Dune: Part Two has arrived on HBO Max, while remaining the biggest box office hit of the year, a position that seems likely to hold for at least another month. Denis Villeneuve’s IMAX-scale adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel occupies an unusual place in the contemporary mega-franchise landscape; The second part is unambiguously the second half of a story that wasn’t particularly finished at the end of Dune (or as it’s retroactively known, Part One), however, there are many others Dune novels that could be made into films, and Villeneuve has expressed interest in adapting them again Messiah of the dunes in a feature. So what really happens at the end of Dune: Part TwoAnd how does it help set up future films without leaving audiences hanging with a cheap sequel?
DUNE: PART TWO—PLOT SUMMARY
Much of Dune: Part Two follows the aftermath of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) who escapes from his royal family and joins the Fremen, the natives of the desert planet of Arrakis who attempt to fight their various oppressors. Paul resists the (planted) prophecy that implies he may yet become the Fremen messiah, and wins the affection of Chani (Zendaya) by learning how to live among the natives (like riding worms, walking on sand, things of this nature). ). But in the process of fighting the forces sent by Emperor Shaddam (Christopher Walken), Paul drinks the Water of Life, gains a bunch of crazy powers, and takes it upon himself to lead the Fremen to victory, declaring himself the messiah after all. All these interplanetary maneuvers and strategies lead to a climax… marriage proposal and knife fight? Hope for?
Yes, Paul challenges Shaddam for the throne, and Shaddam allows Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) to act as his proxy. He and Paul duel, Paul wins and demands the hand of Irulan (Florence Pugh), Shaddam’s daughter. Shaddam agrees and Paul takes his place as Emperor, leading the Fremen in a holy war against the other Great Houses, who will not accept his elevation. Meanwhile, Chani, who seems increasingly affected by these climactic moments, does not bow to Paul and instead leaves to summon a sandworm, with a look of deep disappointment and determination. The last minutes of the film belong to Zendaya; Villeneuve’s camera lingers on her face while her lip still trembles, her eyes filling with tears as she stares, frowning, into the distance, waiting for her bus worm.
That’s what you saw when you watched the movie, but what does it really mean?
DUNE: PART 2 – ENDING EXPLAINED
First, it means that Villeneuve and Warner Bros. are comfortable leaving the door open to Dune: part three, which continues to follow Paul in his messianic holy war. Chani isn’t out of the picture either, nor is Irulan, and if you caught a glimpse of Furiosa’s Anya Taylor-Joy playing an adult version of Paul’s not-yet-born little sister Alia in The second part but he contacts his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), who wants Paul to follow the prophecy and become the messiah. But the details of the third part would be a series of spoilers, and speculative, since we do not know to what extent Villeneuve and his screenwriters will adapt the next book.
Here’s a potential difference: In the books, Paul and Chani don’t have as clear and clean a breakup as the one that ends. The second part, and it’s Chani’s reaction in the film that helps the audience understand how she feels about Paul’s rise. Yes, we could infer that Paul is turning his supposed loyalty to the Fremen into a power grab that will primarily serve to launch a war against his enemies (rather than ensuring Fremen freedom), but it’s pretty easy to get carried away with the spectacle. . when so many charismatic stars (Chalamet, Ferguson, Pugh, Josh Brolin) remain on the side of the holy war.
That’s where Zendaya comes in. In less than ten films, she has established a persona that isn’t exactly cute; Even in the obviously adorable Spider-Man movies, she’s a voice of intelligent cynicism, happy to mock Peter Parker even when she’s falling for him. But she also projects strength and intelligence, especially in Dune: Part Two, where she serves as Paul’s skeptical but ultimately open guide to the Fremen, even if the film is more interested in their lunatic relationship than the culture at hand. (Speaking of which: Vulture’s Roxana Hadadi has written a reflective analysis from the end of the film which deals with the films’ lack of curiosity about the culture of the people of Arrakis.) Although the audience is put in Paul’s shoes for much of the film, the final section has us turn to Chani to get her reaction, and understanding that her broken heart goes beyond Paul’s politically motivated marriage strategy. That’s why it’s key that the film follows her back to the desert, rather than staying in her room with Paul when she leaves. It puts the emphasis back where Chani wants it: on her home and her people, not on the palace machinations of the boy who just betrayed her ideals.
The recent Challengers does something similar: orients its ending around an emotional release from Zendaya’s usual reserve. There, Zendaya’s reaction ends the film dizzyingly, even if many ambiguities remain in the narrative. In Dune: Part Two, does the opposite. Viewers more versed in this particular story than in its cultural context might find the ending ambiguous in terms of what it means for Paul and the future of the Fremen. (And technically, it’s ambiguous; who’s to say what will happen with the film version of the next installment.) But Zendaya makes it seem a lot simpler: If the relatively stoic and clear-minded Chani is struggling to hold it together, we know something is wrong.
Jesse Hassenger@rockmarooned) is a writer who lives in Brooklyn. He is a regular contributor to The AV Club, Polygon, and The Week, among others. He podcasts on www.sportsalcohol.comalso.
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