For the entire second half of Dune: Part Two’s nearly three hour run time, I had to pee so bad. But man was it hard to look away from.
If Dune was an art house sci-fi flick, Dune: Part Two is a militaristic epic of existential proportions. Balancing complex character arcs, surreal violence, prophet visions, apocalyptic imagery, a dense web of political intrigue, heavy stylization and breathtaking cinematography, Dune: Part Two is for all intents and purposes: a lot.
Constant twists and turns keep the plot fresh and the political head games captivating, a lot of the action is incredibly tense, dragging out the time before eruption, keeping the tension as high as possible before thrusting the audience into a haze of fire and brimstone, cacophony and chaos. Much of the battles are laced with guerilla warfare tactics, the rebels hide underneath sand, dealing more in tricky strategies than outright brute force. The moments of action that do not involve large scale military conflict are often much more stylish, one gladiator fight in particular, taking place under a black sun, is shown almost entirely in stunning black and white.
Dune doesn’t just spend all of its time focused on the macro, it also spends a considerable amount of time honing in on the smaller details of the central conflict. The individual relationships between the fighters, the developing and collapsing hierarchies, the romances and arguments that unfold behind the scenes. Dune focuses on both the vast desert and the individual specks of sand.
All of this leads into one of the main issues with the film, the editing. Despite clocking in at a beyond respectable two hours and 45 minutes, many sections of the film almost come across as rushed. Denis Villeneuve’s films are at their best when they move slower, when they reach meditative trance-like states of slow moving, hypnotic imagery. And while there are heavily atmospheric, surreal moments that almost push the film into this territory, especially as Paul begins to experience spiritual, esoteric visions of apocalypse. Yet, it always seems to cut before the audience can truly soak in the images on display.
Other than that, Dune: Part Two is a masterclass, despite their short nature, the shots here are spell-binding, which is not something I’d normally say considering just how much of it is constructed with CGI. Admittedly, my first experience with the film was coming across a Twitter post claiming the cinematography was excellent, but just showcased a lot of grey and brown looking environment, but when you’re in it, when you’re immersed in it, the images are truly beautiful, just the sheer detail on display in every single frame is awe-inspiring.
After two months of inoffensive, pretty mid films, it is so satisfying to leave the theatres feeling satisfied. Stuffed to the absolute brim with intense themes, great scenes, enticing action and everything else that comes to mind. An epic in the truest sense of the word.
