Dune
“Fear is the mind killer.”
Once every few decades we’re graced with a epic, awe-inspiring sci-fi/fantasy masterpiece like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, Dune is the next great to take it’s rightful place in that category. Denis Villeneuve and his monstrous team have managed to, not only make a film, but craft an entire world full of intricacies and details allowing you to fully sink into the grandeur and spectacle of the universe. Seeing this in IMAX truly adds to that experience, the world feels almost tangible, like you can reach out and feel the flecks of spice on your fingertips. This is simply put a feat of cinema and there’s no doubt that this will go down as one of the greats, as it should.
Denis Villeneuve’s distinctive voice and vision is plastered all over every perfected frame, bringing with him many of the staples found in his filmography. Starting off with the unbelievable cinematography. It’s incomprehensible how this film looks as good as it does. There’s not a frame that’s in this film that doesn’t feel like it should be there, every shot is meticulously chosen to exemplify the beauty of this world, especially the all encompassing aerial shots that are visually some of the best shots I’ve seen in a sci-fi film. The world of Dune is so rich with distinctive colours that are a joy to watch. From the muted grey and blue tones of Caladan, to the wondrous notes of orange and beige that coat the planet of Arrakis. There’s multiple chunks of the film where my mouth was agape just staring at the pure visual masterpiece on screen. It feels as if throughout the entire film Villeneuve had a distinctive vision for how he wanted the universe to look and he succeeded in making his vision a masterclass in visual storytelling.
The work on the visuals behind the camera are matched completely by the outstanding visual work on display in front of the camera. Dune would simply not be the film it is without the level of craftsmanship put into the incredible production design. There’s so many visual nuggets of information that can be found through the production design, clues as to how the universe has developed over the last 10000 years. Specifically the ships, there’s multiple times in the film where a ship appears on screen that’s so fascinatingly crafted it has your mind racing as to why it was built this way, inviting you to become more invested in the world. The buildings, while being pieces of art themselves also lend themselves to such beautiful lighting that the cinematography of the scene makes sure use to use to its full advantage.
Dune also wouldn’t be the film it is without the impeccable score that accompanies it. Hans Zimmer has truly outdone himself with this piece of work, that is easily one of his career bests. Zimmer makes full use of an orchestra much like his other pieces in his body of work yet here he’s pushing the limits of what’s expected from him, making use of ethereal, hypnotic voices, unusual instruments, like the bagpipes, and perfectly used synthesisers. The score isn’t just a technical masterpiece though, there’s so much emotion fuelled into it that it injects scenes with a tangible weight and atmosphere that the scenes simply wouldn’t have without it.
The atmosphere of the film also simply wouldn’t be the same without the depth of performances on display here. There’s a recurring element of acting that occurs throughout Dune and that’s the glance. There’s stretches of the film where there is little dialogue but all the actors are acting with their eyes. One of the smartest storytelling beats of the film is how we’re introduced to character dynamics, since we are dropped into the story at a random point it doesn’t feel as if the story starts when the film starts, this truly feels like a lived in world that we happen to get to watch. And it’s through the exquisite acting that we become attached to the characters and immediately are aware of the relationships they have with others. The biggest compliment the acting in this film can get is that each family felt just like that, a family. Every interaction was believable and you could feel the weight of even the smallest of exchanges, it was beautiful to watch.
Obviously with such a stacked cast of incredible actors it’s no surprise that this film is a tour de force in acting, and while every single one gives an impeccable performance, it’s Rebecca Ferguson who steals the show. She is master of what was eluded to earlier, this subtle glance that has so much emotion behind it, the pain and turmoil she’s going through is written all over her face, not a word needs to be said to understand how she’s feeling. Also whenever she uses the voice are some of the coolest scenes in the film so that helps too.
It’s understandable that some people may find an issue with the story, it is after all an incomplete one but the way the story is structured is a refreshing take for blockbuster cinema. The pacing is like nothing you’ve seen before, the 3 act structure is out the window, battles happen not even halfway through and then we get slow methodical breakdowns, this film has a structure that’s unique to it and only it. Personally I loved this, it kept me fully invested throughout and the unusual pacing weirdly felt more natural to me for how this story would take place. We’re so used to having films now that have a theme and that theme is wrapped up with a bow at the end. Now this film doesn’t do that, yet there’s still plenty of themes to unpack, instead this is a film that is meant to create a world, laying the foundations for another story and also managing to tell a heartbreaking story of destruction at the same time. Please if you enjoy films go see this in a cinema so we can get a part 2 but also do it for yourself, this is a classic in the making and you should witness it on the biggest screen possible.
Disappointingly little Zendaya though.