Chalamet and Sandworms In Dune

Denise Villeneuve’s 2021 film Dune right away throws its viewers into its complex story-building with its initial shots of striking contrast across quiet, vast scapes of desert. These undoubtedly impressive and scenic views are almost always shown in washed-out and muted greys and beiges - emphasizing realism and form over science-fiction whimsicalness - as the director  commits to the serious and brooding tone he’s known for in his other films such as the renowned Blade Runner 2049. Given the task of creating a digestible visual interpretation of one of the most successful science fiction novels of the 60s, Villeneuve definitely deserves credit for creating such a believable picture that strays far from the overly quirky initial interpretation of Dune in David Lynch’s 1984 film. Villeneuve’s Dune is real, believable, and without world-building holes - outside of, of course, the ones that the famed sandworms create across the deathly savannah of spice and sand. 

If you’re looking for a sensational experience that takes you far, far away from Earth to a dystopian planet run by an evil government that profits off of a mystical spice - the film is definitely worth watching. If you are, however, invested in narrative, and likely hoping to see a notable performance from everyone’s favorite tall, thin actor Timothee Chalamet, you might leave the theater a bit dissatisfied. Although Villeneuve does an amazing job at immersing you in the fictional world born from the original Frank Herbert Dune series through whimsical cinematography and seamless special effects, he makes it difficult to get properly invested in many of the characters. Most notably, he gives Chalamet very little room to develop his character Paul Atreides, the innocent boy who must discover the power of having inherited “the voice”, commanding even those with utmost authority in the land of Arrakis. The majority of Paul’s appearance can be summed up by brooding, solemn stares off into the desert and a lack of confidence - quite fitting and characteristic of the original novel - yet not psychologically developed in the way a central character, especially one played by recently famed Chalamet, would usually be. 

The drama vibrates throughout the theater as the audience is taken through an immersive galactic experience, reminiscent of Mad Max’s machinery set in a dystopian world with a desert background and Star Wars through its outlandish fictional technology and magic galaxy vibe that is only emphasized by Hans Zimmer’s score. The astounding film score composer creates a soundtrack that perfectly compliments the vastness and seriousness of each scene, and in a way plays a central role in capturing the very essence of Dune. Without Zimmer’s score, the film wouldn’t be nearly as multi-dimensional with its sci-fi eccentricity, and would rather read as an off-putting national geographic episode of a savannah, featuring scary worm monsters. 

Not much was developed outside of the visuals and summaries of the extensive political background of Arrakis, necessary for understanding of the plot, leaving the viewer wanting more answers, or, in my case, getting frustrated with how neglected character development was, in a way sacrificed for the sake of setting up the story for about half of the film. In this way, the film climaxed quickly, through Zimmer’s dramatic score and the early appearance of extraordinarily large sandworms that are attracted to rhythmic sound created by footsteps above the dunes, yet also plateaued quickly, being carried only by occasional action scenes and footage of cool spacecrafts and planes that levitate using dragonfly-esque wings. The truly beautiful production runs dry when you aren’t invested in any characters after two hours and forty minutes of anticipation, making it no less beautiful and impressive, just less exciting and invested in Dune 2, projected to be released sometime at the end of 2023. Whether Chalamet pulls through with a three dimensional character by the second film is just as unknown as how much screen time Zendaya will get next time, after averaging a whole seven minute appearance in the first film, despite making up a large portion of its trailer and having been heavily advertised.