The two-word phrase which I think best sums up Dune: Part Two is deceptive simplicity. Partly by crafting such strong, clean, clear, striking images, visionary director Denis Villeneuve eases us into the dense and fraught politics of Frank Herbert’s Dune novels. Because the images are so crisp, so are the stakes of this classic space-opera story, despite whichever new terms or concepts are being introduced.
Villeneuve also succeeds because he so keenly understands pacing. How smooth his films often feel has historically left some audience members with a colder feeling than perhaps he intended, and I had a similar reaction to 2021’s Dune, which set the events of this film in motion. Now seeing both films in context of each other, I recognize Villeneuve was simply getting used to this vast world in 2021; getting his bearings. Where the pacing left me cold in the 2021 film, I now see that structure as merely serving a context-builder. Make no mistake, that film is as strong a context-builder as they come, but now that Villeneuve has arrived at the juiciest parts of Herbert’s first Dune novel and its climax, Dune: Part Two is a better, perhaps flashier example of his expertly smooth pacing. It is blissfully exhilarating from start to finish.
We begin with a gripping fight sequence soaked in the orange of the planet Arrakis’ desert twilight. The scene announces the real need for moviegoers predisposed to liking the film to see it in IMAX. It includes the first of several images that will give you chills and linger in your brain long after you leave the theater. It’s also a great indication of how much exposition Villeneuve will manage to get across completely visually. There are important attributes of the Fremens’ new villains (new in the context of the two films) which, when introduced, are totally clear without words.
As the native Fremen of Arrakis continue to fight for self-determination — and for their right to control the precious, commodified spice which flows freely across the desert planet — a grieving Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his widowed mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) explore their options for bringing peace to the Imperium after the tragic events which killed their patriarch and left them stranded with the Fremen. These options may involve Paul stepping into the role of the Fremens’ prophesied Messiah, the Lisan al Gaib. Lady Jessica, coming from the shadowy Bene Gesserit tradition, uses her psychic abilities to try to quicken her son’s ascendency, installing herself as the Fremen Reverend Mother. Paul is unsure of his ability to fulfill the role some expect of him, although his inherited psychic abilities and developing leadership and hand-to-hand combat skills are remarkable. The cherry on top of Villeneuve getting the complex story so right is that he also nails its thematic complexities. Far from a Dances with Wolves storyline, the Dune novels always acknowledged and built consequence upon the ethical, emotional, and political messiness Paul’s trajectory presented, and this film brings that to the fore as much as anything else.
A large part of what assures a human element amidst all these plot threads (I haven’t even touched on everything; I realize it could all sound like the ravings of a madman to the uninitiated) is Zendaya’s performance as Chani, Paul’s Fremen lover. All the abilities which make Zendaya such a strong screen presence are filtered through this character, and they really must be for the story to land with the proper emotional weight. Chani’s disbelief in traditional Fremen religion anchors many of the stakes as the story progresses, and the quiet rage Zendaya is always capable of portraying convinces us of those stakes as that rage boils over for a variety of reasons. She truly is the standout performance among a terrific cast.
Newcomers to the series include Austin Butler as the frightening Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Christopher Walken as Shaddam IV, Emperor of the known universe, and Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, the Emperor’s daughter. All of these actors bring just as much intensity and gravitas to their roles as the three leads. In more than one instance, they usher in stunning new aesthetics for Villeneuve and director of photography Greig Fraser to dive into, based on the characters’ respective homeworlds.
An aspect of the 2021 film about which I had no reservations was Hans Zimmer’s score, and he has outdone himself again in Part Two. Just as much as any visual, Zimmer’s mix of choirs, percussion, and synths also invites us into this world and makes us glad we stayed.
In summary, Dune: Part Two is a triumph. Nothing about its technical quality can be overstated, and its emotional impact should not be understated. It is as dynamic and unforgettable as any other masterful blockbuster has ever been. | George Napper
