TIFF 2021 Review: ‘Dune’ is a Spectacular and Immersive Experience

dune 2021 review tiff 2021 _ approved
Courtesy of TIFF

“This is only the beginning”

These are final words spoken in Dune, which is only part one, as director Denis Villeneuve has plans to do a second installment to complete his vision of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel. Whether it happens or not remains to be seen, but the first part is a spectacular and immersive experience that is visually stunning and something even someone new to Herbert’s world of Dune can enjoy on so many levels.

The cast assembled here is huge, with many familiar faces, but the film is driven by Timothee Chalamet, who plays Paul Atreides, heir to the House Atreides and son of Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac). The Emperor has to give House Atreides control of the planet Arrakis (also known as Dune), the only known planet to produce something known as Spice, a substance with psychoactive properties that allows for both glimpse into the future and interstellar travel, making it the most important substance, and planet, in the galaxy.

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The previous rulers of Arrakis were House Harkonnen, led by Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), and they are not happy about it. Politics and simple jealousy of House Atreides leads to the House Harkonnen and the Emperor (including his highly trained army) to team up to retake Arakkis and wipe out House Atreides for good. However, Paul, a victim of prophecy and dreams, sees a war coming, a crusade to free Arrakis, and he must team up with the Indigenous people of Arrakis, the Fremen, to set everything right.

The film is visually breathtaking, massive in scale, and a deeply immersive experience. Director Denis Villeneuve, who has wanted to make this film for a long time, has adapted Herbert’s epic source material and massive cast into something cohesive and digestible for the masses. Splitting the film, the overall narrative, into two films is great for original Dune fans, but will it translate to bringing in new fans?

Jason Momoa (as Duncan Idaho) will be a big draw, and he is great in his scenes, albeit that might be because he is the only one here that seems to have a sense of humor. The film has a serious tone, and the visuals reflect this at every turn, but it is sometimes a bit overwhelming on both counts. Hans Zimmer’s score is wonderful, although at times like a blunt hammer in IMAX, much like the feel of the film. Director of photography Greig Fraser is no stranger to these blockbuster films and series, having done Rogue One, The Mandalorian, and soon The Batman. He and Villeneuve are a phenomenal team, making the sometimes overly drab and depressing darkness and desert scenes something beautiful to behold.

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The problem with having such a large cast is, as a fan, you get greedy, wanting more screen time from certain talent. Chalamet and Isaac were solid as father and son, something I wish we could have seen more of. Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Dave Bautista (Rabban), Rebbeca Ferguson (Lady Jessica)…the list goes on and on. It is one of the drawbacks of adapting a book like Dune to film, that even splitting it into two movies, we are left wanting more moments with certain characters. The universe, the story, it’s just too big for that to happen.

Dune is only part one, and that is the biggest question mark here. This film is mostly a prologue, setting the stage for almost three hours of what is to come. What happens if the second part never happens? There are no guarantees these days and if it would be a shame if Villeneuve never got to finish his vision.

That being said, Dune is truly mesmerizing. Deep sci-fi concepts are woven in with multiple storylines and characters, that immerse you in a way that doesn’t happen very often. A great reminder that filmmaking on this scale is still possible, and can still be done in a way to dazzle yet keep the audience focused on the story unfolding in front of their eyes.

Dune had its world premiere at TIFF 2021, and is set to release October 22, 2021.


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