“Dune (2021)” and the Pitfalls of a Second Watch
January 6, 2023 | Dara Marie | @thornfield_lane
Like a lot of people, I was sucked into the hype for Dune (2021) between its incredible cast and the promising cinematography glimpsed in trailers. Without being a massive, or even remotely moderate sci-fi fan, I became impatient for its release. “I’ll definitely read the book before it comes out,” I kept saying. But life happened, and I didn’t get to it before premiere day rolled around and I wasn’t going to give up the opportunity of seeing it in IMAX on its opening night for the sake of being “a good English Major”. Luckily, someone I went with had been a book fan for years and was able to explain things when I had a million questions about the world’s nuances seen but not discussed on screen.
“I have no complaints,” I remember him saying afterward with bright eyes and a suppressed smile.
That’s remarkable for any movie. But for a book adaptation? I think that’s a miracle. Especially considering my friend had not been satisfied by previous adaptations and remarked he’d given up hope a good one would ever be made. That’s a lot of pressure to live up to.
My older brother first watched Dune (2021) while on an airplane and told me how “awful” it was. Then, several months later, he randomly read the book and came back telling me, “The movie is the greatest thing ever!”
I loved the movie and continued saying, “I’ll read the book,” the moment I stepped out of the theatre back in 2021 but I had several reservations. The main one was that I’d been warned it was quite ‘dense’ and was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it if I read it at the wrong time when too many other things were vying for my attention. Several weeks ago, when my semester ended and time was freeing up, I decided to finally put my words to the test and take the novel head-on. In many ways having seen the movie first was a help. I’m very visual, so I appreciate the ability to connect concrete images from the screen to what’s written on the page. I was imagining the cast and sets right from the first chapter and impatiently awaited when I could rewatch it with a new understanding. As soon as I got through the content covered in the film, I grabbed my dad (who had not seen it but had expressed interest) and plucked in front of the tv with the volume extremely high to fully appreciate the other-worldly chant riff during the Gom Jabbar scene (I know you know what song I mean).
For all the praise and my previous adoration, I had the opposite experience of my peers when I rewatched the movie. I liked it less after reading the book.
This is not to say I hated or even disliked it. I still love the film. It’s a cinematic masterpiece with a perfectly gathered cast. Its six academy award wins were well deserved and I already want to rewatch it. I’m finding the nearest IMAX theatre to see the sequel as soon as it comes out this fall with the biggest bucket of popcorn I can get.
My disappointments stem from two main issues.
The first is typical of adaptations: Time.
Even with its over two-hour run time and only getting through the novel’s first half, so much was left out. In the theatre, I remember at one point thinking, “Oh my God: this is so long!” Pausing it for a bathroom break in my living room, I thought, “How has it already been an hour? And how can there only be a little over an hour left!” Scenes that seemed to drag the first time went by in a moment. We barely got settled into a scene before it was finished and I was thinking, “Wait, no, no, no—go back. You forgot the rest of it!”
The book is dialogue heavy with the majority of it taking place as conversations between various characters that span pages upon pages, revealing pebbles of important detail as you go along. These were cut down as quickly as possible for movie time constraints. There are many beautifully shot frames that tell so much, but many of these were lost on me the first time without context. And there are some things you just can’t bring from the page to the screen regardless of the story.
The movie still works–the plot is there and true to the book–but I felt a lack of depth and understanding of the characters as seen on screen.
It makes me wonder how a miniseries would fare compared to a film because of the flexibility with time constraints. Yes, I know there was a miniseries adaptation done in 2000, but from everything I can tell, it was mediocre at best. I have little hope for it and don’t care much to watch it. I wonder what 2021’s cast and director could have accomplished with six or maybe even ten hours compared to under three.
I will preface my second complaint by clarifying I adore Rebecca Ferguson and hold nothing against her–she was perfectly cast and has been one of my favorite actresses for years. But the movie ruined her character, Lady Jessica.
When I first watched it, I was giddy every time she was on screen wanting to take note of all her subtle expressions and stunning costumes. There was too much else to process to complain about how little her character did. Rewatching it, I couldn’t quite place it, but something was off. Ferguson not only looked the part but embodied the character’s quiet wisdom, inner strength, and anxiety. But there was just something. I didn’t figure out what it was until several days later when reading about the Bene Gesserit after getting farther in the book and confused out of my mind by a chapter that dove into a specific ritual.
“Dune and the Trouble with Adapting Lady Jessica” by Sophie Hall on Video Librarian.com (I’ll leave the link at the end of this post so you can read it if you’re curious) blew me away. Its analysis is not only poignant but written in such a way I could only hope to achieve. Hall effortlessly breaks down scene-for-scene how the film failed the character.
To explain it simply and quickly, the film makes the major error of taking her autonomy and villainizing her in the process.
Jessica, by nature, is quite mysterious. We’re not entirely sure of her intentions and convictions. Does she believe her son is the Kwasitz Haderach? Does she want him to be? Did she recklessly break the Bene Gesserit rules for young love, or does she have something bigger planned? We’re also not entirely sure what she’s capable of. Allusions hint towards lethal physical skill beneath her collected exterior we never see the full extent of, making us cautious about what could come out if she lost control. Several key lines in the opening chapters give her ambiguity benevolence, though, by establishing her as a trusted member of the Atreides household as a political asset, companion to the Duke, and acute mother to the protagonist, Paul. Even when unease poisons the house and many characters turn on Jessica, the respectable Duke Leto never doubts her. He reprimands Paul for doing so and instills in the reader a level of loyalty even if we don’t fully understand Jessica’s actions. And Dr. Yueh, through traitor himself, never thinks badly of Jessica and compliments her on her intelligence.
The film takes this away by having Dr. Yueh warning Paul against her and Duke Leto shutting her down when she tries to talk to him about the Bene Gesserit prophecy concerning their son. This sends the clear message that Jessica is not to be trusted. She’s mysterious with a sinister connotation rather than a hopeful one. Her importance to their acceptance into the Fremen is also greatly undermined by time constraints. The movie’s final scene is significantly shorter than the book and her interaction with Stilgard, the Fremen’s respect for her, and her restraint during Paul and Jamis’ duel are nonexistent.
It does not surprise me that the film’s screenwriters were men and that key lines to build a strong base for Jessica were left out while Paul and Leto remained raised on pedestals. A female collaborator could have solved this issue. I do not say that to whine feminism, but for the story’s authenticity to the experience of its female characters. When I read War and Peace, I discussed it with two friends my age who had also read it, both male. When I geared the conversation towards Natasha, they demonized the character’s behavior in a heartbeat. After I explained the reality of her experience and the depth behind it from my point of view, they both admitted, “Oh. I totally missed that.” Of course they did. Not because they lacked intelligence (they were both incredibly sharp students), but because they lacked firsthand experience as a woman.
It would have taken two seconds–a few changed lines for them to give Jessica the needed autonomy to stand out on screen. Without this, Jessica is far less interesting and important. It feels insulting to let Rebecca Ferguson’s talent go to waste when she has proven in many of her past projects that she’s an expert at nonverbal communication (The White Queen (2013), The Red Tent (2014), and Doctor Sleep (2019) just to name a few) which is crucial to this character.
Lady Jessica’s importance is subtle in the first half, but she takes on a more active role when she and Paul integrate into the Fremen. I pray the film’s sequel will outlive its predecessor’s pitfalls and rise to the occasion of one of the most fascinating, well-written female characters of the past century. Do her justice. Rebecca Ferguson, blow me away as you always do.
I would say that if I shut off my brain, I could love Dune (2021) without complaint, but I need it on to keep up with the plot and the world. So, I love Dune (2021) without complaint when I turn off my book nerd brain and appreciate it as the cinematic treat it is.
Dune: Part Two (2023)–you have a lot to live up to. Best of luck. Remember, you must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer…
If you liked my rundown on the Lady Jessica dilemma, check out the article that inspired it:
“Dune and the Trouble with Adapting Lady Jessica” by Sophie Hall on Video Librarian.com:
https://videolibrarian.com/articles/essays/dune-and-the-trouble-with-adapting-lady-jessica/
Have you seen Dune (2021)? Or read the book? Or both? What did you think of the adaptation? I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me through thornfield.lane@gmail.com or on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter: @thornfield_lane.
