Dune: Part Two

“May Thy Knife Chip And Shatter.”When it comes to the absolute pinnacle of human storytelling, there are a few examples that get mentioned quite fairly. Attack On Titan, The odyssey and the Iliad, Hamlet, Biblical tales alike. But It’s the story of Dune that I believe deserves a place amongst those giants, and this saga isn’t even finished yet.. If Dune Part 1 was the blueprint for how big budget sci-fi blockbusters should be, then Dune Part 2 is the fucking skyscraper. Engaging action sequences, technical pieces to be marvelled at, an overwhelming visual experience that is like no other. Greig Fraser’s cinematography is absolutely fucking insane. Yet, somehow this film is at best in its smaller, more intimate moments. A truly tremendous portrayal of how power is fuelled by belief systems and resource control. Religion framed as a tool for manipulation. Aristocratic houses playing political games far removed from the suffering of the oppressed, a system where the elite thrive off labour and sacrifice. The world building is just on a completely different level than anything I have seen before. It takes its time, it circles around what matters but it never feels too long or forced. Every scene feels like a necessary function.  Timothee Chalamet is so fucking tremendous, it’s so difficult to commit to a character transformation and to gradually increase your tempo from subtle expression to such a commanding presence without it feeling forced. People don’t realise the absolute difficulty of that I feel, I hate comparing things but just look at Hayden Christiansen in the prequels, the transformation feels too abrupt and forced from his performance despite the fact the script clearly didn’t intend for such abruptness in my opinion. Chalamet fucking nails this. All the supporting cast are amazing too of course! Im so fucking ready for the 18th of December.