The universe of the Dune saga is also a vocabulary that should be mastered before going to theaters. Before its cinema release, a little reminder.
This is the event not to be missed at the cinema at the start of 2024. Still directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part 2 is the sequel to the 2021 blockbuster. After three years of waiting, it will be possible to discover the continuation of the story of Paul Atréides (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya) on the hostile planet Arrakis. But before watching this second episode, it is recommended to have in mind certain plot elements but above all elements of language specific to Frank Herbert’s cult novels to fully understand the film.
The plot of Dune takes place on Arrakis, a desert planet whose domination is essential to control the Spice, a very expensive substance essential for men and their daily lives (prolongation of life, improvement of vision of the future to navigate through space,…). It is secreted by the sandworm, a giant creature that inhabits the planet, also called Shai-Hulud or Maker.
In this context, several great families of the Imperium (the galactic empire) clash. House Atreides forms Paul’s family, namely his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), and his father, the late Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac in the first film). They are at war against the House Harkonnen which attacked them when they arrived on Arrakis: there we find Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), but also Glossu Rabban (David Bautista) and Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler, introduced in the second film). Paul and his mother found refuge at the end of the first film with the Fremen, the native people of Arrakis. Among them, we find Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and Chani (Zendaya). Faced with all these clans, the Bene Gesserit work in the shadows. This is a female religious order in which we find Reverend Mothers (like Lady Jessica).
The plot of Dune questions indoctrination, religious and colonial. In the plot, the figure of a prophet is central. The Fremen call it Lisan al Gaib. For their part, the Bene Gesserit are trying to influence the course of destiny by favoring the birth of an individual who will change the world, thanks to centuries of genetic selection: they call him the Kwisatz Haderach. A name comes up regularly in Dune: Part 2, that of Muad’Dib. Not to be confused with a figure of prophet or messiah, since it is simply the name that the Fremen give to Paul during the intrigue. In detail, the Muad’Dib is a mouse who lives in the desert of Arrakis. After these revisions, you can calmly go to the cinemas to discover Dune: Part 2, on February 28, 2024.