A SPICY SCI-TALE
The new version of Dune is moody and simply breathtaking, writes Margaret Gardiner
Some films are made for the big screen, and Dune is one of them. Based on the books of Frank Herbert and directed by Denis Villeneuve, (Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2017), Dune stars Timotheé Chamalet as Paul Atreides, the young hero evolving into a leader, rather like the young Luke Skywalker of Star Wars fame. The spectacle of wide expanses, a particular world and language, are captured in a way that fans will appreciate.
Told in two parts, the ending of the film is quite abrupt, setting up the action to come in the sequel. It introduces, in the far future of humanity, the Atreides and Harkonnens’ struggle for the desert planet Arrakis (also known as Dune) whose value lies in its spice.
For those unfamiliar with the books, “spice” has a different meaning here — it’s not the kind you use in your bredie ,it’sa mineral that extends life and fuels travel.
Shot in the Jordanian desert, the beautiful cinematography is evocative and the worms that populate the strange, fantastical planet ravage the place in spectacular fashion. It sounds over the top, but it isn’t. The Venice and World Premiere prompted a six-minute standing ovation.
Some readers may recall David Lynch’s 1984 version of the film, starring Kyle MacLachlan, which was a box-office bomb, grossing $30.9m from a $40m budget. Hopefully this remake — in which Villeneuve delivers a story that invokes the plunder of minerals in third world countries as well as current geopolitical quandaries, global warming and the volcano that is the Middle East — will do better.
“Frank Herbert wrote Dune in the ’60s as a portrait of the 20th century, but I think it became more true as time went on, like a prediction of what would happen in the 21st century,” said Villeneuve.
“Sadly, the book is more relevant today. The blend of danger between the cross mix of religion and politics, the danger of messianic figures, the impact of colonialism and the problem with the environment all feature. This book stayed with me through the years. It felt more relevant through time. I wish it wasn’t the case, but I think the movie will speak to the world right now, more than it would have done 40 years ago.”
Chamalet anchors the film with gravitas, handling both the action and responsibilities that come to Paul Atreides in dreams laced with the mysterious figure played by Zendaya. The film features great character development that many blockbusters lack. Silence is allowed to grow, moody moments menace the audience and the action will have you holding your breath.
Asked if he’d watched the earlier version of Dune, Chamalet said he had seen it in preparation for his role. “I have huge respect for Kyle’s performance. I love that version. I watched it about two months before we started shooting.” And he wasn’t intimidated by the initial version’s all star cast.
“I’ve been fortunate to work on other projects that have had prior iterations with great actors in them and I have huge respect for all of them. But when Denis Villeneuve asks you to do a movie and do his version of a movie, you forget all that, and you make yourself as humble as the source material asks you to be,” he said.
Chamalet, known for smaller budget character stories like Call Me by Your Name, Lady Bird and Beautiful Boy, hasn’t really starred in sweeping studio films besides Little Women. But he embraced the idea of leading a blockbuster.
“The project size was something I hadn’t been on before. I had to be guided a little”, he said, waving an inclusive hand at the cast — Javier Bardem, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Josh Brolin, who were with him on the stage of the Venice Film Festival to celebrate the premiere.
“I was able to lean on each one of the actors emotionally at some point over the course of this shoot. These are actors I’ve seen in projects that I admire,” he said. “I hope we make a second one. That would be a dream.”
There’s a humble earnestness to Chamalet’s words, because the film is likely to be a success
— and the sequel, already being written, will be highly anticipated.