New Delhi

In a dystopian world in the future, where 'water falling from the sky' seems like a distant dream, man is still fighting for ultimate power and greed and politics takes precedence over humanity and love. Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two comes two years after the immensely successful Dune and is an interesting tale of love, power, greed, and fanatism with actor Timothée Chalamet headlining as the reluctant Prince Paul Atreides who comes of age and becomes a messiah for an entire race. 

Based on Frank Herbert's classic novel Dune, Villeneuve's second film in the franchise maintains the same tonality that one saw in the first film yet makes it larger and bigger. It is truly astonishing to see Villeneuve's vision coming to light on the big screen (I watched it on IMAX) and to think the scale at which this was thought. 

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The film's technical finesse is something that is to be witnessed to fully grasp the scale at which it is mounted. Cinematographer Greig Fraser's stunning camera work makes the deserts look limitless, enticing and dangerous at the same time. Fraser's detailing in close shots of the sand, enabled with stunning VFX, makes Dune: Part Two visually stunning. You almost need to catch your breath at the visuals that are shown on screen. Because to think it and putting it on paper is one thing, but implementing it on the big screen is another. 

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Technical finesse apart, the film treads a careful path in telling a complex story of politics and power - where its difficult to set apart who is right and who is wrong. The film picks up from where the first part ended.

Prince Paul Atriedes (Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) are on the run after Baron Vladimir Harkonnen's men destroyed their home and killed the Duke. They are now on the run and have the Fremen tribe guarding them. At the behest of Fremen's leader- Stilgard (Javier Bardem) Jessica takes the place of the Reverand mother and sips the water of life. The process puts the child in her womb initially at risk, something that first the herd is shocked to learn about but eventually as Jessica gains consciousness, she finds herself talking to her unborn child.

Jessica also yields power and is ambitious of Paul's capabilities- something he is not sure of. Stillgard thinks he is the next messiah -  Lisan al Gaib- although Paul himself assures them and his love Chani (Zendaya) that he only wants to fight alongside the Fermens and not lead the pack. 

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With multiple characters and layers added to each one of them, it is difficult to know who is grey and who is completely black. Paul wants to be with Chani and convinces her that traveling to the south of the planet would jeopardise their relationship. It is Chani who initially assures him that things wont change and that he has a calling that he needs to listen to. Yet Chani's perspective changes when Paul ultimately declares himself as the Messiah and yields power, silencing others to kneel and obey him. 

Chalamet comes on his own in a film that features stalwarts like Bardem, and Brolin among others. It is ultimately Paul's story of growing up from a boy to a mature man who leads a tribe to war, and Chalamet ably shows that transition. Ferguson and Zendaya complement Chalamet equally well. While the entire narrative is focused on revenge, succession and spiritual power, the moments between Chalamet and Zendaya- where the two sit on the dunes and talk - are the most interesting and intimate. I wish they had shown more of the two and their romance. 

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I did have a problem with the way the film romanticises oppression and conservatism. West has continually spoken against veils and orthodox Muslim culture but Dune somehow glamourises it. It may be presenting a familiar story and making a commentary on the politics of the world at present but ultimately it fails to give any solution to the oppression and fanatism. Perhaps it will be addressed in the next part of the franchise. 

If you loved Dune then you will also like its sequel. It does up the ante for cinema worldwide with its scale and vision. 

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