When I stepped out from Denis Villeneuve's Dune, the real world felt too small. There were no huge spaceships that could launch to distant planets. No Brutalist palaces amid endless desert vistas. There are no sandworms the size of a building, roaming around and eager to eat anyone who disturbs them. Only me and traffic on Atlanta’s I-285.
Although the Dune movie adaptation isn’t perfect, it’s sometimes emotionally empty and set up for another movie that we may never see. However, it transported me to the world Frank Herbert created more than half a century ago. The film tells the story of Paul Atreides, a son of a wealthy baron who moves to Arrakis. It is a crucial post because it's the only planet that can produce the melange (or spice) which powers interstellar transport. Paul soon learns that it is a dangerous area for his elite family. It's also where he discovers that he could be a messiah. It's typical teenage boy stuff.
Warner Bros.
I was wowed by Dune at the theater and plan to watch it again at home on HBO Max. It's also available today. Even though my projector screen is 120 inches, I am certain that the experience will not be the same. This Dune deserves to be seen in a larger setting where your sense of self can be diminished. Dune made me feel like Paul Atreides, standing in front a skyscraper-sized Sandworm, waiting for it to be eaten. It was a pleasure to have it.
It's not easy to get to the cinema with coronavirus still in raging and theatergoers refusing basic safety precautions. The vaccines are safe. They work. Protect yourself and others. If you are able to see the film in theaters, you might rent a private screen with your friends. This will remind you of what makes it so special. It still captivated me in the second row of a typical multiplex theater. It is hard to imagine how it would look on a larger IMAX screen that can be up to 98 feet high.
Dune shines when Villeneuve and Greig Fraser allow you to take in the stunning scenery, the exotic costumes, and all the background details. It is pure visual world-building. One time, the eyes of a character briefly turn white when asked to calculate the cost of an imperial envoy’s trip through the stars. You get it. It's not explained. This slow-burn sci-fi style is not for everyone. But if you liked Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 (Villeneuve's previous genre explorations), there's a good possibility you're ready for this kind of storytelling.
However, Dune was already in my stomach before I even saw the screen. While I waited for the screening to start, an alien voice started speaking from nowhere. It sounded like it was coming entirely from the theater’s subwoofers. The question it asked about the power and effectiveness of drums was a good one, but in reality, the alien voice was saying "Sit up, pay close, you're not here anymore."
