Just Been To See…Dune!

Film poster. Fair use

 I have been to see the latest version of Dune, at my local cinema, and I have to say, I enjoyed it very much. The film only covered a small part of the novel and the next film won’t be out till 2023, but I had been warned and accepted it. It’s a long book, and you really can’t fit it all into a single film.

I read the book many years ago, and my copy is signed by the author, Frank Herbert, who came to Australia for a Perth SF convention and dropped into Melbourne, where I live, on his way home. There was a science fiction bookshop, Space Age, in the Melbourne CBD, and after 5.00 pm, when the shop closed, we got to meet Frank Herbert, who signed books and answered questions. He looked like Santa Claus at the time(later he shaved) and was just as jovial.

He was very much a plotter rather than a pantser, and said he had done a huge stack of research before he wrote a word. It really shows in his writing; the world building is brilliant. 

I confess I have never read any of the sequels, but this novel is a classic. If anything can be compared to Tolkien’s work, just for the world building, it’s Dune. 

It is thick as a brick, and if you want to read it, you need to focus. Dune is not something you can read in a sitting or two. If you haven’t read the book, you can just go and see the movie to get the flavour. Really. Don’t try reading it before the movie if you haven’t already.

It is about the adventures of a boy called Paul Atreides, son of a Duke, whose family are ordered to go and take over the planet Arrakis, aka Dune. Arrakis is a desert world where people wear stillsuits that recycle any water you sweat or pee out. On Arrakis, which has local tribes called the Fremen, if someone spits at you, it’s a compliment, because they are sharing their body’s water. That’s how dry it is! But it is also the only place in the universe that produces this stuff called the spice, which makes space navigation possible. Spice is produced by the giant sandworms. As you can imagine, anyone who runs this world is going to make a fortune, and the family leaving is not pleased. 

I won’t go any further, to avoid spoilers, especially because it ends about a third of the way through the novel, but it certainly, in my opinion, is true to the spirit of the book. The visuals are stunning, as is the music. The sandworm that shot up out of the desert sands was truly scary.

 The role of Paul is played by Timothee Chalamet, whom you have probably seen in other roles, such as Laurie in Little Women, and Henry V.  He is a bit old for the role(Paul is 15), but convinces, and I guess Paul really has to be played by someone older than 15; there is too much he has to do to give the role to a teenager.  On the other hand, his father, Duke Leto Atreides, is played by Oscar Isaac, whom you will have seen in Star Wars as Poe Dameron, the dashing rebel pilot. He is maybe a bit young for the role, but they did a good job of making him look somewhat older. 

There are some familiar faces here. Duncan Idaho, working for the Duke, was played by Jason Momoa, whom you may have seen in  Game Of Thrones as the Dothraki leader, or the title role in Aquaman. Another character, Gurney Halleck, was played by Josh Brolin(Thanos in the Avengers films), though without his musical instrument, the baliset. Dave Bautista, of Guardians Of The Galaxy fame, is Beast Raban, one of the baddies.

I have to admit, I had forgotten how much of the story was dominated by men until I watched this film. There are strong female characters, but not many women in general. There is the Reverend Mother of the order of the Bene Gesserit, who are a lot more than a bunch of space nuns. There is Paul’s mother Lady Jessica, trained by the Bene Gesserit, who is passing on her skills to her son. There is the (future) love interest, Chani(played by Zendaya), who is a tough Fremen fighter. (Liet Kynes, the scientist, was a male character in the book). Apart from these, I can’t think of any women who get more than a line or two. 

Still, whether you have read the novel or not, it’s well worth seeing. Get your ice cream and popcorn and settle down for a great ride!