Mark Kermode reviews Dune: Part Two - Kermode and Mayo's Take
Summary
TLDRThe script discusses the Dune film franchise, praising Denis Villeneuve's ability to adapt the complex source material into a clear and compelling story in Dune: Part One. It analyzes themes of religion, prophecy, and the consequences of messianic figures like Paul Atreides. Visually spectacular with memorable scenes, it sets up the tragic arc to come in Dune: Part Two. While most performances are strong, a quibble is made about Christopher Walken seeming out of place. Overall an impressive adaptation, it captures the essence of Dune while engaging all the senses.
Takeaways
- 😊 Deni Vov's Dune part 1 had great clarity in storytelling which continues in part 2 despite increased complexity
- 👍 Seeing Dune part 1 is essential before watching part 2
- 🌟 Visual splendor in Dune part 2 never obscures the importance of the story
- 🔥 The worm riding sequences are breathtaking
- 🤔 The story explores complex themes like the messaging of religion being poisoned by dogma
- 😮💨 Timothy Chalamat's Paul Atreides has a reluctant messiah element like in Monty Python's Life of Brian
- 🎼 The music apparently uses electric guitars to mimic bagpipes
- 🤩 Zendaya and Austin Butler give strong lead performances
- 😕 Christopher Walken feels out of place, playing himself rather than the character
- 👍🏻 Overall an impressive, transportive cinematic experience
Q & A
What are the key themes explored in the Dune series?
-The Dune series explores complex philosophical themes like prophecy, religion, politics, ecology, and the consequences of messianic figures and religious movements.
How does the visual spectacle in the Dune films serve the storytelling?
-The visual effects create an immersive otherworldly experience but never obscure the storytelling, which remains clear and character-driven.
What techniques did cinematographer Greig Fraser use to achieve the visual look of Dune?
-He shot digitally on IMAX-approved cameras, then transferred to 35mm film and back again, blending modern crispness with nostalgic film texture.
How does Zendaya's performance contribute to the success of the new Dune film?
-As Chani, Zendaya anchors the emotional drama and carries the weight of this complex story impressively.
Why does the Christopher Walken casting feel jarring?
-Walken seems to just be playing his familiar persona rather than inhabiting the character fully within the world of Dune.
What story is set up for the planned Dune sequel?
-The sequel will explore the tragic, messianic arc of Paul Atreides as his movement turns toxic and war breaks out over the interpretations of his teachings.
How does the documentary Jodorowsky's Dune relate to the newer films?
-It shows the endless difficulties in adapting Dune, making Denis Villeneuve's coherent vision even more impressive.
What key events lead to the darker plot turn in the second half of Dune?
-After becoming the leader of the Fremen people, Paul loses his father, sets off a violent rebellion, and fulfills a dangerous prophecy.
How important is it to see the first Dune film before the sequel?
-Seeing the first film is essential, as the sequel will pick up threads without recap or explanation for new viewers.
What format does the speaker recommend for the optimal viewing experience of Dune?
-The speaker insists that to fully appreciate the scale and visuals, Dune should be watched in the biggest, most immersive format possible.
Outlines
🎥 Overview of Dune Part 1 and what to expect in Part 2
Paragraph 1 provides an overview and commentary on Dune Part 1. It discusses the complex source material, the previous challenging attempts to adapt it to film, and how well the recent version directed by Denis Villeneuve succeeded. It also covers expectations for Part 2, predicting it will go darker and more complex, while highlighting Villeneuve's skill at maintaining clarity of storytelling through complex plots.
🎞️ Visual splendor and themes in Dune Part 2
Paragraph 2 analyzes the visual achievements of Dune Part 2 and how the spectacle does not override the important themes and ideas. It praises the cinematography and editing techniques used to blend film and digital formats for both a nostalgic and crisp look. It also draws comparisons to other acclaimed sci-fi films that balance visuals with substantive exploration of high-concept themes.
🎭 Cast performances in Dune - hits and misses
Paragraph 3 evaluates the cast performances in Dune Part 2. It offers high praise for Zendaya's central role and the surprise of Austin Butler's casting. It critiques Christopher Walken's performance as jarringly out of sync, despite being an acclaimed actor. It also notes Florence Pugh and Walken feel underutilized, despite strong individual performances.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Dune
💡storytelling
💡prophecy
💡Muad'Dib
💡ecology
💡IMAX/visuals
💡spice
💡Star Wars comparison
💡sequels/adaptation
💡worm riding
Highlights
Dune part one works well, but part two is darker, more complex, and complicated
See Dune part one before part two, the recap won't explain anything
David Lynch's Dune had visual splendor but was thematically empty with no through line
Denis Villeneuve kept complex themes and storytelling clarity, like in Arrival and Blade Runner 2049
The sandworms in Dune are breathtaking to see visualized on screen
The spectacle in Dune never obscures the fact the story and ideas are most important
Dune was filmed to look realistic, not nostalgic or too crisp digitally
Dune part 3 with Timothée Chalamet could be like Monty Python's Life of Brian satirizing religion
Austin Butler as Feyd is impressive, didn't recognize him as Elvis initially
Zendaya is terrific as Chani, the emotional center of Dune
Christopher Walken stands out by just playing himself, didn't fit the world
Florence Pugh feels underused, but great in her limited role
Dune should be seen in the biggest, most immersive format possible
The music of bagpipes is actually electric guitar per the composer
Dune has potential to have a holy trinity legacy like the original Star Wars films
Transcripts
your blood comes from Dukes
and great
houses we don't have that
here
here we're equal men and women alike
what we do we do for the benefit of all
I'd very much like to be equal to
you maybe I'll show you the
way
June part two I remember at the end of
June part one you which you really
really like you love very much you said
well they've left a lot of work I said
they have a mountain to climb because um
if you know the story of June and it was
lovely hearing you know about them
talking about you know him saying I read
it as a teenager it's my favorite book
and then you know then he sidles up and
goes have you ever read June and it's
not a casual question it's just like oh
did you see that um that thing on if Den
never ask you that kind of question you
know it means you know here we go yeah
and and as I was saying before um
obviously the history of June there is a
very good documentary called hov's June
which is all about how the hovsky June
which was going to be 14 hours long in
Star Salvador Dary as a robot for as I
understand or a robot of Salvador Dary
in order to make it work um never got
made and then of course David Lynch made
uh his version which doesn't make any
sense and then exist in two different
any whatever so the idea that the first
dune worked as well as it did was great
but the story the first half of the
story is kind of you know it's just it's
got fairly clear lines you know somebody
coming and it was very interesting that
Denny vov said in that interview like
Timothy
shalamay be between the two films but
you know kind of comes of age which of
course is the story of but the second
half is a lot darker it's a lot more
complex it's a lot more complicated and
it's interesting that that's probably
where the wheels come off in the in the
David Lynch version so
firstly you do have to have seen seen
Dune part one there's no excuse for not
seeing Dune part one it's widely
available on streaming services on
Netflix just watching if you're going to
see Dune part two c June part one and I
know that in that interview den and have
said well we had to make it so there was
kind of like a recap at the beginning
for anyone who hadn't seen the first one
that recap isn't going to explain
anything at all it's not a long scroll
like in Star Wars no it's one of those
things like if you remember previously
on Twin Peaks which seemed to be there
specifically to confuse the audience
even if you understood what was going on
once you seen the previously on Twin
Peaks you thought I've got no idea um
Lynch's version had a visual splendor
but it was in the end thematically empty
it was a film of very memorable
interludes but it didn't have a a
through line and what voves June proved
was that you can do this um but it's
very very complicated to keep these
there is there is so many things going
on particularly in the second part it
takes a real storytelling clarity now
part one had a real Clarity to it I
think what is really impressive about
part two is that despite how complex and
you know like a miasma the plot becomes
Deni vov who as he demonstrated in rival
I think one of the reasons that you love
a rival so much and it's the same reason
I do is the storytelling is so clear
it's a really interesting story about
how you view time you know whether you
view time as linear or cyclical and it's
how temporality affects your view of
fate
and um and of life and death which
sounds like it's completely and yet when
you watch a rival it's it's a really
beautiful story and I think the same is
true of Blade run
2049 2049 I'm so sorry Blade Runner 2049
which I think Martin cessi enjoyed as
well so the thing with this is like you
said it is beautiful but like both
arrival and blade run 2049 the the
visual Beauty never obscures what's
going on underneath sci-fi is a genre in
which ideas and wonderment coincide and
sometimes science fiction on screen can
just to come to spectacle I remember
Stephen King saying that there are
various levels of horror and I think
it's like you know Terror horror gross
out you know so it's like you you aim
for one but and in science fiction it's
like ideas are at the top and at the
bottom it's well a planet blowing up you
know so if nothing else works I'll give
you a planet or I'll give you a monster
or something like that this has RAV ing
Dunes I somebody people were talking
about they say yeah they filmed on
location what in space no on location in
sand dunes um the worms are
breathtaking I mean the idea of the
worms is so hard to visualize when you
read the books you fine but the worms
are absolutely breathtaking if you've
seen the trailers you you know there's
that that shot of them coming to you
know just coming out of the thing they
are breathtaking and the worm riding is
breathtaking as well you actually think
that you are watching somebody riding a
worm riding a giant worm which is you
know this has gladiatorial fights to the
death but none of that spectacle ever
obscures the fact that the story is
what's
important um Greg Fraser who shot Dune
and Batman and creator has talked about
this technique that he uses which is
that you the whole thing shot on IMAX
but it's you shoot digital you shoot on
IMX approved digital cameras and then
you transfer to 35 mil and then back and
people say well why and I read an
interview with him and he saidwell when
we were doing the tests film looked too
nostalgic and digital looked too crisp
so using this process gives us the best
of both worlds and okay it's up to
cinematographers to tell me whether you
know whether there's an easy way of
doing this but what I know is that the
end result looks really really
breathtaking um I think when you were
talking about the space Jesus which is
what child three refers to child one
child one I beg you pardon space Jesus
space Jesus which it does sound as
though part three is definitely going to
be space Jesus but it's also and I don't
mean this as a as a mocking thing I mean
it genuinely it is Monty Python and the
Holy Grail because one not Monty Pyon
Monty Python's Life of Brian because one
of the things that's fascinating about
it is that as the you know Denny V was
saying you know the Dogma becoming you
know bigger than the message and then
the message is turns into Warfare if you
remember the sequence in Life of Brian
when the crowd Chase Brian and one of
his shoes falls off and and John CLE
here has left us a sign it is a shoe and
then somebody else no no he's left us
the God we must follow the God and and
it and suddenly all these kind of this
plethora of ideas come and he's and he's
doing all the time I'm not the Messiah
and there is a kind of I'm not the
Messiah element to the Paul trades
character which is then sort of
overwhelmed by what we are told is
predestined fi and there's a lot of very
complicated philosophical stuff here
about the idea of Prophecy and
prophecies being stories and prophecies
being stories that are used to control
people and actually in the context of
something we were talking about earlier
on about any kind of um you know
religious fundamentalism and the way in
which those ideas can be poisonous this
is a really kind of deep dark dive
descent into all of those things with
giant space worms
ornithopters um you know gladiatorial
battles there's one shootout sequence
which is really properly uh nail biting
stuff also in terms of the music I was
told recently apparently the bag pipes
in that first film they're not bag pipes
AR they well you see a bag pipe on
screen but apparently hmer did it with
electric guitar much like big country
did when they were in a big country but
anyway so brilliant to hear that part
three is happening which is June Messiah
which space Jesus as your calling is and
I think that this does have the
potential to be like a tripti like like
the first three Star Wars movies which
people kind of take as as a sort of you
know the Holy Trinity of the Star Wars
stuff um I really like the because what
happened with the next book is that
Herbert was saying it's about the
consequences of what happens and you
know uh Den vov talking about you know
it's it's it's a tragic idea the
Messianic tragic idea and we are sort of
I think we're definitely set up for that
but I I'm just so impressed that he's
managed to keep all those really quite
complicated themes going whilst having
all this extraordinary visual spectacle
whilst having moments when you're just
looking at it and thinking
I've been transported to another world
and I would say see it in the biggest
format you can did you did you feel that
Christopher wlin and Florence Pew were
kind of so here is my here is my okay my
PS I think the performances are are very
good I think Zen is terrific I think
she's really she actually is the kind of
the center of the drama and it's a this
is a big weight to carry because this is
a very very complicated film I think
she's really really
great and Austin Butler I didn't Austin
Butler is Sting I didn't recognize
Austin Butler initially it was like oh
wow it's Elvis think you're not supposed
to know could be anybody but that's
great however and also you know I'm not
the biggest fan of Timothy shalamay but
I I spent the whole movie not thinking
of him as Timothy shalamay thinking of
him as as as Paula trades my one quibble
would be Christopher Walkin plays
Christopher Walkin and there I mean you
do expect him at one point to tell
Timothy shalamay that he's got the watch
that his father put up his
jaxi because it's he's doing Christopher
Walkin even the Christopher Walkin hair
in space is Christopher Walken hair and
it I think chrisop walk's great I think
he's really really good but but there
was something weird about that role I
never thought that that was anything
other than Christopher Walkin wearing a
costume and I I have this feeling that
if you said to Christopher walk so
Christopher tell us about the background
to this story he wouldn't have known
anything other than what he was said now
I'm may be wrong I may be wrong but what
but on screen I think it is the one
jarring note that he appears to have
been parachuted in from outside and of
course it's a you know why not cast
Christopher Walken he's great in
everything I think he isn't great in
this and your other point was that you
think that inevitably because he and
Florence Pew are you know are are
connected they come they come together
that it feels as though they're
underused yeah you go through the whole
of the first film thinking okay Stelling
scars he's clearly the bad guy and then
you get to Jun you go oh well he's not
the main bad guy cuz there's another bad
guy yes although I think the difference
would be that I think that Florence Pew
is great for the amount that she is used
and I think that Christopher
Walkin
isn't I just think he's I think he's not
very good in it I and that is a minor
quibble in the worms the sand the
politics the religion the the everything
else the music the whole experience my
one quibble is Christopher Walken talken
very good I like
that
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