like Lord of the Rings<\/em>, I\u2019m excited to learn more about the behind the scenes production of Dune<\/em>, simply because the end product implies so much effort and care went into it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As for the performances of the cast, there\u2019s not a lot to say. Nobody phones it in, but neither does anybody give award-worthy acting. I\u2019m of the opinion that any fault lies with the material – the characters of Dune<\/em> bear a great deal of responsibility, most have some degree of physical and mental training to conceal their emotions – as well as thst the content of the story, and what the characters go through, is somewhat divorced from regular human experience. This isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing, but it naturally makes it harder for the actors to portray their characters in a way we\u2019d traditionally laud as exceptional performances. Moments of raw emotion are few and far between, but when the facade cracks, the actors do put their all into it. Special mention goes to Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, who make for eminently rootable protagonists, and who excel in their little moments where their characters allow themselves to express themselves. Oscar Isaac and Josh Brolin portray military-minded, duty-bound, but ultimately loving mentors, contrasted against the energetic and capable Jason Momoa, playing the other end of the spectrum in an odd trinity of father figures for our main character. Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd and Dave Bautista play antagonists who are under no misgivings about their presence as antagonists, with Skarsg\u00e5rd portraying the cold, ruthless aspect of evil, while Bautista represents the passionate, reckless brutality of it. As for sleeper hits, Babs Olusanmokun appears as an eleventh-hour antagonist in a surprisingly emotional manner, presenting fury and outrage, and livening up the end of the film, providing the emotional climax of our main character\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To conclude, I think Dune<\/em> is almost a must-see film, with the potential to be an instant classic if the second film is as good or better. Where it stumbles from true greatness is in its abundance of obvious setup and franchise building – much like Fellowship of the Ring<\/em>, it\u2019s impossible to truly evaluate this film at a current state, because unlike the main character, I don\u2019t suffer from visions of the future. Without knowing how its second part delivers on its promises, I can only recommend it strongly for anyone who wants to see an amazing film, filled to the brim with beautiful visuals, grand spectacle, and music fit to be released commercially. Unless you\u2019re turned off by science fiction or complex plots, go and see it, preferably in the best cinema you can find.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dune can be somewhat confusing to follow, but is entirely worth seeing owing to it being an enthralling cinematic experience. There are quite a lot of things setup in this film, but if the inevitable second film is as well-made as this is, then the Dune film series has the potential to be an instant classic. If you have the opportunity, see it in cinemas in order to do it full justice.<\/p>\n

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