Dune: Part Two

Paul: stubs his toe Stilgar: LiSaN aL-gAiB!!! I've watched this too many times not to share my full thoughts now... This is a masterpiece from Villeneuve. To start with the obvious, my god is this film gorgeous. Arrakis and the Fremen culture is really brought to life with all the beautiful compositions. We're privy to the most intimate and simple parts of their lives- a bird flitting through a sietch, a prayer shared by the side of a waterstill- and to the most dramatic- crossing the storm belt, riding into battle on wormback. Performances across the board are chilling. There are no heroes in this story and every performance carries with it the weight of characters who understand their actions. Jessica for me feels much truer to the books in this film, being much more manipulative and intimidating. Paul is tormented by his place at the centre of a propechy that he is powerless to resist. And my favourite change from the book: Chani having agency. The anger and resistance she displays not only contrast against Stilgar and the Southern Fremen, but it humanises her, leading to an incredible payoff in the final shot which captures every facet of betrayal and pain. And that brings me to my favourite aspect of the film. For me, this is a story about religious fanaticism. From the moment we enter Sietch Tabr, the tone for the film is set. The interplay of Chani and Stilgar is a microcosm of the manipulations happening across Arrakis. We see the terrifying slip of the Fremen population into a fanatic frenzy, culminating in the amazing War Council and ultimately in Holy War spreading across the universe. Jessica and Irulan give us insight into the twisted political motivations behind this manipulation. I can't wait to see how Messiah is put to screen and how it handles the switch from the story of the oppressed to the oppressors. From what we've seen of the world so far, I cannot wait