[Nick Zwar]

OK, vacation’s over, so here is my take on DUNE:

I have read the novel way back in the 1980s; I read a lot of science fiction back then. I found it an interesting concept (especially all the politics involved) and the setting (and the illustrations) were good. It was not a novel I ever returned to though. While the setting and politics were interesting, somehow, I thought the book did not have much to say. It was wordy, yes, but what was it really about?

I saw the 1984 David Lynch movie and found it a total mess and a waste of many good actors. It was way too short, so the story never had time to breathe. I do not think anyone unfamiliar with the book had much of an idea what was even going on. So it gave me even less of an idea what the novel is supposed to be about.

I like the Villeneuve movies. They look fantastic, they are quite faithful (as far as I remember) to the original novel, and they are impeccably cast. The music by Hans Zimmer is splendid. I really enjoy it. I know some think it is just loud noise, but I hear many finely interwoven sounds. It is certainly a very good sounding album. I am mostly referring to the Sketchbook album here, though I have the others too.

But the movies have the same problem the book already had. Perhaps they are too faithful to the novel, because, even though it’s been a long time I read DUNE, I seem to have the same issue with the movie that I had with the novel. A wonderful world, an intriguing political setup, a vast cast of characters who are, on paper, interesting. And yet I am not sure what the movie (I know there are two films now, but it is essentially one long adaptation of the original DUNE novel by Frank Herbert) is really about. While much is at stake, it is never quite clear why we should care quite as much as the film seems to expect us to.

Compare this to The Lord of the Rings. It is pure fantasy, yet the problems the characters face are recognizably human. Fear, loyalty, corruption, sacrifice. We understand what can be lost, and we feel it. Or take Game of Thrones. Also fantasy, often bordering on the operatic, but we care deeply about the characters. Even when they are flawed, even when they are outright unpleasant, we understand their motivations. Sometimes we root even for characters who did despicable things elsewhere, especially when they showed a shred of decency, that’s why it was such an engaging “world” that was build.

In DUNE, by contrast, much of what happens feels oddly abstract. Sure, I understand what’s going on. Power shifts hands, bloodlines matter, prophecies loom large. But the human core feels muted. Paul Atreides is important. Why? Because the movie treats im so. He is destined, central to everything, yet he often feels more like a concept than a person. I mean, I think this could be interesting, this could be Lawrence of Arabia in space. The conflicts are vast, the consequences enormous, but emotionally the drama remains curiously distant. It is all very serious, very solemn, very important. And somehow, also a bit banal.

This is not a knock against Villeneuve as a filmmaker. On the contrary, he may be the best possible director for this material. He gives it scale, gravity, and a sense of awe. I like that the movie takes its time with the characters, I like that doesn’t hit us over the head with visual spectacle and action. He give the visuals the room to be taken in… the world feels “real”. So that’s good. Villeneuve takes it seriously, which is exactly what the material demands. But perhaps that is also the limit of DUNE itself. It is a universe rich in lore, politics, and atmosphere, but thin when it comes to saying something essential about the human condition.

So yes, I admire the craft. I enjoy the films. I have the movies on 4K (which is where I originally watched them), so I will return to them one day, they look good, sound good… I am glad they exist. But when the credits roll, I find myself thinking less about what I have felt or learned, and more about how impressive it all looked and sounded. That is a fine achievement. It just may not be a profound one.