Review of Dune (2021) by Fortifier — 31 Oct 2021

This is a film that requires a very particular taste to fully enjoy and leave the theatre satisfied. For myself, while the film's cinematography, acting, costumes, special effects, and soundtrack were absolutely spectacular, what the film lacked most was the most important part of any story; proper story-telling.

Let's compare "Dune: Part 1" with a film that also uses similar story-telling methods; "Mad Max: Fury Road".

"Mad Max: Fury Road" is a film that is mostly told through its visuals. Aside from its introduction of dramatic news-reel montages to transition us from our present to a future where most of the world has been destroyed due to global wars over limited resources, the rest of the film simply follows Max and the other main characters. Everything we learn about how the new world works and how its cultures operate is mostly through being observant of the world around the characters as they move through the scenes. There is never enough dialogue to fully piece everything together if we only heard the dialogue.

But as they say, "A picture is worth 1000 words". By being observant one would be able to quickly figure out and enjoy the world "Mad Max: Fury Road" brings us into.

"Dune" does the exact same thing with how they tell their story. They rely mostly on the visuals to tell the story and give the world of "Dune" its life. However, "Mad Max: Fury Road" works, but "Dune" does not. Why is this?

For one, the transition from our world to Max's world is easy to understand and see as realistic. Wars over limiting resources destroy most of the world and those still alive are the ones hoarding the limited resources left? Okay! Done!

"Dune", on the other hand, launches us immediately over 8000 years into the future without any other context as to how we got there or what the new world is like...

From the very first minute of the film, a lot of the audience remains separated from the world of the film and already become drowned in questions.

"Mad Max: Fury Road", on the other hand, presents us with a handful of questions, but give us quick and simple answers to each of them before presenting us with new ones.

- People are crazy and obsessed with cars? Its the apocalypse and cars are the only way to not only have fun but ensure that you can get the resources to survive! Done!

- Crazy people faking deity are in charge? They successfully use cult tactics and their primary access to vital resources to get power and stay in power! Done!

- We got a population of tumour-filled cult followers? They're dying with nothing else to loose because the world has been destroyed through nuking! Done!

Yet once again, "Dune" immediately launches us into a world that presents us with so many questions yet little-to-no answers that are fulfilled through visual story-telling alone;.

- After 8000 years humans have travelled throughout the galaxy to different planets and have set up galactic-wide governments based on Imperial styles of government with different family houses...? Okay...

- We have people that have abilities to control others through speech and even see into the future that is overseen by a matriarchal sect where only females are allowed to have said abilities and said females work in the background to manipulate politics and bloodlines to fulfill a prophecy...? Okay...

- The most valuable resource in this time is a spice solely located on a desert planet that is not only a hallucinogen that can even help said telekinetic people see into the future yet is somehow incorporated into unspecified technology that allows people to travel throughout space through worm-holes...? Okay...

In short, "Mad Max: Fury Road" provides a visual form of story-telling that easily transitions audiences into the film and provides easy and quick questions for easy answers...

While "Dune" provides way too many questions even before the movie properly starts without giving proper answers for half of them...

It is possible to understand the basics of what's going on in "Dune" just by reading between most of the lines and jumping to quick conclusions based just on what's been shown. Yet ultimately, the film seems like one of those movies based off a long-running TV show that Hollywood tries to cram into a few hours. Its chosen method of story-telling fails to properly establish the world and any emotional investment from the audience; turning what could have been a great sci-fi story into nothing more than a fever dream.