Dune (2021) starring a star-studded cast including rising star Timothy Chalamet and Zendaya, was able to garner box-office success later last year. As of January 2022, the film has made almost $400 million and with a budget of $165 million, it can be considered a box-office success. This can be gauged from the fact that a sequel to the movie has already been planned to be released in 2023.
Dune 2021 reviews and reception
The success of the movie can be traced to its effective use of special effects and cinematography to bring Frank Herbert’s brainchild to life. The visual effects and the unique story allowed the movie to be acclaimed as one of the top 10 films of 2021 by the American Film Institute as well as the National Board of Review.
However, despite an 85% average of positive reviews from different websites like Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has drawn its fare share of criticism. To those unaware of the history of the Dune universe and the layers of lore associated with it, it came across as unwieldy and a little confusing. The culture of the people of Dune and the science fiction tropes were different than the ones people were accustomed to. Instead of the space-heavy scene of most future universes with lasers and complex artificial intelligence and robots, the universe of Dune is oddly archaic in nature.
In any case, in order to understand the odd reception and success of this relatively fresh introduction to the mainstream cinematic universes, it would be of interest to dwell into the lore-heavy source material and its other influences on our culture.
Dune the Novel
The movie itself is actually latest in a line of media adaptations of the original novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Set in the far distant future where the nature of humanity has evolved and changed to become almost alien, and yet retain its essential core, the universe of Dune and its history are deeply interesting.
Published in 1965, Frank Herbert’s Dune was able to tie for the Hugo award the following year. Though the complicated lore and alien nature of the universe makes the book a difficult read for some, it is also captivating and relatable in a way that not only reflects some issues of the time but also gives us an insight into the core of human struggle, advent of technology, and moral ambiguity associated with politics across human history.
The novel reflects the author’s interest in the future of humanity and the perilous paths that he thought people would take if they continued in the present direction.
Commentary on International Politics
Dune is set in a future where humankind is space-faring and technologically advanced and yet still in the grips of ancient war, politics, and economical intrigue.
The crux of the first book is based upon the struggle between three parties. Arrakis, the titular Dune is a desert world that is the only source of mélange spice. This resource and its control lend its master the most economic power in the universe. The story starts with the tyrannical Harkonnen in control of Dune as they steamroll the local population, the nomadic Fremen, in order to maximize their economic benefit from the planet.
In come the noble Atreides, who have been given the planet as their domain from the Emperor. The Fremen are obviously a stand-in for Arabs. These are Desert dwelling, deeply religious individuals, who are the locals of a land rich in a natural resource. The Harkonnen are evil tyrannical race of people who are obvious stand-ins for the Russians as the Atreides are the benevolent heroes that want the best for the locals (an obvious stand-in for America).
The plot is reflective of the excusing of American interventionism of the time as the United States became the moral police of the world.
Technology and Luddism
The universe of Dune has a history that details the dangers of technological advancement. Earth has been destroyed in ancient history and the biggest war of history was between Humanity and Intelligent Machines. Known as the Butlerian Jihad, Herbert detailed that machines warred with humanity and had to be driven out, and hence humanity never again tried to rely on computers and artificial intelligence.
Coupling this with the romanticization of the Luddist society of archaic warriors and religious people known as the Fremen, it is clear that Herbert was worried about the direction capitalism and technology was going to take us in the future.
The universe of Dune has progressed to the point where Atomic weapons and shield technology has rendered projectile weaponry almost useless and battles are won or lost with the use of swords and knives instead of bullets and bombs.
Herbert also conferred with geologists and biologists to discuss the biosphere of Arrakis and the terra-forming nature of humanity on it’s environment in sequels to the book and it becomes obvious that Herbert seeks to reflect the fear people had of advanced warfare, politics, and capitalism’s impact on the environment that came after World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, and the Cold War.
In Conclusion
Frank Herbert’s Dune has spawned political commentaries in the form of movies (and even video games) even now. Despite being more than 50 years old the messaging of the book and the intricacies of the lore has captivated the imaginations and fears of millions across the globe.
The hope is that humanity is not driven to make the mistakes that Herbert envisioned half a century ago. And also, that the rest of the movies in the series do a good job of showcasing his genius.
