Dune
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The Dune 2 was released to Czech HBO MAX or today called just MAX.
It's worthy to spend a few words about it but not worthy enough to
endorse it. I put it straight I was rather disappointed. While
the first part followed the book closely which raised my hopes
significantly, the second part went its own way and did exactly
what I was afraid of: injected ideas so dear to radically liberal
Hollywood establishment but foreign to the book.
So we have fundamentalist South on Arrakis represented by Stilgar
and more skeptical, I am tempted to say free thinking, North
represented by noone else then Chani herself. And she keeps her
insolent POC look of „white betrayal“ sufferer on her face (btw.
she is no my type) large part of the film. This plays the
anti-colonialist tune as well but there is more than that. She
does not believe any of the Bene Gesserit bullshit while firmly
believing in freedom of her people and freedom of choice. She is
not entirely anti-war but she does not want to follow her lover
when he finally became what Destiny or Bene Gesserit behind-the-scene
machinations prepared for him. For her he is sincere only when he
denies his nod to his mother's bidding, the call of becoming a
mesiah. And because he makes marriage proposal to Emperor's daughter
Irulan she feels betrayed 3 times: as Fremen by his overlord, as
rational being by his playing on the irrational fundamentalist side
of man and as a woman by his infidelity. All of this is not entirely
baseless but it is not the Chani of the book. It is more like the
new Hollywood pants wearing woman hero. For the filmmakers she
seems to be the true hero of this story because she sees through
all of it and refuses to take part in it while Paul simply fails to
do the same.
Although a couple of years passed since I read the book I am pretty
sure it wasn't about dangers of religious fundamentalism, oppression,
necessity of human choice or liberating oneself by seeing through
the oppresive machinations of secret societies or big political
players. It was about spiritual struggles of a man who was destined
to become a messiah. He was very special kind of man with huge
potential given by his birth, his education, training and his
opportunities. He became the tool of destiny. When he finally
reached perfection, his powers and conduct went far beyond every
cospiration planned by Bene Gesserit. In my mind, one of the ironies
was that while being able to scheme over long period of time and
adjust their game according to reality the witches of Bene Gesserit
were mere tool in the hands of Destiny or deeper forces of the
universe if you like. And it was even suggested in the film when
the Bene Gesserit Mother calls Paul's powers a blasphemy or perversion
although most of the time Bene Gesserit was one of the main villains.
Frank Herbert aimed higher than to cherish liberal sensibilities.
I think he tried to build a grand story, a story of Destiny or, if
you like, story of forces that are beyond human reach. For him the
power of heredity or genetics was not different from power of
awakening consciousness. At least using chemicals to quicken the
spiritual growth suggests as much. That connected with power of
Fremen, the disciplined people of Arrakis, the power of the planet
itself and its role as natural resource of the only commodity that
could not be found anywhere else. He let them slowly and patiently
line up to the point when they created unstoppable force that went
through the universe as a hot knife through butter.
Yes, millions will die along the way, as Paul was often warned in
his dreams. And I as a Christian certainly do not endorse pointless
wars. But I am also aware God allows wars to happen: as punishments
for past sins that cry out to Heaven for revenge, as an opportunity
to become holy and detached from things of this world and perhaps
for other reasons, too. He, after all, is the owner of this uviverse
and everything what is in it, including human beings. But also He
is too good to be mere tyrant so when he allows for great evil to
happen, one can be sure it is for even grater good. He is known
to remove temporal goods from you to attain spiritual good which
in His eyes is higher. I don't know if such interpretation was
intended but it certainly offers itself if one looks beyond mere
moralizing. More to the point, did Paul have a choice to refuse
to become a Mesiah? The film gives impression there was such an
option. Clearly Chani thought there is and Paul resisted up to a
certain point. But I think Herbert's answer is negative and the
movie admitted that, reluctantly. One of the perfections of Paul
becoming Muad'Dib becoming Lisan al Gaib or the Mesiah is he learned
to lend himself to the power of Destiny. It was a forced move on
his part of the board, like in chess but still he did what was
inevitable.
Messiah and his mother. It reminds me about another Mesiah and his
Virgin Mother. And here lies the reason why I am not a big fan of
Herbert's Dune although I recognize his monumental work. His concept
is very Jewish, if I can put it that way, in spite of Fremen being
inspired by nomad desert people of North Afrika. Jewish because
Jews are still waiting for a messiah that's kind of like Paul
Atreides. A strong and powerful mesiah that will defeat his enemies
by sword and fire. This is the sole reason they crucified the real
Son of God. From the opposit point of view, He instead of going
to war died Himself to redeem the mankind. I like this version
better than Paul's fate but, admittedly, our universe is not the
universe of Paul Atreides which is much more evolutionary. This
brings me to another point that such concept is also very atheist
evolutionist because in atheist mind evolution is a force very much
like that of Destiny because it will finally perfect the universe
while throwing away everything and everyone who is not cooperating
and sometime even when one is. So the whole story is off a bit.
Anyway, it is a good book and good books deserve a movie that is
loyal to what its author wanted to say. Unfortunately, this film
doesn't do justice to this requirement. Which is a real shame
because the visuals were unmatched and the first part raised the
stakes high.
