‘Dune’ is a dizzying sandstorm of a spectacle yet stays rooted in human emotion

Never has the slight shaking of a recliner seat, rush of sound coming from overhead speakers and projected images on a large theater screen sent more chills through my body. Separate from the slight draft inside the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, the chill going up and down my spine as I sat in that dark theater had more to do with the absolute spectacle that is “Dune.”

At the beginning of the film, as the action first gets going, the young protagonist Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is told “dreams make good stories, but everything happens when you’re awake” and believe me when I say that you will have no trouble staying awake for this one. 

Director Denis Villeneuve, who previously directed “Arrival” and “Blade Runner 2049,” first picked up the novel of the same name when he was 14 years old, immediately becoming fascinated by the story of a young boy setting foot in a dangerous new world. When the opportunity came up 40 years later to bring Frank Herbert’s classic science-fiction novel to the big screen, it was a no-brainer. 

“Dune” has a long history of being a cursed project as many past directors have attempted to do the book justice but to no avail. Villeneuve was aware of the book’s reputation when he took it up and yet something about this version clicked. Perhaps it was through shooting on location in Hungary, Jordan, Abu Dhabi and Norway or the incredibly stacked cast including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, and Oscar Isaac; but for the first time, a film was finally able to capture the incredible scope of Herbert’s novel. 

The film follows the story of young noble Atreides whose family must travel to the dangerous new planet of Arrakis in order to ensure their future. However, once there, Atreides and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) must deal with betrayal and an intergalactic power struggle at a scale unlike anything Star Wars has seen before, all the while Atreides copes with a destiny he has yet to comprehend.

Atreides’ unknown destiny is a recurring source of anxiety for him, as he deals with the growing hostility of an unknown planet and meets desert warrior Chaney (Zendaya), he is compelled to slowly assume a messiah-like role, the future of which he only gets glimpses of in his dreams.

Though based in the year 10191 and written in the year 1965, the story’s themes are eerily pertinent to the present day. In a roundtable interview with Chalamet and Zendaya, Chalamet expanded on the film’s modern relevance. 

“Its themes remain really relevant of fighting for what’s right socially, environmentally, and standing up for groups that are easily oppressed,” Chalamet said.

Reading the book beforehand is definitely recommended, as the plethora of different planet and character names does create some confusion if one is not fully versed in the “Dune” universe. 

However, whatever confusion is created in terms of a complicated plot is made up through the film’s pure scope and scale. “Dune’s” visual effects and cinematography are unparalleled, accentuated by enormous starships and massive desert worms that will forever change your view on the species. 

“I was in a constant state of being awestruck,” Chalamet said. “It makes you feel small in the very best kind of way.”

Beyond epic intergalactic wars and monster sandworms, the film is “all about the human emotion,” Zendaya said. 

“Having to grow up a little quicker — I can relate to that in a massive way,” she said. 

Particularly relating to the climate crisis occurring during the film on the planet of Arrakis and how comparable it is to the one occurring a little closer to home, the film questions how much responsibility one needs to assume to help solve the problem. 

“The issue is how to care without completely destroying yourself,” Zendaya said. “How much am I supposed to care before it’s crippling? How do I live and enjoy things and yet also care? … That’s a battle that both characters deal with quite a bit.”

Zendaya and Chalamet are hopeful that their presence in the film will draw in a younger audience to the decades-old story. 

“If young people can relate to what Chaney or Paul are going through at the center of it — then we’ve succeeded,” Chalamet said. “Transposing a story from the ‘60s and … having it be available to a generation that relates to the qualities in a lot of ways is powerful.” 

Despite the film coming in at an easy 2.5 hours, it almost feels as though it is cut short. The film exasperatingly ends right as all the pieces seem to finally be coming together, though perhaps this is part of Villeneuve’s plan.

“Dune” is split into two parts à la “Avengers: Infinity War,” and audiences will most likely be kept eagerly waiting for a couple of years for the second part. But put down your handkerchiefs and kleenexes for the moment being. As Zendaya’s character pronounces in the film’s dying moments, “this is only the beginning.”

“Dune” comes out in theaters Oct. 22 and is available for streaming on HBO Max Oct. 21.