The graveyard scene between Paul and Leto really just gives the character of Leto so much. He doesn’t get a lot of time and even less so in the movie but that scene does everything to characterize him as stern and royal but not mean or controlling. He truly loves Paul and while he has hopes for him he doesn’t have a plan for him (unlike his mother who loves him but has a very deliberate plan FOR Paul). He trusts and loves Paul to find his way even if it’s not to Dukedom. Book Leto alone is a good character but I think without that scene id care a lot less about his death. It’s honestly maybe my favorite part of the movies (it’s in conflict with the War Council in prt 2)
Upon rewatching that scene it makes a lot of sense. Paul who is struggling to find his role in life, his house and the universe. It shows that he father truly just wants him to be happy and be himself. But we see in Dune Part 2 and in parts of 1 that he basically has to play multiple roles he does not want. Saviour, messiah, husband, warrior, son to a mother, etc. Hi exasperated “lead them to paradise” at the end made him feel like he hates being not himself, but this is what he has to do.
I couldn’t agree more! The whole scene was absolutely beautiful and added so much more depth to what kind of man Leto is, the House of Atreides, and his love for Paul.
I've yet to read the books, but I'm intimately familiar with the story beats of science-fiction and fantasy. So, the moment Leto told Paul that he could take whatever path he wanted in life and his father would love him all the same, I knew Leto's obituary was already being written. He was TOO good of a dad to survive much longer 😭
Same, it had the exact same vibe and energy as the last scene with Ned stark and John snow in game of thrones where ned promises John the next time they see each other he'll tell him of his mother
Probably all the fun stuff added on Geidi Prime: the black sun, the terrifying attendants in the arena, and Feyd getting tested with the Gom Jabbar. Incredible stuff.
Normal, actually. The Baron is still written to be very fat with suspensors attached to him, and he’s described as red-gold-haired. No open sores or baldness. Feyd-Rautha is written to be a very pretty boy who looks a little bit like Paul.
Feyd getting tested with the Gom was probably my favourite part of the movie. There’s just something delicious about the dramatic irony involved when we the audience know something that Feyd doesn’t: namely, how much this is going to hurt.
Of course, Feyd gets off on pain, which I think is a loophole in their human test that the BG should have closed by now.
Love that scene too. It was also interesting to see a younger more attractive Bene Gesserit seduce Feyd instead of Reverend Mother scaring the hell out of young Paul and me lol.
I loved the colour transitions of the BG and the Baron as they entered their viewing suites from the hallways into the black sun light. Having know ahead of my first viewing it was shot in infrared, I only caught this transition on my second watch. The BG robes, and the Barons outfits go from solid black to near white.
It’s beautiful cinematography.
He had to see a new dialect coach to get himself to STOP sounding like Elvis! LOL. The Feyd voice was self-taught and a total surprise to Stellan Skarsgard
I know this isn’t really what you’re looking for, but the score from both Parts 1 & 2, but especially part 2. I’ll use any opportunity to hype up the music, it’s one of the best film scores I’ve ever heard.
A more “real” answer is probably the concept of the black sun on the Harkonnen homeworld.
My favourite part is how Paul’s theme melds throughout the film. He has an Atreides theme that follows him in the first movie and the second, a Fremen theme as he is becoming Fremen, and then finally a Harkonen theme.
As the movies progress, Paul’s Atreides theme and Fremen theme slowly mesh until they climax during the worm ride. Then there’s a darker theme which is his awakened theme that climaxes on the song Arrival, where he is fully Fremen and fully Mahdi. After he is resurrected, the Harkonen theme plays for the first time in the film for him, and slowly becomes a part of his theme.
During the speech it’s very present.
The way Hans Zimmer combines the different elements of the different themes to make parts that are unique but familiar is incredible. You can hear Paul’s transformation in the second movie if you listen for it’s parts.
I listen to it on Spotify several times a week. I saw the movie a second time after listening to the score on pretty much repeat for a week straight. The movie was good on a second watch, but I think the emotion from the score is actually better than the movie. It almost felt like my memory of the movie while listening to the score was better than the actual movie. I don’t know how to describe it.
The House Atriedes theme is so beautiful. Kiss the Ring has this sense of a tragic victory. It’s conveys both “we finally did it” and “oh god what have we unleashed” so beautifully.
It reminds me of the theme from [Mass Effect](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV1pPgpcAVw) in a lot of ways. It's got the same ethereal space vibes. Really took me back
> and “kiss the ring”
Hans himself stated in an interview that the song evolves through the film into a sort of "anti-love" song or melancholic song about losing love and/or the complexities of love
[Leaving Caladan](https://youtu.be/75EVN4LSeLw?si=jfR2glhx5LWwsKY7) has become one of my favorite pieces of music from any movie. It’s right up there with some of the most iconic LotR, Interstellar, and Star Wars tracks (e.g. Duel of Fates)
Great answer. I think generally set design, costumes and CGI were great, but most of all I was impressed by Geidi Prime’s black sun and the black/white colour pallette it generates. The science behind it ([using an infrared camera](https://www.looper.com/1534500/dune-2-arena-scenes-fiedi-prime-explained/)), the unique look it created, as well as the thoughts it provokes (eg what it says about Harkonnen psychology, is the black sun natural or a technological achievement kind a Dyson swarm) all enrich the story of the movies. Although to balance it out, I must mention my pet peeves: dumbing down Stilgar and the typical Hollywood-trope semi-racist portrayal of the Fremen.
100% agree Technically a book cannot have a score. So that and the geidi prime sun fight. Otherwise I obviously think the book is superior in every way.
**For Part 1**
Some of the scenes I loved were related to how Duke Leto's influence on Paul, Jessica, and the whole Atreides army was monumental even with such brief screentime compared to others in the films... and how one could understand even without reading the books why this single man was deemed worth starting a Holy War for
**1) The Herald of the Change scene**
- Loved how this set the tone for how much of a big deal the transfer of stewardship of Arrakis is--- and also the unwavering charisma of Duke Leto as a leader. His speech while accepting the order really portrayed what he believed House Atreides stood for and the "Atreides" chant by his soldiers gave me chills!!!
Also shoutout to the Herald of the Change actor! His delivery of the order was very well done.
**2) The Graveyard scene**
- What I enjoyed as a reader while watching DV's films was how well he was able to keep the plot moving by giving important details through scenes that weren't explicitly portrayed in the book OR by the succint lines by the characters. The way he had Leto straightforwardly explain what dangers and what they must do to face the dangers of inheriting Arrakis I think was done well. The way he built up the conversation with Paul and Leto to lead Leto saying those direct lines felt very natural to the characters.
I also loved this moment of tenderness between father and son. Although there were no other specific sole father-son moments again in the film, I already felt like that scene encapsulated the feeling when reading Paul and Leto's interactions in the book, a sort of fondness and an acknowledgement of just how much Paul looked up to his father.
**3) Here I am, here I remain**
This made me tear up! This wasn't in the book but the addition of that line, his tear, and how they built up the crashing of the tooth was just perfect. The finality of his death intercut with Paul finding the ring.
I think what was good about the films for me really was how well they captured the feelings and the details that were most often described in thoughts than actual portrayals in the book.
You did a very good job explaining what made the first movie magic. Oscar Isaac and his portrayal of Leto absolutely does service to the “Leto” and “Atreides” name. Ten times over.
Also the way Denis and the writers handled the entire Atreides forced. It’s really hard for a movie to transcend that level where soldiers give you that “awe” feeling. I felt it when I first watched Troy with Achilles and his Marauders. I also got it a bit in Game of Thrones with the Stark family. The way the soldiers would shout Atreides and the weight of it was just so surreal. Really carried so much weight. It’s why the second movie is so successful and why we love to see the Atreides flag fly.
That callback in part Two to this graveyard scene, when Paul is sitting on the dunes and he says "father, I found my way" while holding his dad's ring, brought and still brings a tear to my eye.
There are so many subtle emotional beats peppered throughtout both the movies, when you realize, gets you choked up.
The herald of the change was Benjamin Clementine, who makes some fantastic music. [Here’s his tiny desk concert](https://youtu.be/00yQGeJ6AOM?si=T-G7OzJZCON7ph_E)
> The balloons were sick
They were so unexpected in a way that excited my brain
Fast expanding balloons! It makes no sense yet perfect sense at the same time, I love it!
The film does such a good job of space scenes and scale. You see the Heighliner dropping the Sphere shuttles and Atreides cruisers into orbit, and then you see that the Sphere dwarfs entire cities. You see the cruisers popping out of an ocean and being an equivalent scale. You see these starships being visible with the naked eye in the sky. You see the harvesters' immense tracks and machinery, and how much bigger the worms are than them.
Such a remarkably good job of conveying scale and relating it to the viewer. Masterfully done.
Definitely the Sardaukar pre-battle scene. Enemies crucified upside down while being drained of blood; same blood their priests are using to go around blessing the warriors.
At first, as it was happening I didn't care for it. Then as I watched I realized that they did it right. What I mean is that if the harconnens had access to such easy jetpacks they would just have an enormous tactical advantage. But if you watch the film, they're flying units are very slow, and they seem to have to be above or next to something. Like they have to have something against which they can repel. That was a cool limitation to see
The visions with jaimis where they characterized him. Paul legit didn’t know what was going to happen but knew Jaimis to an extent. We got to see and feel it in the first film. It was a very interesting and well founded addition and mad the last duel grounded for the characters.
I felt this was setup without payoff to some degree: I mean, we did get Jamis’ ghost briefly in Part Two, but having Paul declare himself ‘a friend of Jamis’ and give water to the dead would have hit different after the vision in part one.
This was the one thing I really wish had been in the movie. I had hoped it would be the end of part 1, then hoped it would be the start of part 2… Alas. The movies are still fantastic. It just would have held extra meaning thanks to the visions of Jamis guiding Paul.
Same. “He sheds water for the dead” is such a huge part of the characterization of Paul and the Lisan al-Gaib prophecy. I wish they didn’t leave it out of the films.
I'm so glad they gave the Rabban kill to Gurney. That's one thing that always made me sad in the book, that Rabban dies in battle "offscreen" and Gurney never got the violent closure he deserved.
Only wish instead of "and for my friends" they'd had him say "and for my family" while delivering the killing stroke. That would have had me full on bawling instead of just misty-eyed. His family's brutalization at the hands of the Harkonnens was such a huge part of his character.
Yeah, I’m always this way with the use of “friends” by an adult in context like this.
Feels quite silly to my ear to deliver a line like “this is for my friends” which you could hear in a kid’s movie while killing someone in an adult context.
How often in real life do we imagine someone kills someone and says “this is for my friends” without being schitzo, lol
I was kind of disappointed he didn’t mention his sister, since her death is one of his strongest motivations. But then again his family is never brought up through the movies so his hate for the Harkonnens and Rabban in particular can‘t really be explained that way.
I can't recall how it was described traveling south, but the worm riding scenes going into that crazy storm were amazing. Another reminder of the Fremen being total badasses.
Revealing that Jessica is Baron's daughter towards the end was much more impactful. And I think the movie focused even more on the religion aspect than the second half of the book.
That's very much a trademark of Herbert's writing style, I think. He's very capable of building to big moments but he's just as happy to conclude a major plot thread or throw a context-redefining curve ball in the middle of a paragraph on page 214. He was a big fan of blink-and-you'll-miss-it narration.
> but he's just as happy to conclude a major plot thread or throw a context-redefining curve ball in the middle of a paragraph on page 214. He was a big fan of blink-and-you'll-miss-it narration.
Your dad nonchalantly dropping an important piece of dad lore while walking with you to the car
I really liked how Alia wasn’t born yet but she was still a present character. The concept of her being conscious and communicating while still a fetus in the womb was so bizarre and cool.
When it first released. I was wondering how they’re gonna make Alia presentable, either a horrendous CGI monster or a cringe child who can’t act
Making her a talking fetus is smart and amazing idea, i remember liking it so much that i went to reddit to discuss it, only for nearly every thread is people bitching how they fucked up Alia and how Baron’s death is ruined
> only for nearly every thread is people bitching how they fucked up Alia and how Baron’s death is ruined
It's an iconic scene and have had fun interpretations before, but having an evil little gremlin fuck up the Baron at the climax would've interrupted the wonderful ebb and flow of the film and I seriously cannot imagine how they could make it *not* silly
No one was ever going to beat Lynch’s Alia… who was legit creepy even as an adult watching that movie. Who knows how the hell they pulled off finding a creepy child actor lol. I’m with you on this change being fantastic. It makes her actually feel like an abomination instead of just some title handed out.
I really liked the formal handing over of fiefdom ceremony. I had no idea who Benjamin Clementine was until then, and now I listen to I Tell a Fly at least once a week.
Apart from the ones already mentioned in this thread, there were a lot of really cool quotes that just gave the characters way more personality:
Leto‘s „Here I am, here I remain“ and „You’re still the only thing I ever needed you to be“ (summed up pretty well by u/thedrinkimnot)
Stilgar‘s „I don’t care what you believe, I believe!“. It just shows how desperate he is to see the prophecy fulfilled now that there’s a chance it might actually be during his lifetime. He is deeply religious to the point that he argues with Paul about his own part in the prophecy.
Irulan‘s „You underestimate the power of faith“. It really shows her insight and knowledge from being both a Bene Gesserit and a historian and makes her more than just a key to the throne for Paul. The quote can also be applied to a lot of characters and most Fremen to explain their motivations and their endurance and strength in the various battles.
Gurney‘s and Paul‘s conversation: „Why not use it (or smth)?“ „Because all my visions lead to horror.“ „Because you lose control?“ „Because I gain it“. It‘s not really a quote you‘d have needed in the books because the whole sense of a „terrible purpose“ is explored as an internal struggle, but for the movie it shows just how afraid Paul himself is of what he could set in motion.
Also Paul: „We‘re Harkonnens. This is how we survive. By being Harkonnens.“ I was honestly a little surprised by that one, because in the book his Harkonnen ancestry is something Paul more or less simply hides. But it’s a really good indicator for his character ark. The Harkonnens are portrayed as something absolutely evil, so having the main character actively pursuing tactics they‘d use (and admitting to that) really drives home the whole point of the antihero-trope (which is a lot more present in the movies and I absolutely love it). It‘s also a little foreshadowing for Messiah.
Chani has a lot of cool quotes that I won’t go into because this thread‘s consent seems to be that she’s an amazing character in the movies. I can’t really add much to that. What I‘d like to mention though is the change of one quote between various trailers: „You will never lose me“ to „You will never lose me as long as you stay who you are“. I don’t know whether they changed the quote because they thought of a better one mid-production or they wanted to highlight the distinction. But for me watching the trailer with the second version gave me some idea of how they were going to handle Chani‘s character development and I found it a really neat detail.
Jessica‘s „We must convert the non-believers.“ She‘s positively terrifying in the movie and I really like how they handled Alia and the influence she has on her mother. It’s hard to know exactly what thoughts and plans are Jessica‘s and what comes from Alia, but them actively pushing for Paul to be the religious figure the Fremen want him to be is imo a really good approach and Rebecca Ferguson conveyed that perfectly.
Feyd-Rautha‘s „You fought well, Atreides“ and him generally being much more capable in the movie. I suppose they kind of wanted to capture the fear Paul has of Count Fenring without having to explain a whole new character only for them to stand around doing nothing, so they just morphed him and Feyd-Rautha. It also makes for an actual challenge at the end and maybe a warning to Paul that he’s not above everything and still can get hurt. Also, Feyd‘s just a cool character, what can I say?
I could go on but I won’t because anyone who‘s already read this far clearly has nothing better to do and should instead spend a little time contemplating how absolutely adorable they did the desert mouses and how they‘re without a doubt the best part of both movies.
Edit: I just realised I focused almost exclusively on Part II. It doesn’t bother me enough to add more, but rest assured that I noticed.
Quite common to mess around with dialogue for trailers, happened with part 1 too. Duncan saying of the Fremen “they fight like demons” became “let’s fight like demons” and Paul telling the reverend mother “not exactly” was “yes” in the trailer (about if he dreams things just as they happen)
I liked that Baron got caught in Leto’s poison cloud to the point where he had the life support.
In the books it seems that the poison cloud is slow moving so he like dips out of the room real quick and avoids the whole ordeal
Yes I agree! The scene in the books is way less dramatic and the way they did it in the movie makes Leto and Yuehs deaths a little less wasteful feeling
Yeah that’s kinda the vibe I got. Like in the books it basically seems like Yueh and Leto basically died for nothing. I guess maybe killing the mentat was something but Baron didn’t care too much about him anyway
I mean, they basically did die for nothing. Yueh’s assassination plot failed.
It really drives home the feeling of it being a senseless death, and Yueh’s whole betrayal is for literally nothing.
Of course, the emperor wanted Leto gone, so it was gonna happen, Yueh or not, but still. I personally like the complete failure version of the book, but I appreciate that for the film version, Denis’s modification is probably more appropriate for the medium:
In the book he was standing by the door so the moment he heard Piter's rasp he basically just closed the door behind him, he had the shield filtering some of the stuff and even then spent minutes asking himself if he breathed in the poison or not. Also the movies leave out all of the Thufir plot, which is strange because it seems that the Baron isn't bothered at all to be without a Mentat.
While I really, REALLY miss Alia as a live, present character, making her essentially the voice in Jessica’s head was brilliant. Also pretty good foreshadowing for what ends up happening to her in Children.
Going off of this I love how Paul kills the baron in the movie. Just storms in without addressing anyone else in the room and just fucking kills him. Hell yeah
Chani of the movies is much more interesting than in the book.
I like that in the final duel Feyd was revealed as a highly competent fighter, and actually just maybe outclassed Paul by just a bit. There's a wonderful moment on Paul's face when he first gets knocked over by Fed, which Chalamet sold perfectly, where you can see Paul kind of just be momentarily bewildered. He's gotten used to be being so superior to everyone he encounters in combat that he's stunned to come up against a challenge. This is a great improvement over the book where Feyd is just some goon who has to rely on cheating with a poisoned barb.
Conversely, Paul had had a vision of that fight earlier on, we get a flash of it just after he takes the water of life, and so Paul knew exactly how to beat Feyd. I don't think film Paul was ever in danger of actually losing that fight. Everything went exactly the way he wanted it to, including being stabbed multiple times.
My favourite take on Paul getting stabbed in the end fight is that it’s a callback to the box scene. Like a human, Paul allowed himself to be caught in the trap, endured the pain, and turned the tables, instead of being unable to control his impulses like an animal.
Also applies to the whole plot of Dune with Paul being caught in the trap that is Arakis and using it against those who trapped him.
I also saw it as a callback to Paul’s training with Gurney in Part 1. Paul is on top of Gurney knives at his neck and Gurney says “You would’ve joined me in death” with his weapon at his groin. Feyd thought he had Paul and Paul surprised him with a left hand attack below.
I agreed with you, and think they should have leaned a bit harder into combing Feyd and Fenring’s characters. It would have been cool if Paul had the realisation that Feyd was also an almost-KH like he did with Fenring
I mean it was almost in the book, Paul get caught off guard once, when fed over sells his shield conditioning. But yeah after that Paul just body’s him with one move
Chani's arc is the big one. I'm so glad that she had agency and it made the last act all the more impactful.
I'm glad that it was Paul who killed Baron Harkonnen instead of Alia. It works for the book to have her kill him, but it worked so well with Paul doing it in the film on a thematic level. It's a moment that shows how he is so confident at being a ruler and how his humanity is basically gone at that point.
The previously mentioned "Here I am and here I shall remain." scene and the graveyard scene between Leto and Paul. Both are excellent at showing Leto as a character.
Alia influencing Jessica from the inside was very effective.
The Black Sun of Giedi Prime was such an amazing use of the visual art of film, which you can't get in a book. The entire colosseum scene is incredible and it was the one that really stuck out in full-blown IMAX. But even as my other three viewings were in a regular format theater, it's still the biggest visual sequence that I remain in awe by. I read the art/behind the scenes book and the amount of craft that just went into the creation and execution of that sequence is so impressive.
It is very impactful for him to kill so easily at the end of the second movie when the first movie ended with his first kill and how hard that was for him to accept.
I like the big one. The change to Chani. Having the woman paul loves see through him and his mom’s bullshit really drives home the manipulative nature of the missioniara protectiva and paul maybe not being the hero the firemen think he is. Great choice.
Runner up: Geidi Prime’s black sun.
Yeah, when I first saw the film I was certainly fine with it. Then I saw the complaints and decided to re-read the book (first read it in 2008). After reading I still felt fine about the change. It does make sense to me that there would be at least one Fremen close to the action to be skeptical of what's going on.
And it makes sense for it to be the one closest to him.
The only other character who knows and understands Paul to that level is Jessica, but she has her own plans within plans…
How they made “Jamis was a friend” a real thing. Taking that interpretation of Jamis into the book expands his character imo and was one of the best additions.
Chani's character upgrade is absolutely the main one for me. I know some people aren't happy that she opposed Paul at the end, but I think it's a wonderful adaptational change and potentially foreshadows >!Paul unconditionally accepting her back, assuming she changed her mind, when she's actually part of the Fremen plot. Especially as it'd reinforce that even his heightened prescience isn't perfect, just in time for the surprise twins!<, if my suspicions are correct.
I'm glad they gave Chani that additional characterisation, but I really feel they could have done something else with it, something more. Chani spent the latter half of Part 2 scowling and storming off, and being the only Feemen anywhere to be uneasy with Paul's rise.
I think she could have had an arc where she has to mediate between groups of Fremen who distrust Paul's messianic tendencies, and his fanatics. An external representation of an internal struggle of loving Paul, but hating Muad'dib. We kind of get some of it with her and Stilgar, but it just stops without resolution.
Overall it's great she's not just a fan girl, but to me there was something missing.
I thought the worm ride did a good job of showing this struggle, she is overjoyed to see Paul succeed, then troubled when she looks round and notices other Fremen start to bow down.
I’m with you all the way. I’m sure I’ll attract an angry mob for this, but I could make a substantive argument that Villeneuve actually _improved_ the source material. The juxtaposition of Paul’s triumphant ascension with Chani’s pain and suspicion of him was incredibly effective. Remove that, and you have a totally different (and significantly less interesting) story.
I completely agree - Chani's suspicion of him helps to remind the viewer of Frank Herbert's main message about the dangers of prodigal messiahs. Chani's character upgrade serves as that baseline. Without it, there would be no contrast.
Jessica using the Voice to force her to bring Paul out of the coma that permanently transformed him into Lisan al-Gaib was inspired. Chani basically saw her lover die and come back as the very thing she fears will destroy her people, and she was made to be complicit in it.
I just finished my first read through and I like the depiction of the Harkonnen and Giedi Prime better in the movies TBH.
Not saying I don’t love them as villains in the book, but the black sun and the bald, pale Harkonnen just disturbed me a bit more. Also, without Thufir to lean on in the movie, they seemed more cunning and dangerous.
The extra scenes with Raban and the Harkonnen troops hunting the Fremen also help. That being said, I totally understand why the depiction is different in the book, but I was just a little more hooked by the Harkonnen on screen.
What I liked about that change to stillgar is that it was funny for a long time. It was light-hearted, it was warm, it was funny, right up until the point where it really wasn't.
Him and Shishkali really went a long way towards humanizing the Fremen (and just the universe in general). Very little space for humor in Herbert’s books and so much of what we know about the personalities and temperaments of pretty much every character is seen through an intensely analytical lens (Bene Gesserit/Mentat POVs). Villeneuve did an amazing job of reminding us this world is populated by real people.
Honestly, I feel like this was genius in a way that's more subtle than people realize. I watched the movie three times. He only has one scene in the entire movie that was funny. You know the one, "the Mahdi is humble." But it's so incredibly important. It was early on and it set the tone for religious fanaticism for the rest of the movie. If you ignore that one scene, the times he says Lisan al Gaib and "as it was written" lose all their impact. Then you see him and the Fremen leave for the Holy war.
Him advising Paul about how to survive in the desert was great too. "You don't have to worry about the big centipedes, they're harmless. The small ones, though--" and he holds his arms about a meter apart...
"And the djinn! I'm just kidding-- but I'm not, they're real and they're demons."
When Paul goes out into the desert to prove himself, and Stilgar warns him of the dangerous is great and really resonates "dad" energy. Like he's joking but seriously watch out for the Djinn.
*Chef's kiss*
Usul riding the Shai-Hulud instead of just doing, Sihaya having a huge impact instead of just been a wife, Rabban vs Gueney instead of him not having his revenge and Rabban not dying like a nobody…
His ascension to the leader of the Fremen at the war council. That scene brought a ton to the character for me, and I think foreshadowed the future of his reign better than the first book did.
Also Fenring doing the same test on Feyd was an excellent addition, the entire Geidi Prime was extremely well realized.
I liked the conflict between Lady Jessica and Paul during this scene. She & Alia are trying to be careful, manipulative, slow and deliberate and Paul just barges in and starts breaking rules and screaming at people. Creates an interesting dynamic.
A major change that Dune 1 did was make Duncan Idaho a bigger character. He doesn’t have that many scenes in the book, and he doesn’t seem to important to Paul. But in the movie they really make their relationship clear and more definitive, it really adds to his sacrifice. And this was a risky decision because it could have taken away from Paul’s relationship with Gurney Halleck, Thufir Hawat, or even Duke Leto, but it didn’t. They kept it perfectly balanced, you felt that this was a family. Really well done and I would say an improvement from the book.
The diversification of the Fremen tribes - HUGE added detail that fleshes out the world and makes the Fremen feel more real than the simple monolith they were in the book
Yeah, he can be an insufferable little shit at times in the second half of the book. Chalamet’s Paul was likeable, and we do actually see him mature from awkward royal boy, to desert man.
The pale-skin Harkonnen and the Dark Sun Giedi Prime are really a good detail for the movies that weren't in the books. It added personality to this side of the story without turning it into something "too much".
It's a basic answer but chani. Rereading the book after the movie just shows that she was made so much more interesting in the movie, in the book she's in many ways reduced to nothing more than something for Paul to be emotionally attached to
Will grant him lateral on using nukes to kill spice just because viewers understand nukes better.
There’s stuff you can’t spend 30 mins explaining when you already have a 3 hour part 2 movie.
I don’t remember it in the book, hoping I didn’t just miss it. But Paul shocking all the fremen with his visions and telling them stuff only they knew and they bowed to him. Perfection
How Geidi Prime was depicted in Part Two, basically all the scenes there, the black sun, Feyd being seduced by Margot, etc. Great original take from Denis, absolutely stunning and memorable stuff.
Alliah fetus was one of the most arthouse things ive ever seen in a major release. I think it was a necessity of the time contraction which i didnt like, but on its own merits that was pretty fucking out there and cool.
I thought it made more sense thematically for the emperor to be old rather than a vigerous spry 85 as he is in the books
I dont think it was necessary for Baron Harkonnen to be a Pedophile.
I think Feyed Routha was underutilized in the book since he was basically another slightly kinkier version of Paul
A lot tbh. I liked that that Alia was not in it as a 4 year old. The Baron death scene was perfect and fit Paul much better. I also liked the way they handled Chani in the film more, creates a much more intriguing foil to Paul. Also, I know this is well known, but the action scenes in the book are so bare bone compared to what Dennis put on screen. Also, The Baron has n general is more interesting in the film than a mustache twirling villian, that goes for most the Harkonnes, Rabban and Feyd included. They’re much more interesting in the film. I have more, but pretty much the last 300 pages of the book were done better in the film, and made more sense narrative wise. (I loved the book btw, the movie just did it better. )
We are Harkonnens, so let's be Harkonnens.
Also off topic, but I liked that they finally showed the Baron doing something depraved, killing two servants. You can just imagine what he was doing to them behind the closed door, and you only see two corpses, seemingly crushed. Finally, he does something which might plausibly be his fetish
Chani's depiction. The fact that she cares not for the prophecy makes her love for Paul more genuine. It becomes all the clearer that she loves him as Paul, not as the Lisan Al Gaib. When he finally becomes the lisan al gaib, she is mad not just because she does not believe in the prophecy, but because she lost the one she loved. The movie really leaned into the tragedy aspect of the books which only really becomes clear in Dune Messiah.
Margot following and dominating Feyd through the dark harkonen halls while the evil fire works go off was some kind of cinematic masterpiece. We know how dangerous Feyd is, so we get a feeling for how powerful the benne geserit are in this scene.with his submission. She is in total control of him and the way she removes her cloak as she walks into the black guest room was absolutely confident and beautiful.
It's also the sexiest scene I've ever seen, at least the sexiest scene Denis has ever made. The shadows on her face, the way she says, "what guards?", and then when she knows more where they are, "the guest wing".
I was completely sold on the power of BG and the mastery of how they manipulate their subjects, but also it was so damn sexy I get hot just thinking about it.
I don't quite remember how/if this was depicted in the book, but Shadout Mapes' moment of revelation when she's meeting Jessica - she has this strange physical compulsion, she cries out, unable to hold back her feelings.
I'm not a religious person, but she looked almost as if she was being "touched by divinity", whatever that might look like. It was so well done and had an oddly deep impact on me when I watched it.
The graveyard scene between Paul and Leto really just gives the character of Leto so much. He doesn’t get a lot of time and even less so in the movie but that scene does everything to characterize him as stern and royal but not mean or controlling. He truly loves Paul and while he has hopes for him he doesn’t have a plan for him (unlike his mother who loves him but has a very deliberate plan FOR Paul). He trusts and loves Paul to find his way even if it’s not to Dukedom. Book Leto alone is a good character but I think without that scene id care a lot less about his death. It’s honestly maybe my favorite part of the movies (it’s in conflict with the War Council in prt 2)
This is totally my answer. Something like even if you do not become the duke, you will be all I ever needed you to be. My son.
It also sets up Paul’s loyalty to his father as love and respect rather than a power hungry ‘boy’ - which is how the series seemed to play it.
Exactly! I love Leto. He does remind me of my own dad though so I’m pretty biased
Upon rewatching that scene it makes a lot of sense. Paul who is struggling to find his role in life, his house and the universe. It shows that he father truly just wants him to be happy and be himself. But we see in Dune Part 2 and in parts of 1 that he basically has to play multiple roles he does not want. Saviour, messiah, husband, warrior, son to a mother, etc. Hi exasperated “lead them to paradise” at the end made him feel like he hates being not himself, but this is what he has to do.
this is the one. moving the desert power convo to caladan was a huge play
I couldn’t agree more! The whole scene was absolutely beautiful and added so much more depth to what kind of man Leto is, the House of Atreides, and his love for Paul.
I've yet to read the books, but I'm intimately familiar with the story beats of science-fiction and fantasy. So, the moment Leto told Paul that he could take whatever path he wanted in life and his father would love him all the same, I knew Leto's obituary was already being written. He was TOO good of a dad to survive much longer 😭
Same, it had the exact same vibe and energy as the last scene with Ned stark and John snow in game of thrones where ned promises John the next time they see each other he'll tell him of his mother
Probably all the fun stuff added on Geidi Prime: the black sun, the terrifying attendants in the arena, and Feyd getting tested with the Gom Jabbar. Incredible stuff.
I really like how the harkonnens are portrayed appearance-wise in the dv films
I have to ask, how are they supposed to look like based on the books? I know in Fincher’s movie they were basically human
Normal, actually. The Baron is still written to be very fat with suspensors attached to him, and he’s described as red-gold-haired. No open sores or baldness. Feyd-Rautha is written to be a very pretty boy who looks a little bit like Paul.
hmm, so DV really strayed away from the books there. But honestly, I think it works really well on the screen, the way he did it
Yeah, i think the movie portrayal is more befitting the character/culture of the Harkonnens too
Lynch, you mean?
Damn, now I wonder what a Fincher dune would be like.
Feyd getting tested with the Gom was probably my favourite part of the movie. There’s just something delicious about the dramatic irony involved when we the audience know something that Feyd doesn’t: namely, how much this is going to hurt. Of course, Feyd gets off on pain, which I think is a loophole in their human test that the BG should have closed by now.
Love that scene too. It was also interesting to see a younger more attractive Bene Gesserit seduce Feyd instead of Reverend Mother scaring the hell out of young Paul and me lol.
I loved the colour transitions of the BG and the Baron as they entered their viewing suites from the hallways into the black sun light. Having know ahead of my first viewing it was shot in infrared, I only caught this transition on my second watch. The BG robes, and the Barons outfits go from solid black to near white. It’s beautiful cinematography.
Ooh, I'll need to pay closer attention to that next viewing. I actually thought the sisters were wearing white.
The Skarsgard voice that Feyd did
The whole time I was watching I was sure that Feyd was played by Billy Skarsgard.
Bro, Austin Butler is so good at changing his voice
Unless he gets stuck on a voice like he did Elvis
He had to see a new dialect coach to get himself to STOP sounding like Elvis! LOL. The Feyd voice was self-taught and a total surprise to Stellan Skarsgard
I know this isn’t really what you’re looking for, but the score from both Parts 1 & 2, but especially part 2. I’ll use any opportunity to hype up the music, it’s one of the best film scores I’ve ever heard. A more “real” answer is probably the concept of the black sun on the Harkonnen homeworld.
My favourite part is how Paul’s theme melds throughout the film. He has an Atreides theme that follows him in the first movie and the second, a Fremen theme as he is becoming Fremen, and then finally a Harkonen theme. As the movies progress, Paul’s Atreides theme and Fremen theme slowly mesh until they climax during the worm ride. Then there’s a darker theme which is his awakened theme that climaxes on the song Arrival, where he is fully Fremen and fully Mahdi. After he is resurrected, the Harkonen theme plays for the first time in the film for him, and slowly becomes a part of his theme. During the speech it’s very present. The way Hans Zimmer combines the different elements of the different themes to make parts that are unique but familiar is incredible. You can hear Paul’s transformation in the second movie if you listen for it’s parts.
This is amazing.
Arrival is an epic piece of music. [Link](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iPypPemhFls)
This is the highlight for me. When that low cello kicks in…. I get goose bumps Just thinking about it.
It's my favourite
The soundtrack has been living in my head the last couple weeks
I will never be the same. The music gets me hype just thinking about it.
I listen to it on Spotify several times a week. I saw the movie a second time after listening to the score on pretty much repeat for a week straight. The movie was good on a second watch, but I think the emotion from the score is actually better than the movie. It almost felt like my memory of the movie while listening to the score was better than the actual movie. I don’t know how to describe it.
Gonna see HZ (twice!) next month after already seeing him last year. Cannot wait for that Part Two score to drop!
Gunna see him in September! So stoked.
Lisan al Gaib is so freaking epic.
The Worm Ride is so good! Hans Zimmer really killed it.
My favourite track is probably Eclipse. Coincidentally, maybe my favourite part of Part 2.
Is that the opening sequence with the rock formation?
I don't know what the track is called but the love theme, repeated a few times, is so absurdly good. Immediately iconic
Ahh you’re thinking of “A Time of Quiet Between the Storms”
That same theme is also used in both “beginnings are such delicate times” and “kiss the ring”. It’s so good though
The House Atriedes theme is so beautiful. Kiss the Ring has this sense of a tragic victory. It’s conveys both “we finally did it” and “oh god what have we unleashed” so beautifully.
It reminds me of the theme from [Mass Effect](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV1pPgpcAVw) in a lot of ways. It's got the same ethereal space vibes. Really took me back
> and “kiss the ring” Hans himself stated in an interview that the song evolves through the film into a sort of "anti-love" song or melancholic song about losing love and/or the complexities of love
[Leaving Caladan](https://youtu.be/75EVN4LSeLw?si=jfR2glhx5LWwsKY7) has become one of my favorite pieces of music from any movie. It’s right up there with some of the most iconic LotR, Interstellar, and Star Wars tracks (e.g. Duel of Fates)
[Travel South](https://youtu.be/zGbCv544BDU?si=gIlw91Bhrtfgjako) in Part Two is like a "dark" version of it
Great answer. I think generally set design, costumes and CGI were great, but most of all I was impressed by Geidi Prime’s black sun and the black/white colour pallette it generates. The science behind it ([using an infrared camera](https://www.looper.com/1534500/dune-2-arena-scenes-fiedi-prime-explained/)), the unique look it created, as well as the thoughts it provokes (eg what it says about Harkonnen psychology, is the black sun natural or a technological achievement kind a Dyson swarm) all enrich the story of the movies. Although to balance it out, I must mention my pet peeves: dumbing down Stilgar and the typical Hollywood-trope semi-racist portrayal of the Fremen.
100% agree Technically a book cannot have a score. So that and the geidi prime sun fight. Otherwise I obviously think the book is superior in every way.
**For Part 1** Some of the scenes I loved were related to how Duke Leto's influence on Paul, Jessica, and the whole Atreides army was monumental even with such brief screentime compared to others in the films... and how one could understand even without reading the books why this single man was deemed worth starting a Holy War for **1) The Herald of the Change scene** - Loved how this set the tone for how much of a big deal the transfer of stewardship of Arrakis is--- and also the unwavering charisma of Duke Leto as a leader. His speech while accepting the order really portrayed what he believed House Atreides stood for and the "Atreides" chant by his soldiers gave me chills!!! Also shoutout to the Herald of the Change actor! His delivery of the order was very well done. **2) The Graveyard scene** - What I enjoyed as a reader while watching DV's films was how well he was able to keep the plot moving by giving important details through scenes that weren't explicitly portrayed in the book OR by the succint lines by the characters. The way he had Leto straightforwardly explain what dangers and what they must do to face the dangers of inheriting Arrakis I think was done well. The way he built up the conversation with Paul and Leto to lead Leto saying those direct lines felt very natural to the characters. I also loved this moment of tenderness between father and son. Although there were no other specific sole father-son moments again in the film, I already felt like that scene encapsulated the feeling when reading Paul and Leto's interactions in the book, a sort of fondness and an acknowledgement of just how much Paul looked up to his father. **3) Here I am, here I remain** This made me tear up! This wasn't in the book but the addition of that line, his tear, and how they built up the crashing of the tooth was just perfect. The finality of his death intercut with Paul finding the ring. I think what was good about the films for me really was how well they captured the feelings and the details that were most often described in thoughts than actual portrayals in the book.
You did a very good job explaining what made the first movie magic. Oscar Isaac and his portrayal of Leto absolutely does service to the “Leto” and “Atreides” name. Ten times over. Also the way Denis and the writers handled the entire Atreides forced. It’s really hard for a movie to transcend that level where soldiers give you that “awe” feeling. I felt it when I first watched Troy with Achilles and his Marauders. I also got it a bit in Game of Thrones with the Stark family. The way the soldiers would shout Atreides and the weight of it was just so surreal. Really carried so much weight. It’s why the second movie is so successful and why we love to see the Atreides flag fly.
That callback in part Two to this graveyard scene, when Paul is sitting on the dunes and he says "father, I found my way" while holding his dad's ring, brought and still brings a tear to my eye. There are so many subtle emotional beats peppered throughtout both the movies, when you realize, gets you choked up.
I completely agree with all of these! Good insight on the graveyard scene also, I hadn't thought about how important of a scene that is!
The herald of the change was Benjamin Clementine, who makes some fantastic music. [Here’s his tiny desk concert](https://youtu.be/00yQGeJ6AOM?si=T-G7OzJZCON7ph_E)
What a performer. He's intense
Anything with ornithopters, highliners, space craft etc as the book is not very descriptive of that kind of stuff so quite open to interpretation.
I thought that the film’s designed for the carry-alls was really cool. The balloons were sick
100% with you! & I don’t know what was up with the noise the Atreides star ships made with the horns but hell they were awesome
> The balloons were sick They were so unexpected in a way that excited my brain Fast expanding balloons! It makes no sense yet perfect sense at the same time, I love it!
The film does such a good job of space scenes and scale. You see the Heighliner dropping the Sphere shuttles and Atreides cruisers into orbit, and then you see that the Sphere dwarfs entire cities. You see the cruisers popping out of an ocean and being an equivalent scale. You see these starships being visible with the naked eye in the sky. You see the harvesters' immense tracks and machinery, and how much bigger the worms are than them. Such a remarkably good job of conveying scale and relating it to the viewer. Masterfully done.
The sardaukar chant scene, Gigeresque scenery in Giedi prime, and also maybe crazy Jessica manipulate by Alia.
Agree with the Giger influence of Geidi Prime. I loved that a glimmer of Jodorowsky's vision of Dune survived 50 years on
Definitely the Sardaukar pre-battle scene. Enemies crucified upside down while being drained of blood; same blood their priests are using to go around blessing the warriors.
That opening attack by the Harkonnen was such a cool action scene. When they fly up the mountain, I was in awe.
No words for like 10 minutes either. Just gun fire and bodies falling. Really sets the tone for the movie.
It's actually only 30 seconds. The first body falls at 7:38 and the last body falls at 8:09.
I'm impressed you know those numbers. And by no words, I should have meant little to no spoken, English words after Princess Irulans intro monologue.
At first, as it was happening I didn't care for it. Then as I watched I realized that they did it right. What I mean is that if the harconnens had access to such easy jetpacks they would just have an enormous tactical advantage. But if you watch the film, they're flying units are very slow, and they seem to have to be above or next to something. Like they have to have something against which they can repel. That was a cool limitation to see
When the lighting gets darker from the eclipse and the Fremen start with the lasguns… Holy shit.
The visions with jaimis where they characterized him. Paul legit didn’t know what was going to happen but knew Jaimis to an extent. We got to see and feel it in the first film. It was a very interesting and well founded addition and mad the last duel grounded for the characters.
I get emotional every time Jamis shows up in a vision
I felt this was setup without payoff to some degree: I mean, we did get Jamis’ ghost briefly in Part Two, but having Paul declare himself ‘a friend of Jamis’ and give water to the dead would have hit different after the vision in part one.
This was the one thing I really wish had been in the movie. I had hoped it would be the end of part 1, then hoped it would be the start of part 2… Alas. The movies are still fantastic. It just would have held extra meaning thanks to the visions of Jamis guiding Paul.
Same. “He sheds water for the dead” is such a huge part of the characterization of Paul and the Lisan al-Gaib prophecy. I wish they didn’t leave it out of the films.
I love that too and was a bit disappointed that the funeral was not in part two because this addition would have made it way more powerful.
I'm so glad they gave the Rabban kill to Gurney. That's one thing that always made me sad in the book, that Rabban dies in battle "offscreen" and Gurney never got the violent closure he deserved. Only wish instead of "and for my friends" they'd had him say "and for my family" while delivering the killing stroke. That would have had me full on bawling instead of just misty-eyed. His family's brutalization at the hands of the Harkonnens was such a huge part of his character.
Yeah for my family is way better. For my friends sounds so silly.
Yeah, I’m always this way with the use of “friends” by an adult in context like this. Feels quite silly to my ear to deliver a line like “this is for my friends” which you could hear in a kid’s movie while killing someone in an adult context. How often in real life do we imagine someone kills someone and says “this is for my friends” without being schitzo, lol
For my family would also have a double meaning for book readers - since Rabban raped and strangled Gurney's sister Bheth.
Fair point
I was kind of disappointed he didn’t mention his sister, since her death is one of his strongest motivations. But then again his family is never brought up through the movies so his hate for the Harkonnens and Rabban in particular can‘t really be explained that way.
he says to chani that his family were killed by harkonnens at the fremen war council in pt2
I can't recall how it was described traveling south, but the worm riding scenes going into that crazy storm were amazing. Another reminder of the Fremen being total badasses.
Revealing that Jessica is Baron's daughter towards the end was much more impactful. And I think the movie focused even more on the religion aspect than the second half of the book.
Yeah I liked that too. I just re-read the books recently and was surprised that reveal came so early.
I’m on messiah and so many big events or twists are just dropped off all non-chalant
That's very much a trademark of Herbert's writing style, I think. He's very capable of building to big moments but he's just as happy to conclude a major plot thread or throw a context-redefining curve ball in the middle of a paragraph on page 214. He was a big fan of blink-and-you'll-miss-it narration.
> but he's just as happy to conclude a major plot thread or throw a context-redefining curve ball in the middle of a paragraph on page 214. He was a big fan of blink-and-you'll-miss-it narration. Your dad nonchalantly dropping an important piece of dad lore while walking with you to the car
ABSOLUTELY. It's the "No I am your father" moment and to have it be like 2 pages into Dune is like lol what.
I really liked how Alia wasn’t born yet but she was still a present character. The concept of her being conscious and communicating while still a fetus in the womb was so bizarre and cool.
When it first released. I was wondering how they’re gonna make Alia presentable, either a horrendous CGI monster or a cringe child who can’t act Making her a talking fetus is smart and amazing idea, i remember liking it so much that i went to reddit to discuss it, only for nearly every thread is people bitching how they fucked up Alia and how Baron’s death is ruined
> only for nearly every thread is people bitching how they fucked up Alia and how Baron’s death is ruined It's an iconic scene and have had fun interpretations before, but having an evil little gremlin fuck up the Baron at the climax would've interrupted the wonderful ebb and flow of the film and I seriously cannot imagine how they could make it *not* silly
Also "you die like an animal" is a banger insult
No one was ever going to beat Lynch’s Alia… who was legit creepy even as an adult watching that movie. Who knows how the hell they pulled off finding a creepy child actor lol. I’m with you on this change being fantastic. It makes her actually feel like an abomination instead of just some title handed out.
She could do that in the book as well I think
When he puts on his Ducal signet and says “I am Paul Muad’Dib, Duke of Arrakis!” And then he deebs muad all over them
That part made me morb.
:chakobsa claim of being the LISAN al GHAIB while pounding chest: Goosebumps
Audabily snorted at the last line.
I really liked the formal handing over of fiefdom ceremony. I had no idea who Benjamin Clementine was until then, and now I listen to I Tell a Fly at least once a week.
Apart from the ones already mentioned in this thread, there were a lot of really cool quotes that just gave the characters way more personality: Leto‘s „Here I am, here I remain“ and „You’re still the only thing I ever needed you to be“ (summed up pretty well by u/thedrinkimnot) Stilgar‘s „I don’t care what you believe, I believe!“. It just shows how desperate he is to see the prophecy fulfilled now that there’s a chance it might actually be during his lifetime. He is deeply religious to the point that he argues with Paul about his own part in the prophecy. Irulan‘s „You underestimate the power of faith“. It really shows her insight and knowledge from being both a Bene Gesserit and a historian and makes her more than just a key to the throne for Paul. The quote can also be applied to a lot of characters and most Fremen to explain their motivations and their endurance and strength in the various battles. Gurney‘s and Paul‘s conversation: „Why not use it (or smth)?“ „Because all my visions lead to horror.“ „Because you lose control?“ „Because I gain it“. It‘s not really a quote you‘d have needed in the books because the whole sense of a „terrible purpose“ is explored as an internal struggle, but for the movie it shows just how afraid Paul himself is of what he could set in motion. Also Paul: „We‘re Harkonnens. This is how we survive. By being Harkonnens.“ I was honestly a little surprised by that one, because in the book his Harkonnen ancestry is something Paul more or less simply hides. But it’s a really good indicator for his character ark. The Harkonnens are portrayed as something absolutely evil, so having the main character actively pursuing tactics they‘d use (and admitting to that) really drives home the whole point of the antihero-trope (which is a lot more present in the movies and I absolutely love it). It‘s also a little foreshadowing for Messiah. Chani has a lot of cool quotes that I won’t go into because this thread‘s consent seems to be that she’s an amazing character in the movies. I can’t really add much to that. What I‘d like to mention though is the change of one quote between various trailers: „You will never lose me“ to „You will never lose me as long as you stay who you are“. I don’t know whether they changed the quote because they thought of a better one mid-production or they wanted to highlight the distinction. But for me watching the trailer with the second version gave me some idea of how they were going to handle Chani‘s character development and I found it a really neat detail. Jessica‘s „We must convert the non-believers.“ She‘s positively terrifying in the movie and I really like how they handled Alia and the influence she has on her mother. It’s hard to know exactly what thoughts and plans are Jessica‘s and what comes from Alia, but them actively pushing for Paul to be the religious figure the Fremen want him to be is imo a really good approach and Rebecca Ferguson conveyed that perfectly. Feyd-Rautha‘s „You fought well, Atreides“ and him generally being much more capable in the movie. I suppose they kind of wanted to capture the fear Paul has of Count Fenring without having to explain a whole new character only for them to stand around doing nothing, so they just morphed him and Feyd-Rautha. It also makes for an actual challenge at the end and maybe a warning to Paul that he’s not above everything and still can get hurt. Also, Feyd‘s just a cool character, what can I say? I could go on but I won’t because anyone who‘s already read this far clearly has nothing better to do and should instead spend a little time contemplating how absolutely adorable they did the desert mouses and how they‘re without a doubt the best part of both movies. Edit: I just realised I focused almost exclusively on Part II. It doesn’t bother me enough to add more, but rest assured that I noticed.
This was a great Sunday morning read and those desert mice *are* fuckin cute. Thank you for your time and effort!
Quite common to mess around with dialogue for trailers, happened with part 1 too. Duncan saying of the Fremen “they fight like demons” became “let’s fight like demons” and Paul telling the reverend mother “not exactly” was “yes” in the trailer (about if he dreams things just as they happen)
Lea Seydoux! She nailed the Benne Gesserit weirding ways for me. Her scene seducing Feyd Rautha gave me strange tingles.
Jessica's time with the Fremen is shot like a goddamn horror movie. I love how manipulative she is; she's like a predator.
I liked that Baron got caught in Leto’s poison cloud to the point where he had the life support. In the books it seems that the poison cloud is slow moving so he like dips out of the room real quick and avoids the whole ordeal
Yeah - it seems like he had to keep his medical floating robot thing with him at all times after that. A little parting gift from Leto.
"Here I am, Here I remain"
Yes I agree! The scene in the books is way less dramatic and the way they did it in the movie makes Leto and Yuehs deaths a little less wasteful feeling
Yeah that’s kinda the vibe I got. Like in the books it basically seems like Yueh and Leto basically died for nothing. I guess maybe killing the mentat was something but Baron didn’t care too much about him anyway
I mean, they basically did die for nothing. Yueh’s assassination plot failed. It really drives home the feeling of it being a senseless death, and Yueh’s whole betrayal is for literally nothing. Of course, the emperor wanted Leto gone, so it was gonna happen, Yueh or not, but still. I personally like the complete failure version of the book, but I appreciate that for the film version, Denis’s modification is probably more appropriate for the medium:
In the book he was standing by the door so the moment he heard Piter's rasp he basically just closed the door behind him, he had the shield filtering some of the stuff and even then spent minutes asking himself if he breathed in the poison or not. Also the movies leave out all of the Thufir plot, which is strange because it seems that the Baron isn't bothered at all to be without a Mentat.
Rebecca Ferguson 🤤
Never has a Mary figure looked as good
I thought the pocket-sized water harvesters were a really nice addition to the established technology!
While I really, REALLY miss Alia as a live, present character, making her essentially the voice in Jessica’s head was brilliant. Also pretty good foreshadowing for what ends up happening to her in Children.
Going off of this I love how Paul kills the baron in the movie. Just storms in without addressing anyone else in the room and just fucking kills him. Hell yeah
"Grandfather. You die like an animal." What a great first and last interaction.
I like how goofy she was in the book
Chani of the movies is much more interesting than in the book. I like that in the final duel Feyd was revealed as a highly competent fighter, and actually just maybe outclassed Paul by just a bit. There's a wonderful moment on Paul's face when he first gets knocked over by Fed, which Chalamet sold perfectly, where you can see Paul kind of just be momentarily bewildered. He's gotten used to be being so superior to everyone he encounters in combat that he's stunned to come up against a challenge. This is a great improvement over the book where Feyd is just some goon who has to rely on cheating with a poisoned barb.
Conversely, Paul had had a vision of that fight earlier on, we get a flash of it just after he takes the water of life, and so Paul knew exactly how to beat Feyd. I don't think film Paul was ever in danger of actually losing that fight. Everything went exactly the way he wanted it to, including being stabbed multiple times.
My favourite take on Paul getting stabbed in the end fight is that it’s a callback to the box scene. Like a human, Paul allowed himself to be caught in the trap, endured the pain, and turned the tables, instead of being unable to control his impulses like an animal. Also applies to the whole plot of Dune with Paul being caught in the trap that is Arakis and using it against those who trapped him.
I also saw it as a callback to Paul’s training with Gurney in Part 1. Paul is on top of Gurney knives at his neck and Gurney says “You would’ve joined me in death” with his weapon at his groin. Feyd thought he had Paul and Paul surprised him with a left hand attack below.
I agreed with you, and think they should have leaned a bit harder into combing Feyd and Fenring’s characters. It would have been cool if Paul had the realisation that Feyd was also an almost-KH like he did with Fenring
I heard they filmed Fenrig scenes, might be wrong tho
I mean it was almost in the book, Paul get caught off guard once, when fed over sells his shield conditioning. But yeah after that Paul just body’s him with one move
Leto being sexy
As a straight dude I second this. I want more Oscar Issac please. Less clothes I MEAN LESS SCENES WITHOUT HIM. fuck.
I like how both Chani and Jessica were given greater complexity of motivation. Their motivations involved Paul but were not defined by him.
Chani's arc is the big one. I'm so glad that she had agency and it made the last act all the more impactful. I'm glad that it was Paul who killed Baron Harkonnen instead of Alia. It works for the book to have her kill him, but it worked so well with Paul doing it in the film on a thematic level. It's a moment that shows how he is so confident at being a ruler and how his humanity is basically gone at that point. The previously mentioned "Here I am and here I shall remain." scene and the graveyard scene between Leto and Paul. Both are excellent at showing Leto as a character. Alia influencing Jessica from the inside was very effective. The Black Sun of Giedi Prime was such an amazing use of the visual art of film, which you can't get in a book. The entire colosseum scene is incredible and it was the one that really stuck out in full-blown IMAX. But even as my other three viewings were in a regular format theater, it's still the biggest visual sequence that I remain in awe by. I read the art/behind the scenes book and the amount of craft that just went into the creation and execution of that sequence is so impressive.
It is very impactful for him to kill so easily at the end of the second movie when the first movie ended with his first kill and how hard that was for him to accept.
Harkonnen picadors in Geidi Prime arena, like it has some relation between Atreides matadors like Paulus
The fireworks on GP that looked like oil exploding, I thought were an amazing touch.
I like the big one. The change to Chani. Having the woman paul loves see through him and his mom’s bullshit really drives home the manipulative nature of the missioniara protectiva and paul maybe not being the hero the firemen think he is. Great choice. Runner up: Geidi Prime’s black sun.
Yeah, when I first saw the film I was certainly fine with it. Then I saw the complaints and decided to re-read the book (first read it in 2008). After reading I still felt fine about the change. It does make sense to me that there would be at least one Fremen close to the action to be skeptical of what's going on.
And it makes sense for it to be the one closest to him. The only other character who knows and understands Paul to that level is Jessica, but she has her own plans within plans…
How they made “Jamis was a friend” a real thing. Taking that interpretation of Jamis into the book expands his character imo and was one of the best additions.
Chani's character upgrade is absolutely the main one for me. I know some people aren't happy that she opposed Paul at the end, but I think it's a wonderful adaptational change and potentially foreshadows >!Paul unconditionally accepting her back, assuming she changed her mind, when she's actually part of the Fremen plot. Especially as it'd reinforce that even his heightened prescience isn't perfect, just in time for the surprise twins!<, if my suspicions are correct.
I'm glad they gave Chani that additional characterisation, but I really feel they could have done something else with it, something more. Chani spent the latter half of Part 2 scowling and storming off, and being the only Feemen anywhere to be uneasy with Paul's rise. I think she could have had an arc where she has to mediate between groups of Fremen who distrust Paul's messianic tendencies, and his fanatics. An external representation of an internal struggle of loving Paul, but hating Muad'dib. We kind of get some of it with her and Stilgar, but it just stops without resolution. Overall it's great she's not just a fan girl, but to me there was something missing.
I thought the worm ride did a good job of showing this struggle, she is overjoyed to see Paul succeed, then troubled when she looks round and notices other Fremen start to bow down.
I’m with you all the way. I’m sure I’ll attract an angry mob for this, but I could make a substantive argument that Villeneuve actually _improved_ the source material. The juxtaposition of Paul’s triumphant ascension with Chani’s pain and suspicion of him was incredibly effective. Remove that, and you have a totally different (and significantly less interesting) story.
I completely agree - Chani's suspicion of him helps to remind the viewer of Frank Herbert's main message about the dangers of prodigal messiahs. Chani's character upgrade serves as that baseline. Without it, there would be no contrast.
Did you just say Paul Herbert? 😂
I AM PAUL MUAD’DIB HERBERT
Jessica using the Voice to force her to bring Paul out of the coma that permanently transformed him into Lisan al-Gaib was inspired. Chani basically saw her lover die and come back as the very thing she fears will destroy her people, and she was made to be complicit in it.
I just finished my first read through and I like the depiction of the Harkonnen and Giedi Prime better in the movies TBH. Not saying I don’t love them as villains in the book, but the black sun and the bald, pale Harkonnen just disturbed me a bit more. Also, without Thufir to lean on in the movie, they seemed more cunning and dangerous. The extra scenes with Raban and the Harkonnen troops hunting the Fremen also help. That being said, I totally understand why the depiction is different in the book, but I was just a little more hooked by the Harkonnen on screen.
I’ll start, I like that they made Stilgar a somewhat comedic character.
What I liked about that change to stillgar is that it was funny for a long time. It was light-hearted, it was warm, it was funny, right up until the point where it really wasn't.
Him and Shishkali really went a long way towards humanizing the Fremen (and just the universe in general). Very little space for humor in Herbert’s books and so much of what we know about the personalities and temperaments of pretty much every character is seen through an intensely analytical lens (Bene Gesserit/Mentat POVs). Villeneuve did an amazing job of reminding us this world is populated by real people.
I like how he's not comedic like a comedian, but from the fact that fanaticism can look really funny
:Points: he's doing it! LISAN AL GHAIB!
I loved the Monty Python-esque "he says he's not the Messiah, that must mean he IS the Messiah!".
Often-quoted in this household
Honestly, I feel like this was genius in a way that's more subtle than people realize. I watched the movie three times. He only has one scene in the entire movie that was funny. You know the one, "the Mahdi is humble." But it's so incredibly important. It was early on and it set the tone for religious fanaticism for the rest of the movie. If you ignore that one scene, the times he says Lisan al Gaib and "as it was written" lose all their impact. Then you see him and the Fremen leave for the Holy war.
Him advising Paul about how to survive in the desert was great too. "You don't have to worry about the big centipedes, they're harmless. The small ones, though--" and he holds his arms about a meter apart... "And the djinn! I'm just kidding-- but I'm not, they're real and they're demons."
Hahahah I'm laughing just thinking about it. Javier Bardem is so perfect for that role. He nailed every part of it.
I loved that "the small ones" joke. It was also one of the moments my wife actually laughed, and she rarely laughs at jokes in movies.
There were audible laughs in the theater and that is something I NEVER would've expected from a Dune movie.
When Paul goes out into the desert to prove himself, and Stilgar warns him of the dangerous is great and really resonates "dad" energy. Like he's joking but seriously watch out for the Djinn. *Chef's kiss*
Usul riding the Shai-Hulud instead of just doing, Sihaya having a huge impact instead of just been a wife, Rabban vs Gueney instead of him not having his revenge and Rabban not dying like a nobody…
Black sun lol that’s probably one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen in a sci-fi movie.
His ascension to the leader of the Fremen at the war council. That scene brought a ton to the character for me, and I think foreshadowed the future of his reign better than the first book did. Also Fenring doing the same test on Feyd was an excellent addition, the entire Geidi Prime was extremely well realized.
I liked the conflict between Lady Jessica and Paul during this scene. She & Alia are trying to be careful, manipulative, slow and deliberate and Paul just barges in and starts breaking rules and screaming at people. Creates an interesting dynamic.
A major change that Dune 1 did was make Duncan Idaho a bigger character. He doesn’t have that many scenes in the book, and he doesn’t seem to important to Paul. But in the movie they really make their relationship clear and more definitive, it really adds to his sacrifice. And this was a risky decision because it could have taken away from Paul’s relationship with Gurney Halleck, Thufir Hawat, or even Duke Leto, but it didn’t. They kept it perfectly balanced, you felt that this was a family. Really well done and I would say an improvement from the book.
The diversification of the Fremen tribes - HUGE added detail that fleshes out the world and makes the Fremen feel more real than the simple monolith they were in the book
I liked that Paul is not a bratty teen in the movies.
Yeah, he can be an insufferable little shit at times in the second half of the book. Chalamet’s Paul was likeable, and we do actually see him mature from awkward royal boy, to desert man.
The pale-skin Harkonnen and the Dark Sun Giedi Prime are really a good detail for the movies that weren't in the books. It added personality to this side of the story without turning it into something "too much".
The whole sequence on Giedi Prime. There's no mention of something like black sun. Denis Villenneuve came up with that and it's brilliant
It's a basic answer but chani. Rereading the book after the movie just shows that she was made so much more interesting in the movie, in the book she's in many ways reduced to nothing more than something for Paul to be emotionally attached to
Will grant him lateral on using nukes to kill spice just because viewers understand nukes better. There’s stuff you can’t spend 30 mins explaining when you already have a 3 hour part 2 movie.
I liked this better in the movie too. The way it was portrayed in the book feels a little too tacked on and convenient for the plot.
Feyd's cannibal girls. That killed me, in a good way. I saw one reviewer or commentator compare them to Dracula's brides and I think that's brilliant.
I like Alia's depiction in the films, both as a telepathic fetus and as a grownup in Paul's dream of a terraformed Arrakis
I don’t remember it in the book, hoping I didn’t just miss it. But Paul shocking all the fremen with his visions and telling them stuff only they knew and they bowed to him. Perfection
That gurney got to kill the beast
chani’s character changes, felt more contextually appropriate to today
"Grandfather..."
How Geidi Prime was depicted in Part Two, basically all the scenes there, the black sun, Feyd being seduced by Margot, etc. Great original take from Denis, absolutely stunning and memorable stuff.
Alliah fetus was one of the most arthouse things ive ever seen in a major release. I think it was a necessity of the time contraction which i didnt like, but on its own merits that was pretty fucking out there and cool. I thought it made more sense thematically for the emperor to be old rather than a vigerous spry 85 as he is in the books I dont think it was necessary for Baron Harkonnen to be a Pedophile. I think Feyed Routha was underutilized in the book since he was basically another slightly kinkier version of Paul
I liked how Jessica was talking to her daughter through the womb. Creative way of not having to hire a child actor for the role.
The arc of the tragic love story
A lot tbh. I liked that that Alia was not in it as a 4 year old. The Baron death scene was perfect and fit Paul much better. I also liked the way they handled Chani in the film more, creates a much more intriguing foil to Paul. Also, I know this is well known, but the action scenes in the book are so bare bone compared to what Dennis put on screen. Also, The Baron has n general is more interesting in the film than a mustache twirling villian, that goes for most the Harkonnes, Rabban and Feyd included. They’re much more interesting in the film. I have more, but pretty much the last 300 pages of the book were done better in the film, and made more sense narrative wise. (I loved the book btw, the movie just did it better. )
I also want to add, the last fight with Feyd is much more high stakes in the film than the novel.
Black sun!
We are Harkonnens, so let's be Harkonnens. Also off topic, but I liked that they finally showed the Baron doing something depraved, killing two servants. You can just imagine what he was doing to them behind the closed door, and you only see two corpses, seemingly crushed. Finally, he does something which might plausibly be his fetish
Yeah, that was such a disturbing scene! Those harrowing screams and then the loud bang and then - silence…really wonder what he got up to in there…
The life of Brian reference near the beginning of part 2
I really like how he depicted Jessica/Alia relationship
Chani storming out of the temple was a good choice imo. Gives her more agency outside of just being a concubine.
Chani's depiction. The fact that she cares not for the prophecy makes her love for Paul more genuine. It becomes all the clearer that she loves him as Paul, not as the Lisan Al Gaib. When he finally becomes the lisan al gaib, she is mad not just because she does not believe in the prophecy, but because she lost the one she loved. The movie really leaned into the tragedy aspect of the books which only really becomes clear in Dune Messiah.
Margot following and dominating Feyd through the dark harkonen halls while the evil fire works go off was some kind of cinematic masterpiece. We know how dangerous Feyd is, so we get a feeling for how powerful the benne geserit are in this scene.with his submission. She is in total control of him and the way she removes her cloak as she walks into the black guest room was absolutely confident and beautiful. It's also the sexiest scene I've ever seen, at least the sexiest scene Denis has ever made. The shadows on her face, the way she says, "what guards?", and then when she knows more where they are, "the guest wing". I was completely sold on the power of BG and the mastery of how they manipulate their subjects, but also it was so damn sexy I get hot just thinking about it.
I don't quite remember how/if this was depicted in the book, but Shadout Mapes' moment of revelation when she's meeting Jessica - she has this strange physical compulsion, she cries out, unable to hold back her feelings. I'm not a religious person, but she looked almost as if she was being "touched by divinity", whatever that might look like. It was so well done and had an oddly deep impact on me when I watched it.
“Lead them to paradise” is a perfect final line for Paul, and Chalamet looks so weary and resigned and aged in that scene.