For over half a century, Frank Herbert’s science fiction epic Dune has had the reputation of being impossible to translate to the big screen. It had been tried three times, once as a miniseries and twice as a movie, but the task quickly turned out to be too daunting and the attempts were either never made or flopped. Denis Villeneuve’s recent take on the beloved novel (2021), however, might actually do the trick. Since he is a life-long Dune fan and director of some other well-received science fiction movies like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, his chances of bringing this story to life are remarkably higher than those of his predecessors. There certainly is the intriguing promise of a sensational mix of jaw-dropping cinematography, incredible acting and an ominous soundtrack that perfectly captures the unrelenting environment of the desert planet Arrakis, but how much of this is true ? One thing is certain: this definitely is a type of Hollywood blockbuster we have not had in a while.

The story takes place in a far future, in the year 10.191, and follows the young and somewhat sullen protagonist Paul Atreides, brilliantly impersonated by Timothée Chalamet. Paul is the Heir to House Atreides, one of the two Houses that answer to the great intergalactic Empire, and is destined to follow in the footsteps of his father, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac). While Paul is struggling with archetypical hero problems like inexplicable powers and mysterious visions, his father has been handed the dubious honour of stewarding the planet Arrakis (also known as ‘Dune’), which was formerly in the hands of the other House, House Harkonnen. It is also, more importantly, the only known place where a substance called “spice” can be harvested. Spice is the most valuable commodity in space, since it not only enables space travel, but also extends life. However, Arrakis is not completely uninhabited and Paul Atreides will soon learn that the enormous sand worms which roam the desert and the Fremen, the original inhabitants who see the harvesters as oppressors, are the least of his worries. In the background, the vast Empire carefully moves its political tentacles around House Atreides and both Paul and Duke Leto fear that the sudden switch of power entails a trap.

Visual and auditory pleasure 

The events often take a back seat, however, in favour of the stunning worldbuilding and cinematography. Denis Villeneuve has made the risky choice to only adapt the first part of the novel and while that decision may have resulted in the lack of a satisfying ending, it was the best way to fully immerse the viewer in the vast wonders of the world of Dune. The complex power struggles, as well as the Fremen culture are gradually conveyed through visuals and dialogue rather than through an extensive plot dump at the very beginning, which makes the film very digestible and prevents it from dragging.

Since nearly every scene is filmed on location, mainly in the Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi, the whole setting feels real, so much so that you can almost feel the desert breeze in your hair. Even most of the indoor sets were built in Origo Film Studios in Budapest to restrict the use of a green screen to a minimum. Moreover, the film is filled to the brim with breath-taking environmental shots that display the diversity of Herbert’s world: the green cliffs of Caladan, home planet of House Atreides, starkly contrast with the endless sea of sand on Arrakis or the bleak dark halls of Atreides’ sworn enemy, House Harkonnen. These shots are alternated with dramatic close-ups of the actors, which give us insight in their inner turmoil and serve to drive up the tension.

Nevertheless, the amazing visuals are nothing without the accompanying soundtrack of the famous German composer Hans Zimmer. He is, just as Villeneuve, a passionate lover of Frank Herbert’s novel and even prioritized composing the music of Dune over Tenet. And he does not disappoint: the music is threatening, mysterious and a bit dramatic, but succeeds in conveying the feeling of what it must be like to tread on the sands of Arrakis. Zimmer even went as far as coming up with new sounds, which are played by new instruments, to create an atmosphere that feels ancient and alien at the same time.

Thought-provokingly relevant  

The story, though written as early as the sixties, touches on a few sensitive topics that are still very much relevant today. The idea of Dune sprang out of Herbert’s concern about the advancing desert in the state Oregon, but ultimately the writer goes a lot further than that. His book contains an intriguing and subtle critique on the battle between religion and politics, the danger of Messiah figures and the consequences of colonization. In that aspect, the novel is a lot more complex than meets the eye.

The film, on the other hand, introduces all these themes briefly, and definitely needs a second part to work them out more carefully. Villeneuve’s objective seemed to lean more towards introducing the viewer to the world and characters of Dune rather than delving deep into the issues under the skin of Herbert’s novel. However, one can still grasp that this story is going to be a lot more complicated and thought-provoking than its more popular successor Star Wars, another intergalactic science fiction that took a lot of inspiration from Herbert. Dune is an adaptation of a book that prompts the reader to think and subtly sets up a bigger story with the help of Paul’s confusing visions.

Denis Villeneuve is the first to successfully adapt a story that was thought to be exclusively bound to the written medium and did so with the help of Zimmer’s astonishing soundtrack, a stellar cast and the clever use of visual cinematography to convey both the events and feelings of Arrakis. He brilliantly immersed the viewer in this vast and complex world, even the ones who have not read the book first. While Paul Atreides’s journey is as of yet unfinished, Dune certainly carries a lot of sweltering potential for the future. The question remains, however, whether Villeneuve will be able to keep up the good work for the next films in this series. Until then, this movie forms a perfect first glance of beautiful Arrakis and the vast Space around it.