Dune: Part One (2021)

 

Genre: Sci-fi/ Adventure

Time: 2h 35mins

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Quick Summary: A noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.

Hands down one of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen. As a long-term fan of the book, this was beautiful to me and is everything I imagined in visual format. This whole world has been created flawlessly, and this was considered impossible for YEARS, and now we have this stunningly faithful adaptation. Everything about this is so captivating and wonderful, every single second of this I was glued. 

There are so many small details in this that are very much overlooked, which I will say a lot of non-book readers will miss, but for those who do notice they're presented in such clever ways such as symbols being on people's clothing, the paintings, small things people say. Everything is layered so finely, and watching it all happen is so stunning. But at the same thing, things are presented on such a grand scale it is so memorising, down to the massive sandworms, transport vehicles, the battles, this a spectacle of a film. And all of this without losing track of the deep relationships between the characters. This is a film that manages to perfectly blend massive wonderous experiences and character dynamics.

All the actors were wonderfully cast, from how they acted to how they looked. Each and everyone was perfect. So much in fact I forgot I was even watching a bunch of actors on screen, and it wasn't just my imagination. Absolutely solid acting from everybody. Timothée Chalamet as Paul? Perfect. He nails him down to the smallest detail, the perfect amount of everything that comes along with Paul. With everything that goes on within the story, I found him so believable that it was almost as if he was Paul himself. Rebecca Ferguson is another I found to be outstanding. Such a strong and fierce character finally transported to the screen without feeling cheesy, or awkward. 

Now the music. Man, the music. I think this is half of what makes this so enthralling. Hanz Zimmer produces such an incredible score that is so beautiful to listen to. It pulls out the emotions from you as you watch scenes unfold. Honestly, the only way to describe it is ethereal and haunting. As well, he also manages to layer things with the smallest of details, using things such as light motifs during a battle, where the house's musical instruments, the bagpipes, can be heard, or remnants of other themes during other moments. Going on to the sound design away from Hanz's score. Everything I felt as if I was there, and that is so important for a film like this. It helps you be transported into that world. 

Something I desperately want to talk about is the pure impressive side of the science fiction part of this film. The design of everything is incredible. This should be the standard for science fiction. Ships are changed to fit who is using them, paul's house is more slim and agile with transport and attire, whereas the enemies have more bulky, brutal, harsh-looking things. I adored just how outer worldly this is, nothing feels dated either. This is technology that looks realistic as well, I would honestly believe that this sort of stuff is achievable eventually. 

This is something that will affect people who haven't read the book, but this film has multiple moments where it feels like it's reaching its climax. Grand battles, huge reveals, moments of just awe, these all lead up to a moment that actually doesn't feel like it should be the end. (It isn't, I think people just didn't read this is part one). With how long this film is, it can feel like a bore to some who don't have a great attention span or have no clue what's actually going on. I personally liked this felt like an emotional rollercoaster, it makes the whole thing so much more entertaining as you don't always want a slow burn of a film. 

Such a wonderful film experience that I will urge anyone to go see it. A tale told in such a grand way needs to be shown as much as possible. I promise you won't be disappointed. 

Thoughts from my Partner: 

Dune Part One is a film you will likely not forget anytime soon even more so if you read the book, Denis Villeneuve nailed the first half of the book in this masterpiece of a space opera as the film is what I imagined whilst reading it minus a few small changes but the scope of Dune is so massive it can be forgiven I think but Arrakis, when you see it on screen, is everything you could imagine and more with a perfect cast to portray Frank Herbert's characters as well as an absolutely stunning score to accompany the film, if you thought Star Wars was the king of sci-fi think again.

10/10

"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. A process that cannot be understood by stopping it. We must move with the flow of the process. We must join it. We must flow with it."

" Dreams make good stories, but everything important happens when we're awake."

"A great man doesn't seek to lead; he is called to it. But if your answer is no, you'd still be the only thing I ever needed you to be: my son."

"Bless the Maker and His water. Bless the coming and going of Him. May His passage cleanse the world. And keep the world for His people"

"The desert's not kind to humans either."

"May thy knife chip and shatter"