IANA Blog- March 2024

 Blog

Happy March,

I still remember on March 7th, me and some of my coworkers went to go watch Dune: Part II in theaters. My coworkers wanted to go watch the film in an IMAX theater, as for me, I didn’t care which theater I wanted to watch it in, as long as I got to watch it. I still remember watching Dune: Part I in Oakland. I remember as it was near the end of the film, I wanted to watch more. I wanted to see more, but I waited and when the day came, I told myself to watch it.

Before I talk a little bit about the movie, let me talk about Dune: Part I…oh and just like my last blog, when I was reviewing Bob Marley: One Love…SPOILER ALERT…If you haven’t watched any of the films yet…you should not read this review…

Both movies are adapted from the novel Dune, which is considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time. This novel influenced other sci-fi films, especially the Star Wars franchise, and after watching both films, I can see the influence. It’s also ironic, because Dune was considered unadaptable as a film. Legendary filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky tried to adapt the book into a film, but that film never happened. Another legendary filmmaker, Ridley Scott, who directed legendary sci-fi films Alien and Blade Runner also tried making a Dune film but that never happened. Another legendary filmmaker, David Lynch was able to make a Dune film in the 1980s, but it flopped financially and was critically hated. They were able to make a Dune miniseries, but that was about it. I watched videos and short documentaries about Dune, and while some thought it was impossible, I thought that all you needed was the right filmmaker. 

I forgot when I found out, but when I found out there was going to be a Dune film, and it was going to be directed by filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, I was excited. Up until that time, I had already seen four movies directed by Denis Villeneuve, Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, which I saw on my birthday when it came out. I thought he was perfect to direct his film, especially since I found out he was a fan of the novel and dreamed of making a Dune film.

Dune: Part I focuses on a gifted young man named Paul Atreides, who is part of a noble family. They find themselves in conflict with the House Harkonnen clan over control of the dangerous desert planet, Arakis, and the planet’s most valuable substance, known as “spice.” It’s a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities. As the Harkonnens kill members of the Atreides clan, Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica unite themselves with the Fremen people, a group of people who live on Arrakis. House Harkonnen has conflict with them as well. Dune: Part II pretty much continues where the first film left off. Paul unites with the Fremen people of the desert planet Arrakis as they wage war over House Harkonnen. Paul also falls for one of the Fremen, Chani, a young and rebellious Fremen warrior. 

That’s all I can reveal, I don't want to fully reveal the whole film, but I enjoyed every bit of the film. In my opinion, it’s way better than the first one. It was epic, it was action-packed, the fight scenes were great and not cheesy like some action films, I found myself rooting for the good guys. I especially found myself rooting up for Paul, up until the end, after seeing him turn on Chani, I wanted to run up to him and “slap the s**t out of him.” My coworker felt the same way.

As we were leaving the theater, my coworkers and I had to sit down to break down what we just watched. I especially needed to do this, because a few weeks ago, me and my friends in Berkeley rewatched the legendary film Lawrence of Arabia, but with a different “point of view,” and through the eyes of the Middle East. For those that don’t know, the legendary film came out in the 1960s and is about how British army officer T.E. Lawrence united two different Arab tribes and used them to battle the Turks in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Like I said we watched the film with a different point of view, so we noticed how the English and T.E. Lawrence used his “relationship” with the Arabs to take advantage of them, which is nothing new, the West has always taken advantage of the Middle East. I don’t exactly want to say it was, but watching both Dune films felt like “Lawrence of Arabia” in space. I was watching it and felt like Paul was taking advantage of the Fremen people by learning of their culture, just like T.E. Lawrence did with the Arabs. Just watching Dune: Part II, I felt like many scenes were relevant to what is currently going on in the Middle East, especially with Palestine. I also noticed how the film is relevant to Africa. Like how House Atreides and House Harkonnen clash over Arrakis and the “spice,” you have the West clashing with, terrorizing and killing Africans over resources in Africa, whether it be over Cobalt in the Congo, diamonds in Sierra Leone, gold in South Africa, or oil in Nigeria. There was even one scene in the film where Chani confronts the rest of the Fremen people while they pray and says they are being distracted and letting their religion run their life. That scene reminded me about how religion is heavily used in Africa, especially Nigeria. I remember I saw a tweet about how religion is tearing apart Nigeria and I couldn’t agree more along with tribalism.

I also find it ironic, because this film is made by Warner Bros. and you know there are some zionists running that movie studio, so I’m pretty sure they are aware of what is happening in the Middle East, especially in Palestine and Africa and how the film parallels exact situations.

Overall, like I mentioned, I found it to be a great movie and I would definitely recommend it. Watch the first one before you watch the second one. It is long, nearly three hours, but it is worth it…and definitely watch it with a similar point of view that I had…I’m pretty sure you’ll find parallels and connections to what I'm talking about.