Part Two” – “The Lord of the Rings” in space and the most epic film of our time

Not everyone liked Dune: Part One by Denis Villeneuve. The film was criticized for its slow pace, long exposition, unnecessary characters and many other things. However, viewers voted for the film with money, allowing the director to quickly start work on the sequel. The release took place in March 2024, and now we can say with confidence that the duology occupies one of the most important places in modern cinema. This isn’t just another masterpiece or good science fiction, it’s a milestone comparable in importance to the release of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In this article we will talk about Dune: Part Two and tell you in detail why you should drop everything and rush to the cinema.

Let’s start with the most important thing: the photo. In the modern world of the absolute dominance of comic films, we have begun to forget that cinema can impress not only with the level of computer graphics. There are plenty of visual techniques in film language that can evoke emotions even without a green screen. This is exactly what happened with The Lord of the Rings, which was filmed largely on location. The situation is similar to Dune: Part Two. Almost the entire desert is real footage with beautiful sunsets and very structured nature. So unusual for the modern viewer, tired of the fireworks of “Captain Marvel 2” (The Marvels) and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, realism attracts and awakens a long-forgotten range of emotions.

In some ways, Dune: Part Two is a dated film, not in essence, but in its approach to production. The director does not hesitate to spend a lot of time on the landscape and landscape shots, but weaves this organically into the story, making Arrakis feel like a full-fledged hero, just like Paul Atreides or others. At the same time, everyone who liked the first part will be pleasantly surprised. The overall setting hasn’t changed, but Villeneuve finds ways to show the sandy planet in new and very different ways.

The obvious benefits include the brilliant camerawork. For example, Harkonnen’s homeworld is shown exclusively in black and white, which adds an eerie unnaturalness to their images. There will often be close-ups that show the characters’ emotions in great detail. Villeneuve is not afraid of such shots and demands that the actors do their best, which they do successfully.

I would like to note the color palette, which, unlike all the latest failed blockbusters, does not try to amaze with an abundance of colors or an incredible spectrum. “Dune: Part Two” is very quiet and natural, the tones are muted and flow smoothly into each other. Sharp flashes of color appear even stranger against this background and therefore immediately attract attention. Villeneuve very skillfully places the right triggers around the audience and practically guides them through his work by hand, presenting the main ideas not only through the characters’ dialogue, but also through the images.

However, the picture would not be complete without musical accompaniment. It was already beautiful in the first part; the sequel doesn’t introduce anything decisively new, but it complements and expands on the soundtrack. Every important moment is accompanied by perfectly selected sound. At the same time, there are plenty of moments of ‘silence’ in the film. You don’t realize this right away, but many scenes play out without any sound, forcing you to fully concentrate on the moment and the event. Brilliant use of cinematography.

As for the plot, there will be many surprises for both new fans and those who are well acquainted with the original work. Villeneuve took the second half of the book and completely shook up the events, demonstrating many moments in a very different way but keeping the same tone as the original source. The ending is fully in line with the work of Frank Herbert, but the emphasis is placed differently.

Those who found the first part too slow will be happy. In three hours, there isn’t a single passing scene, relaxing moment or filler. The picture is full of emotion from start to finish. In that sense, the first film no longer feels like a separate work. This is just the beginning of a story, which is exactly what it should be so that subsequent events gain momentum and practically fly into the stratosphere.

We get to see the development of Paul Atreides, who is ultimately both the hero and the main villain. This is the main feature of Dune, which Frank Herbert himself wanted to show, but Villeneuve did it even better. In the book, Paul has virtually no conflict with himself and the people around him. He quickly determines the only possible vector, and the others only support him in this. In the film the situation is different and Paul’s decision is rather forced; not everyone agrees with him unconditionally.

The role of women has expanded significantly. Unlike Marvel projects, where this is presented clumsily and bluntly, in Dune: Part Two everything is plot-based. Heroines matter in a story. That was true in the original, and it remains true in the film. However, the director again changes the details, making the images clearer and more complex.

Chani and Jessica compare favorably to their prototypes. And if the girl became a full-fledged second main character, Paul’s mother tried the image of a puppeteer who pushes events in the right direction and only for her. This is a really great development that is completely true to the characters and was unfortunately largely absent from the novel. Princess Irulan has also changed. In the book we only read her short excerpts from the chronicle of Paul’s life. In the film, this is a full-fledged character that appears throughout the entire running time.

All these innovations make Villeneuve’s slightly different ending seem logical. When the third part comes out, it will be especially interesting to see that, as the director seems to deviate even more from the book series there. However, there is a fly in the ointment: some important details went under the knife. For example, they removed all the mentats, which played an important role almost until the final. This is not the only example; connoisseurs of the novel will easily notice others. It’s especially a shame for the Space Guild. It was she who was more interested in extracting the spice than others, and an uninitiated person may wonder why this substance is still needed. So far, unfortunately, Villeneuve has not given a clear answer.

And if we talked about general impressions and the plot, now it’s time to discuss the details. Firstly, the acting. Like we said, she’s great. However, I would like to place an additional emphasis. Timothée Chalamet probably brought out a completely different level of acting for the first time. Paul’s inner doubts, the pain of making difficult decisions, his ruthlessness and almost divine fortitude are impressive. This is the best interpretation of the character yet and basically one of the best versions of the antihero.

The rest of the cast isn’t far behind, but there’s one newcomer who impressed us almost as much as Chalamet. Austin Butler as the nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen also proved that he doesn’t eat his bread for nothing. His Feyd-Rautha is as psychopathic as they come. In not the most screen time, Butler manages to create a structured image that is immediately etched into the memory. Good job.

It is also a very topical film. This is a film about war, about inequality, about the dangers of blind trust. Villeneuve doesn’t hesitate to show sensitive subject matter without unnecessary sweetness and embellishment – another key difference between Dune: Part Two and many other modern blockbusters. Where others shyly remain silent, Villeneuve shouts in a loud voice, and where they try to smooth things over, he strikes with a battering ram. We live in difficult times and the paintings should reflect this. The Dune sequel is one of them.

At the same time, the director of the story does not create an author’s project, of which there are already many in his career. The film is full of really cool and incredibly impressive action. Dagger fights, sandworm rides and guerrilla attacks are depicted, as they say, “for all the money”, and yet the film has the budget of an average Disney series.

You probably already understand what the conclusion will be. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune duology is the most important film series of our time, which will certainly have a powerful impact on cinema. We really recommend that you see it, especially on the big screen, because Dune: Part Two is an attraction, but in a completely different sense. We usually call comic book movies that because of the colorfulness, stupidity, and general idiocy of what’s happening. This is an emotional ride – and it’s totally worth it.