by Greg Marrast
Now that the spice has settled from Dune: Part Two; the second instalment of Canadian film director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, many questions have been answered, but many queries have arisen with regard to the film’s impact and interpretation for larger audiences.
Debuting to an astounding $82.5-million opening weekend in North America, the film has become an incredible success, commercially and financially with 93 per cent positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and the highest-grossing film of the year worldwide with over $600 million in box office revenue.
Many sci-fi action films have generated success on multiple occasions, but what makes Dune: Part Two an enigma is its interweaving narrative of faith, religion, and commentary of charismatic leadership. The film sees the continuation of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) in his quest for revenge against the Harkonnen family while gaining more power and influence among the people of Arrakis, who believe he is the Lisan al Gaib, their foretold messiah. While the film does an amazing job of establishing its characters, keeping the story engaging, and highlighting incredible action sequences, the central focus of the film in Paul becoming the Fremen’s messiah is the long-lasting discussion point that keeps filmgoers engaged in conversation long after the credits roll.
When Herbert originally wrote Dune, he was initially frustrated with readers’ interpretation of Paul as the hero of the story, stating, “I wrote the Dune series because I had this idea that charismatic leaders ought to come with a warning label on their forehead: ‘May be dangerous to your health.’”
Much later, Herbert’s son Brian echoed that sentiment by stating, “It’s dangerous to follow a charismatic leader, because he’ll lead you off a cliff.” While there are many criticisms given to organized religion and religious systems in our modern age, one of the biggest points of contention is the conflict with faith and certainty. In many religious systems (particularly fundamentalist religions), being certain about every major area in life, whether it be interpretation of life, moral behaviour, appeasement of a deity, is crucial in maintaining belief in that system and removing doubt amongst followers. Binary thinking can also be destructive. As author Pete Enns states in his book, The Sin of Certainty, “Concern about believing right content actually distracts us from genuine faith. A faith preoccupied with certainty is sin.”
In many religious systems, the idea that all of the solutions to life’s problems can be rooted in their system, their doctrine, or even in their leader’s personal interpretation of doctrine is fascinating, and in some cases addicting, to many people who want easy answers. Paul Atreides exploits that desire of certainty within the Fremen throughout the course of Dune: Part Two. Initially skeptical of the Lisan al Gaib, he eventually embraces the role and presents himself to the Fremen with the intent of gaining their unyielding support in his quest for revenge. Like many charismatic leaders of religious systems, once people have placed their hope, trust and support in a singular person or idea, it is incredibly difficult to persuade them to think differently or accept another reality. Their belief has become central to their way of thinking. This is where the decisions made because of their certainty can become harmful and dangerous to people around them who do not share the same beliefs.
While by no means is Dune: Part Two a flawless movie, it expertly provides a commentary on certainty in religion and the dangers of charismatic leaders with devoted followers. The movie has generated deep, meaningful conversations on faith and belief. Will more movies adopt this strategy of interweaving social commentary with large action sequences? Will the next Dune movie provide an update on the long-term effects of Paul’s leadership? Will people in high control, fundamentalist religions take the time to truly examine their beliefs and reflect on their reliance on certainty or genuine faith? Good art promotes substantial thinking and reflection. With Dune: Part Two, we can see more of the ways that the movies can help us discover ourselves, our beliefs, and our approach to everyday life.
Greg Marrast holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Theatre and Film and Religion (Youth Leadership). He currently works at Reo’s Video and The Shoebox Theatre. Greg has been a resident of Nelson for nearly three years and is advocates of seeing diverse voices and stories given their time to shine in the spotlight.