In 'Dune' the visual opulence is awe inspiring — innate architectures, panoramic shots of natural beauty; seamless scene transitions, remarkable compositions, and of course, expert colour grading. The cinematography is truly unique — unlike any science fiction film that has come before — save maybe '2001: A Space Odyssey'.

 Denis Villenieuve directed this picture 'Dune: Part I' magnificently, managing to undo the stigma caused by the failings of previous adaptations of Frank Herbert's sci-fi masterpiece. 

Much like the spice melange, 'Dune' is now the hottest commodity in the known universe.

PLOT STRUCTURE & 

FILM GRAMMAR (Camera Techniques)

The viewer is treated to an intricate and sprawling plot during during its 2hr 35m runtime — which is an unavoidable byproduct of the source material, yet Villenieuve has managed to condense the necessary story beats into something more dynamic and succinct, a marvelous feat considering Frank Herbert's style does not lend itself to simplicity in adaptation.

To quickly summarize:

House Harkonnen has fallen on hard times; their monopolous and once fruitful spice harvesting operation on the desert-planet Arrakis has come into disrepair from repeated sabotage by Fremen insurgents — a race of nomadic natives of the planet — Arrakis is their world. 

We see this unfold in a series of brief vignettes, "Spice Harvesters" are destroyed, then an ensuing battle, afterwards the Harkonnen transport ships are shown leaving the planet of Dune. All these sequences feature beautifully framed shots, slow-mo is used in a traditional sense; emphasizing the intensity of war by capturing heightened movement.

See quote below:

"The best action movies and war films often heavily feature the use of slow-motion. As the epitome of chaos, battle scenes use slow-motion to redirect the viewer’s attention to important details that would otherwise go unnoticed.

The control of time is the viewing experience. Using slow-mo in action scenes allows filmmakers to "paint" within the chaos, create drama on a grandiose scale, and achieve a deeper impact." 

[1] StudioBinder.com

 

The next location is the homeworld of House Atreides, Caladan – a verdant and green world of rock-cliffs, arboreal forests, and water. In contrast, this planet is the opposite side of the coin from Arrakis: reminding the viewer that Frank Herbert's universe is prodigious and varied in its setting.

A few scenes later, we meet Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) as he talks to his son Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) concerning Paul's future within the Atreides dynasty. They commune about responsibilities, family tradition, and shifting of winds in the political landscape. The Emperor is requesting that House Atreides take the reins of all spice-harvesting operations on the planet of Dune. Leto is wary of the repercussions of such a change, knowing that such an opportunity will be riddled with pitfalls. He attempts to relate the severity of their situation to his son — reminding the young-man of his Royale duties.

 

 This conversation takes place at a burial site (for Duke Leto's father) atop a misty plateau; stone-caskets line the background, the rolling hills evoke Britannic imagery. Green pastures made of clover with bright grass, water lapping at mossy mounds; this film's depiction of Caladan is a clear visual nod to Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Anyone who's read Herbert's books will approve of this scene for delivering in-world knowledge without using lengthy exposition — because the Atreides home is indeed an analogue for Western Europe, specifically the United Kingdoms.

Over-the-shoulder camera shots are used in filming the two actors, until a tracking dolly shot is required to capture the "stately air" of this exchange, and both men begin to walk while talking — through the gravesite and away from Leto's father's final resting place. The aerial views of Caladan's natural environment are engrossing to look at; Villenieuve made sure to create a refreshing look & feel for the scenic shots showcasing the mountainous topography.

This was a brief glimpse into the world of 'Dune' that unfolds in Villenieuve's visionary picture.

 Now let's talk about the cinematography.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Greig Fraser, an Australian cinematographer on Villenieuve's Dune is (unsurprisingly) a big name in Hollywood. Personally, I love his aesthetic, and thoroughly enjoyed the visuals in these two other mainstream releases by him.

 'Zero Dark Thirty' and 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' are both illustrious in their spectacle, offering a very different look and feel. 

One is gray, dull, and gritty; lots of small locations, pressed in close-ups, darkened lighting, a recreation of Iraq war era interrogations that took place at Guantanamo Bay — the other is 'Rogue One', a polished, Disney branded, Star Wars prequel that was built upon undue amounts of hype. Lots of bright lighting, vibrant colours, and some well choreographed ground battles. To me both films are very serviceable when it comes to the camera work; if they have issues, those issues lay elsewhere. 

And yes, both films do have some minor issues. 

However, both of them still have undeniable flair — Greig Fraser does not make ugly looking motion pictures, quite the opposite, and when paired with Villenieuve: the outcome is something marvelous, hypnotic, and downright intoxicating.

 The visuals in 'Dune' manifest a metaphor for the desert-world of Arrakis; bleak yet eerily beautiful. The landscape that's shown in aerial overhead shots is almost devoid of activity – a whole planet – in meditation. There are many sequences in Villenieuve's masterpiece that showcase the plangent allure in the empty landscape; silence assumed in the rolling dunes, red and amber mixing in layers upon the sunset of the fictional "Fremen" homeworld, all of it making for a somewhat quasi-spiritual experience. 

THE SCORE

The score helps mightily to sell the atmosphere; deep hums, esoteric-chants and female choirs are used to great success. The exact techniques that Hans Zimmer employed are extensive, and subsequently turned out revolutionary -- earning Zimmer his 2nd Academy Award for Sound Composition.

"[Hanz Zimmer] heavily utilized choir—specifically female voices—percussion, and strings in the score's instrumentation, as well as acoustic and wind instruments. New, hybrid instruments were fabricated to conceive the "otherworldly" tonal desert sounds heard in the film.

The music has been described as the composer's most "unorthodox" and experimental yet. [2]"

  

DIRECTING

The spiritual (or metaphysical) aspect of 'Dune' is something a filmmaker has to understand before being able to deliver a solid Frank Herbert adaptation. The source material was written by an avid user of psychedelics[2], and his novels almost seek to elicit a similar feeling. Another writer who achieves this surrealistic writing style is Carlos Casteneda, and both books heavily feature psychotropics within the text.

Denis Villenieuve really seems to have grasped this idea going in — to speak in Freudian terms: his movie needed to resonate with viewers deeply. Speaking to someone's "ego" is fine, but delving into the "id" is much better. I'm guessing, but if you watch his film, it seems obvious he understands Herbert's novels were similar to Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' — in that they establish a lore that is nearly primeval, almost becoming real life mythology in the process.

This is something that Joseph Campbell speaks about at length in his book on writing and fiction, 'Hero with a Thousand Faces' when detailing his idea of a universal story-wheel that applies to all fiction, the "The Hero's journey". 

With completion of this film — Denis Villenieuve has catapulted to world-wide recognition, now considered to be one of the most sought after directors in Hollywood. And for good reason:

 His interpretation of Dune has redefined the movie-going experience and the genre in which it operates, the mark of a true auteur filmmaker.

"The Mystery Of Life Isn't A Problem To Solve, But A Reality To Experience.”

 (Jamis the Fremen)

Rating 10/10

A bunch of Fremen food that's seasoned with "spice melange".

Food for thought.

____________

Sources:

[1]https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-use-slow-motion-in-film-to-create-iconic-moments/

How to Use Slow Motion to Create Iconic Moments

-By Rex Provost on December 31, 2023

[2]King, Darryn (October 22, 2021). "How Hans Zimmer Conjured the Otherworldly Sounds of 'Dune'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.