Dune is an extraordinary, spectacular visual treat

Posted on 18th February 2022

Director Denis Villeneuve’s decision to take on Frank Herbert’s mammoth Dune novel might be thought brave to the point of foolhardiness, given the almighty mess David Lynch made of it back in the eighties. For some, the mental scars from seeing Sting in his angel-wing underpants will never heal. However, movie magic has come on leaps and bounds since then, allowing Villeneuve to bring Herbert’s fantastical images to the screen. Secondly, Villeneuve has given himself two and a half hours to tell only half the story. The effect is an extraordinary visual treat that moves at a measured, almost leisurely pace, albeit one punctuated by spectacular set piece action.

Timothée Chalamet is at the centre of a large, ensemble cast, as the classic heir apparent to the throne, battling impossible odds in the face of improbable foes. Chief amongst those foes is scene- stealing Stellan Skarsgård, doing his best Colonel Kurtz impression, in a film that tips its hat to films as diverse as Apocalypse Now, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. With its samurai-style swordplay, revelatory inner voices, and dreamlike premonitions, there are times when the film can seem derivative of these movies, but it’s worth pointing out that Herbert got there first. What Dune actually reveals is how big a debt the tropes of science fiction owe to the author, rather than the other way round.

What remains most impressive is how credibly Villeneuve’s team have brought Herbert’s world to life. For all the star names and ambitious storytelling, the real star of the show is the look of the film, which manages to bring to life flying machines that resemble dragon flies, vast spaceships that hover menacingly on the two-moon horizon, and worms the size of blue whales.