after failure Dune By David Lynch In 1984, an attempt at a new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel was as daring as it was risky. But Denis Villeneuve brilliantly took it. At the height of his art, the Quebec filmmaker produced a lavish and stunning film that dazzled the eyes without neglecting the depth of the story.
Denis Villeneuve said that, to wear Dune On the big screen it was a childhood dream. With so much respect, love, and tenderness, the director took over the film to make it his own.
So experts and commoners alike will discover that Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) has just been entrusted with managing Arrakis, a desert planet on which spices are collected, making it possible to see the future and travel in space. With his son Paul (Timothée Chalamet), his cell Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and his assistants (Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin), he takes control of the planet and meets Stilgar (Javier Bardem), Freeman’s local leader. But the betrayal of one of them, Jessica and Paul, forces them to take refuge in the desert.
Favoring an intimate approach despite massive means (the film’s budget hovers around $165 million), the Quebec filmmaker stuck to the sentiments of his main characters, often using close-ups of their faces to check their insides. The film’s young protagonist, Paul Atreides, is played by a self-confident Timothée Chalamet who knew how to bring fragility to the character, echoing the doubts that haunt him in the novel.
Women also play an important role. Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother effectively conveys the fear she inspires in Paul. The choice of Rebecca Ferguson as Mrs. Jessica turned out to be judicious, as the actress’s intent stuck to the exuberant description given by Frank Herbert, even in his reluctance upon his arrival in Arrakis or during his journey in the desert with Paul; In addition, the visual transcription of “La Voix” is impeccable in strength. Zendaya, with her grace and movement, regains the attraction that Chaney exerts on Paul.
Having said that, Villeneuve did not skimp on the action scenes in the film with remarkable intensity. We think especially of the dazzling sequence of saving the ornithopter, brilliantly done by Villeneuve, or the emergence of the sandworm, majestic with destructive and creative power. Music composed by the legendary Hans Zimmer resonates in gritty, feminine voices and tribal rhythms that enhance spectator immersion.
Villeneuve’s signature is everywhere. His fascination with desert landscapes, which he actually brought to the screen in many of his earlier films (August 32 on EarthAnd firesAnd Blade Runner 2049…) Here indulgent with the ocean of sands of Planet Arrakis, stunningly beautiful and luminous in spices, the object of every lust. Also, some oval spaceships seem to have come straight out of AccessVilleneuve’s first science fiction movie.
The only flaw we can blame for this Dune The viewer is abandoned in the middle of the story. We know that Villeneuve approached his film as a sequel to a diptych and that the Warner studio is waiting to assess its success in theaters before giving the green light to film the sequel. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this sequel will eventually see the light of day.
- Dune ★★★★1/2
Film by Denis Villeneuve
With Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin and Oscar Isaac Zendaya.
In theaters on Friday
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