Dune Part 1 & 2 Directed by Denis Villeuneve

Honorable Mention: Challengers directed by Luca Guadinino & Furiousa directed by George Miller

As an avid film lover and a massive fan of Denis Villenueve’s work, I figured I’d like Dune when I first tuned in. I was unfamiliar with the story, but was intrigued by visuals and the intriguing cast. I gotta say, I didn’t love it. Or more accurately, I didn’t love it at first. I watched the movie about twice before the part two hype started, and while I enjoyed all those things about the movie something never really connected. And then I saw Part Two. Dune Part Two floored me like few movies ever have in the theaters, as the sound design, scale & skill shown by Villenueve on the directorial side created one of my favorite first experiences in theaters. Something kept me coming back to the movie though, and the more I invested time into learning about the books and rewatching the first movie, it all clicked for me. This massive tapestry of what is essentially one large film never making sense without the full picture. The moments in the first film are given so much more weight when the full picture is presented, with moments like Paul’s conversation with his father or initial introduction to Duncan Idaho that carry so much more consequence with the context of the end of this specific story.  As I watched the second movie more and more, the performances, little nuances and visual storytelling started to unveil itself in a massive way. This is the kind of movie that rewards an eagle eye. Small details like facial reactions, Fremen writing on walls or just overall story consistency make this movie ripe for rewatches. On top of that, the obvious nature of these films create some of the best visual and audio moments I’ve seen in a long time. I understand for those who read the books that they may be upset with some of the changes made to the story and Denis’s penchant for a brutalist aesthetic may be detractors of these adaptations, but as someone who was brought in from the outside these have fully hooked me & become some of my favorite films ever. On the soundtrack side I could write a whole separate piece, but for brevity’s sake I’ll temper for now. Hans Zimmer creates a masterclass in building atmosphere in this film with the score being one of the main driving factors behind the experience this was in theaters. Specifically, the guitars on the Lisan al Gaib theme hit every single time & the composition on that track is awe inspiring. There’s a lot of conversation about this movie to be had, but one thing I would like to touch on is the themes of this movie in the general landscape of today’s society. Political figures have become idols of worship and especially going through an especially volatile election cycle this has never been more obvious. It’s both incredible and horrifying that this book written almost 60 years ago feels more relevant every day. Even in real time watching people connect to Paul as the protagonist, but slowly watch and grapple with the fact that he is both figuratively and literally just another more effective oppressor of an indigenous people feels so relevant. With Palestinians dying every day, more people need to confront the idea of systematic propaganda and how that influences everyday people into accepting and even encouraging the idea of people in power keeping that power no matter the ramifications for everyone else. In an era of soulless vapid films, movies with dense themes, purposeful direction and love in every detail should be celebrated and supported to help revive a type of film that used to bring everyone to the theaters and give the audience something to think about.

Witten By Blank Thought: linktr.ee/b1ankthought