DUNE MISSES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MEANINGFUL MENA REPRESENTATION
AMON WARMANN chews over the main moment in Black film and TV this month
THERE IS MUCH that I admired about Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, from its incredible world-building to Hans Zimmer’s bold, atmospheric score. But there is one thing that hasn’t sat well with me: the casting of NON-MENA (Middle Eastern/ North African) actors in roles that are heavily influenced by their culture. Worse still, while the industry-wide conversation about Black representation has progressed to the point that these kinds of casting decisions wouldn’t fly, it feels like not nearly enough people are talking about it.
There are many elements of Dune that borrow from Arab and Islamic culture. This is especially true when it comes to the Fremen: with their dark features and use of the Arabic language (the messianic name for Timothée Chalamet’s Paul is Muad’dib, which broadly means “teacher” in Arabic), the influence of these cultures is all over the movie.
It was the perfect opportunity to cast MENA actors in a huge film, but instead the principal Fremens are played by Zendaya, who is Black and biracial, and Spanish actor Javier Bardem. It’s a shame, because not only are there plenty of MENA stars like Saïd Taghmaoui and Tahar Rahim waiting in the wings to be cast, this was also a chance to birth new stars.
Dune is not alone in squandering an opportunity on this. The upcoming Black Adam was another chance to elevate a MENA actor, as the character has roots in Ancient Egypt. It’s easy to see why the role has gone to Dwayne Johnson, a charismatic performer who is passionate about embodying the character on screen. But it’s also undeniable that proper representation has been sacrificed for star power. And that should never be the case.
As far as representation has come along in Hollywood over the last few years, there’s a tendency to think in binary terms. Examples like Dune and Black Adam show that the industry as a whole needs to dramatically evolve its thinking, just as we’ve seen with Black representation. Maybe, then, the next time a big blockbuster which should have MENA actors in it comes round, MENA actors are cast.
There was a time when doing blackface in a film wasn’t frowned upon. This won’t change unless we make it change. We’ve escalated the conversation surrounding Black representation. We need to apply that same energy to talent from other backgrounds too.