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Dune: A Saga That Changed Sci-fi Forever (Twice)























When Frank Herbert first published Dune in 1965, the book’s impact on the Sci-fi genre was phenomenal. The saga remains extremely influential to today. Subsequent great Sci-fi genre works such as Star Trek, Star Wars and Warhammer 40,000 all borrowed ideas and elements from Dune. There have been multiple theatrical adaptations of Frank Herbert’s series. The most recent is considered by fans to be the best of them all. Dune II is likely to be 2024’s most successful movie, outclassing its closest competitor—Kung Fu Panda 4—by an enormous margin in terms of box office revenues. One can only truly experience the overwhelming (but absolutely gorgeous) sensory overload of the film.

Overall, Dune Part Two was an amazing theatre experience and a great continuation of the Dune story. Some fans complained that the 2019 Dune Part One adaptation concluded on an unsatisfactory cliff-hanger note and had a slow pace. Dune Part two, on the other hand, is paced perfectly. Everything that took so long to set up in Dune Part One wraps up and explodes into a spectacle on the big screen in the new 2024 release.

Dune Part Two follows the tale of Paul on Arrakis. Paul and Jessica, having been stranded and subsequently rescued by Fremen, learn the ways of the Fremen with the intent of joining – and then leading – the Fremen. Paul rises to become the Fremen’s Mahdi while Jessica, trained in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, invokes in the minds of Fremen the prophecy of the Lisan Al-Gaib. The prophecy, a product of thousands of years of Bene Gesserit religious engineering, is deeply embedded in Fremen culture. Ultimately, Paul is recognised as the Lisan Al-Gaib, and, promising the Fremen that he shall lead them all to paradise and salvation, declares war on the Imperium. The Emperor’s Sardaukar troops are no match for the Fremen warriors rallied from the harsh deserts of Arrakis; the Emperor and the Baron are defeated swiftly. The film ends with Paul declaring a new holy war – ten thousand years since the Butlerian Jihad – with the intent of conquering all of the known universe under the new banner of Muad’Dib.

What is so appealing about Dune? Some will mention plot, some will mention the intricacies between characters, but everyone is undoubtedly amazed by the visuals in the movie. Let us break down some of the cinematic elements in Dune 2. 

One of the most arresting visual features of Dune 2 is how huge everything in the movie looks on screen in cinemas. Throughout the movie, we notice several things that appear to be huge, from looming buildings to vast deserts that seemingly stretch on forever, not to forget the gigantic sandworms which are an icon of the show. During an interview, the cinematographer Greig Fraser unveils the magic behind the aesthetics of the film. He explains that key lies in the idea of scale, and a comparison between the characters and the things around them helps the audience visualise the massive size of the surroundings. This adds on to the aesthetic element of the film. 

The colour palette selected by Fraser is also crucial in establishing the film’s atmosphere, seeking to explore the differences between the various factions. The vast desert was an iconic part of the movie, and desert hues of ochre, brown and gold dominated Arrakis’ desert scenes, emphasising the harshness and unforgiving nature of the environment. Beyond Arrakis, the colour palette changes. Caladan was painted with vibrant shades of greens and blues, drawing a stark contrast between its lush landscapes and the deserts of Arrakis. On the other hand, Giedi Prime was portrayed using darker tones of black and grey to evoke a sense of hostility and harshness. The use of a variety of colour vividly characterises the mood of every location, allowing the audience to emotionally connect to every scene. 


Apart from the two techniques mentioned, what other cinematic techniques did you notice?


Review: 11/10


Thanks for reading :)

Written by: Eric and Haoran

Edited by: Wayne and Sarah

Designed by: Cayden





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