Dune Part 1 Review: Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation is a dense, visually stunning epic

Denis Villeneuve‘s interpretation of Dune is a visual and sonic masterpiece with a terrific cast that does justice to the source material.

The performances are great for the most part. Timothée Chalamet has a couple of emotional scenes that don’t quite hit the mark but give a strong performance as Paul Atreides. Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides strikes the right balance of regality and roguish charm. Josh Brolin and Jason Mamoa have the most colorful roles to play. Make no mistake Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica Atreides is the standout performance and role in this film. She has the difficult task of pushing her son in certain instances and having to step back to let him chart his path forward. Her resolve is tested repeatedly, but she never wilts.

Rounding out the terrific performances are Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård and Javier Bardem. Bautista’s aggression as Beast Rabban Harkonnen makes for a fun contrast to the pragmatic and chilling Baron Vladimir Harkonnen played by Skarsgård. Bardem’s scenes opposite Brolin and Isaac crackle with electricity.

The film does move at a slow pace. Long takes are used to show the depth of the world and exposition is frequent. The plot is quite dense. However, as a fan of dense films like The Last Duel, The Green Knight and even Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the story really connected with me throughout. Similar to Christopher Nolan, the sound mixing can drown out the dialogue at times, but it’s nowhere near as intrusive as Tenet.

Dune isn’t Star Wars. The film feels more akin to a fantasy epic like Game of Thrones. There’s also very little levity. Momoa and Brolin have a couple of moments where the tone changes a bit, but every scene is played as if it’s a dire event. Zendaya, who was heavily featured in the trailers, is barely in the film.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive further into this adaptation of Frank Herbert‘s masterpiece. There will be some minor spoilers. Dune is playing in theaters and on HBO Max.

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House Atreides in Dune

In another comparison to Game of Thrones, the galaxy is divided into houses. In Dune, the protagonist Paul belongs to House Atreides. Paul is torn between three different paths.

Follow in his father’s (Isaac) footsteps as the leader of the house and heir to the throne. Join “The Way” his mother’s people who essentially serve as Dune’s Jedi, sith or witches. This is more of a concern for Jessica than her son. She defied her order’s practice by having a son instead of a daughter. Then there’s a 3rd, more uncertain path. Paul has been having visions of a girl on a planet called Arrakis. I love the family dynamic between Ferguson, Isaac and Chalamet. There’s a warmth particularly in Isaac’s portrayal that shows his support for his son.

When Paul questions whether he’s fit to lead, his father doesn’t dissuade him of his feelings. He simply tells his son, that even if Paul chooses not to follow in his footstep, he will still be his son.

Swordmaster Duncan is the only friend Paul has and provides a crucial strategic element when House Atreides lands on Arrakis.

Protect the Spice

Planet Caladan is a gorgeous setting gleaming with greenery, water and mountainscapes. Caladan makes for a nice juxtaposition with Arrakis. A planet that has no water and is essentially a giant desert. Picture a more sparse Tatooine with one fewer sun and you have the basic gist of Arrakis.

House Atreides accepts an offer to head to Arrakis and oversee “Spice” production. Spice is the most valuable substance in the galaxy. This substance can be used to power ships through space or as a drug with hallucinogenic properties. Once on the planet, Atreides has two potentially oppressive forces.

House Harkonnen who controlled the spice trade previously is called back by the Emperor, which allows Atreides access to Arrakis. The two houses have fought for generations.

Arrakis itself poses its risks. There are giant sand-dwelling worms. Villeneuve and cinematographer Greg Fraser do a fantastic job of capturing scope. Whether it’s a worm or the vast desert on the planet’s surface, Fraser and Villeneuve always manage to give us some form of reference we can understand. For example, there’s a shot with Paul in a ship looking down at a worm. Paul is in the foreground and the worm is in the background. It’s such a beautiful way to usher us into this unique universe.

Setup

Paul has frequent dreams about a girl (Zendaya). He also sees his friend Duncan in danger on Arrakis. Once on Arrakis, the danger ratchets up quickly.

The girl he’s dreaming about is part of the Freman. They are natives of Arrakis and have different customs than House Atreides. The group is led by Stilgar (Bardem). For most of the film, the Freman stay in the background.

The script by Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth does a good job in limited scenes of showing this group’s savvy. To avoid sandworms, you have to walk in certain patterns. There’s not much water on the plant, so they recycle their water from spit and dead bodies. These small notes go a long way in showing us the group is more than meets the eye.

The action scenes are well done for the most part. Although, I could have used more information on The Way. The 1st act of the film focuses heavily The Way, but the defacto coven doesn’t come up again in the film. Paul and Jessica’s abilities are showcased, but The Way’s involvement is absent, which is unfortunate. The Voice is one ability Jessica has and Paul is trying to master. Essentially, you can coerce someone through a voice like the Jedi mind trick, but The Voice is much more terrifying.

Based on the ending, Zendaya and the Freman should get more of a focus in part two. Zendaya is barely in the film at all. Hopefully, The Way’s involvement is explored more as well. There are also some characters whose fates are up in the air.

Dune Final Thoughts

Dune is a unique blockbuster film that should be seen on the biggest screens possible. The glacial pace may not work for everybody. In a similar manner to The Fellowship of The Ring, the slower pace allowed you to understand the characters better and integrates you into this surreal environment.

I can’t wait for part 2.