The biggest movie released so far this year is definitely a bit confusing. Or maybe it's not that confusing, but there's definitely a lot to talk about.
Of course I am saying the following: Dune: Part 2.
Denis Villeneuve's second adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1960s science fiction series hits theaters this week. It's been over two years since the first film came out, and considering the complexity of what's happening; sand dune Universe, I thought some of you might have some questions.
For example, what's up with Timothee Chalamet's psychic boy king? Who are those sullen-looking nuns? And what on earth is going on with the giant bugs everywhere?
I like science fiction. Please find me anytime. Ninth Gideon or the outcast — but I've never read it sand dune, So I can't help you.
Patrick Reis, Vox's senior political editor and longtime editor; sand dune Fan, you can do it. Patrick Abad-Santos and Alex Abad-Santos, Vox senior correspondents and self-proclaimed exponents. sand dune Newbies, learn more about the new film here. Below is their conversation for today's newsletter and some additional questions I asked. — Caroline Houck, Senior News Editor
Mild spoilers for the overall narrative arc of the series.
So who is Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet? I'm supposed to like him, right?
At the start of Villeneuve's previous film, Paul is the only child of House Atreides, the son of Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) and Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), a member of the Bene Gesserit house.
Paul's family was forced to leave their home planet and relocate to Arrakis (also known as Dune), where they were tasked with overseeing the production of spice, the universe's most precious resource.
At the end of the first film, Paul went into hiding with the Fremen from Arrakis and allied with them against House Harkonnen. House Harkonnen is a dictator who once again rules Arrakis after murdering Paul's father and almost everyone he loved. (He also meets Channi (Zendaya), a Fremen who becomes his lover.) Dune: Part 2He ascends to the ranks of the Fremen to become a messianic figure.
This results in a fairly complex moral arc throughout the rest of the series.
All right. My question is this: Is he a good messianic figure? Or is he actually an evil character? I am suspicious of this hero worship. And there's a weird white savior vibe here, right?
Is he “evil”? Not so in the short term. In the medium term, yes. And in the extremely long term, with the help of Paul's descendants, there are very few events that take place decades, centuries, or even millennia later.
dune two He is set in the short-lived “No” part of the story, helping the Fremen escape the cruelty of House Harkonnen.
But for the other part of your question – yes. Dune is essentially a white savior story in which outsiders brought into a nomadic culture exercise most of the agency.
It's also a very clear allegory for the Middle East. Spice is definitely oil, as it is a rare substance that sustains modern life and facilitates commerce and travel throughout the empire. And much about the Fremen seems designed to evoke the simplest stereotypes of desert nomads and Arabs. In worst case dance with bugs. All of this is going to make fans uncomfortable, and in many cases it is.
I think the movie takes some steps in the right direction. Zendaya's Chani has much more agency in the movie than Chani in the books, which puts some of the power back in the hands of the Fremen.
But I'm not sure there's a way to avoid the white savior trope without basically setting aside a significant portion of the book's plot. Someone tried to make it sand dune Watching a movie without being faithful to the book is downright ridiculous.
Who are the Bene Gesserit, and more importantly, why aren't they in charge?
To the naked eye, the Bene Gesserit look like a bunch of super-powered nuns, although they aren't exactly nuns, as Paul's mother Lady Jessica is part of the sisterhood.
But let's go back and understand why it's so important and what exactly it's trying to do.
Long before the advent of movies, humanity had eliminated all “thinking machines.” So for centuries (and perhaps more), the major advancements in technology have been about re-engineering humans themselves, not better machines.
This is the big project the Bene Gesserit are working on: developing superpowers.
Paul was to be the penultimate step before that transcendent being. Lady Jessica was intended to mate with the heir of House Harkonnen so that the Bene Gesserit would have a woman who could determine the gender of their offspring. However, her love for Oscar Isaac's Duke Leto (RIP) made her grant his wish for a male heir. This brought superbeings into space a generation earlier and upended the Bene Gesserit plans.
Let's go back to the question. The Bene Gesserit seem content to have their men engage in relatively minor conflicts over imperial thrones and control of spices. But behind the scenes, they are fighting a bigger fight. In other words, it is a fight to create a transcendent being that they can control.
Unfortunately, they only got halfway there. Because Paul clearly has no interest in being under anyone's control.
Okay, but most importantly, tell me about this giant bug. They're very important to the plot and look very cool, but they don't seem to make any sense.
We learned in the first movie that Fremen and desert dwellers seem to know how to avoid being eaten by bugs. So… what do bugs eat to grow so big? And more importantly, what do they have to do with this powerful and precious spice?
Reading between the lines, it appears that they are actually eating something in the desert sand rather than a living organism. They are more like regular old earthworms here on Earth than the apex predators of their ecosystem. They enrich the desert by tunneling through it. It even helps produce spices.
So I think it's more territorial than predatory when they devour spice harvesting machines, Harkonnen corpses, anything that doesn't properly camouflage its movements when walking on sand. I would be happy to discuss sandworm ecology with you for about 10 more hours. But I think I've said enough here. Enjoy the movie!
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