Why Did You Fall Asleep Watching Dune?

In honor of the third movie trailer's release this past Tuesday, I wanted to write a post encouraging people to get into the trilogy. If you know me you know I am no stranger to the world of Dune. I am a big fan of the HBO Max series, Dune Prophecy and the past two movies. Although that doesn’t mean I’ve always enjoyed it. When the first movie came out in 2021, I tried to watch it with my dad and failed. I fell asleep, turned it off, and didn’t return to it again until 2024 when the second movie dropped. That made me wonder, why was I so bored the first time? And why do I love it now? 

A good place to start is age difference. Dune is no Star Wars or Marvel movie. It’s a philosophical, political sci-fi story that originated within a series of books written by Frank Herbert. The first book was published in 1965, which tells you a lot about the choice of content and intended audience. During the 1960’s, talk of ecology and resources began to emerge as the Cold War went on. The book series is heavy, full of dense geopolitics and lots of inner monologues. The movies attempt to cut that out but when the world building is so intricate there’s bound to be moments of confusion and less action. That said, when I watched it in 8th grade, freshly 12 years old, it had little to no appeal. I couldn’t follow the importance of “spice” or the purpose of the “space witches.” Seriously, nothing made sense. It seems many of my friends encountered the same experience, they were left bored and clueless. And I truly feel that can be attributed to the lack of connection a 12 year-old might have with a geopolitical science fiction movie. In 2024, I was 15, and had taken two AP history classes so I could actually describe what geopolitics is. I rewatched the movie with no great intention, I only wanted to go to theater with my dad to watch the second one. But this time I loved it. I wasn’t confused or bored. I was in awe of the cinematography, the planets, and the world building. I want everyone to experience Dune the way it’s meant to be experienced because I think people got caught up in the advertising of Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet not knowing what they were getting into. 

So, what is Dune about? Dune takes place across multiple planets around 20,000 years in the future. In this world, humans have terminated the use of artificial intelligence after a war with robots that occurred in the past. The movie's main setting, however, is on the planet of Arrakis. The climate is dry and it’s covered in sand. Paul Atreides, our main character, was sent here with his family to try and take control over the production/collection of spice. Spice is like gas: a resource necessary for travel and when controlled, a source of power. Before their arrival, Paul is tested by the “space witches” also known as  Bene Gesserits (the HBO series covers their story very well). This is because Paul was never supposed to come into power the way he does. His mother, a Bene Gesserit, taught him their powers of the “Voice” (similar to the force in Star Wars but more mind/will controlling of other people) against their rules to not teach men. The whole movie focuses on how he becomes comfortable with this power and the role he may or may not play if the Bene Gesserits get involved. They have a plan to select one man, over thousands of years, to learn their ways and be named the messiah. Paul has tainted this plan. 

From that short blurb, the political sense of the story probably started to become clear. The story focuses on the role of words, history, and power.  The “Voice,” a power attempting to be held only for women, reflects how women have had to grasp at anything to maintain status and control in the world. The lie of the messiah reveals how those in power will lie to their people to keep them controlled. I mean, this book series only released 16 years after Orwell’s 1984 in 1949, it makes connections to the power dynamics in that book as well. After all, they both were written and published during the Cold War and the rise of many movements across the world as people came to acknowledge the importance of their voice and knowledge. 

If you are around the age of 15 or haven’t tried watching since you were 12, I highly recommend watching Dune. People don’t really read anymore and this may be a great gateway to some otherwise foreign concepts. My short description only covered the first 10 minutes of that movie. There are so many layers and the director Denis Villeneuve did an amazing job at uncovering them. It is hands down one of my favorite movie series, and I encourage everyone to give it a try!