Dune: Part Two (Dune 2) is one of the most anticipated blockbusters of 2024, and is currently also a name that is making waves at the box office around the world. This film brought a grand conclusion to the project adapted from the first book in the novel of the same name by writer Frank Herbert, and also set the stage for the next films directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Set immediately after the events in Dune (2021), Dune 2 focuses on exploring the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) in integrating with the Fremen as well as the internal conflicts surrounding the Lisan al prophecy. Gaib. This film also focuses deeply on the love between Paul and Chani (Zendaya) when participating in the war against the Harkonnen family for the fate of the planet Arrakis. This becomes even more complicated when Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) spreads the belief that her son is the Fremen’s messiah.
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Dune 2 is making waves at the box office worldwide – Photo: Internet.
The ending of Dune 2 focuses on the greatest challenge Paul faces in becoming the new Emperor. This leads to an all-out war with the Harkonnens, ending in the death of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and a battle with his nephew, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) for the chance to rule. . Everything that happened was exactly what Paul feared most in his visions of the future. That contributed to clearly showing the tragic nature of Dune 2, and also served as a launching pad for the future adaptation of Dune: Messiah.
Explaining Paul’s plan to rescue Arrakis and become Emperor
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Paul Atreides became the “savior” of the Fremen in Dune 2 – Photo: Internet.
The crux of Dune 2’s ending revolves around Paul Atreides accepting his destiny to become Lisan al Gaib of the Fremen, savior of Arrakis and Supreme Emperor of the entire universe. For most of the film, Paul had to constantly struggle internally, struggling with that scenario, because he had “seen” the bloodshed if he accepted this fate. Things are made more complicated by Stilgar’s (Javier Bardem) unwavering faith in him, and Jessica’s determination to take advantage of the Fremen culture’s prophecy.
Although not really comfortable with having to drink the Water of Life and become Lisan al Gaib, Paul was still forced to follow the arrangement of fate after Feyd-Rautha destroyed the northern Fremen territory. Paul’s plan is to seize all Bene Gesserit power by drinking the Water of Life, thereby gaining the support of the entire Fremen people, creating an unparalleled powerful army on Arrakis, combined with Arsenal of the Atreides, to fight the Harkonnen.
Thanks to this power, Paul is able to challenge Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) and overthrow him with a 2-step plan. The first step is to marry Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), daughter of Shaddam IV, so that the Corrino bloodline can still hold power. And the second step is to challenge Feyd-Rautha as Shaddam’s champion, thereby ending the line of Harkonnen dominance immediately, and also providing the natural path to replace Shaddam, even if the The big family did not accept that result.
Through these actions, Paul ascends to new heights of power. He freed Arrakis from Harkonnen rule by taking power himself, while amassing more power for the Atreides family and avenging his father’s death. Paul became the new leader of the Atreides, savior of the Fremen as Lisan al Gaib, and Emperor of the universe. This also materializes the visions Paul had throughout Dune 2 of him becoming a ruler, aided by a religious jihad and a galaxy-wide war. causing the deaths of billions of people.
Explaining the Holy War between great clans
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Paul’s ascension to the throne created a large-scale war – Photo: Internet.
One of the final moments in Dune 2’s ending is the declaration by Jessica, the new Fremen Reverend Mother, that the “Holy War” is beginning. This comment was made when Paul’s army began joining ships to engage in battle with the great clans. He ordered Stilgar, Gurney (Josh Brolin) and others to fight on his behalf after receiving news that the remaining great families did not recognize and honor Paul’s ascension to the Emperor. Paul’s use of his full force marked the beginning of a galaxy-wide war to bring him honor and respect.
The Holy War mentioned in Dune 2 materializes some of the visions Paul had in the first film. He used to have dreams about a “The jihad spread throughout the universe like an unquenchable fire”. This was a result of the Fremen’s belief in Paul as their Lisan al Gaib, and they transformed themselves into a religious jihad, fighting relentlessly until their messiah was widely recognized. cobble. It was that movement that would see billions die who either resisted Paul’s claim to rule or refused to accept the Fremen’s religious beliefs.
Why did Chani leave Paul?
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Chani’s ending is a big change compared to the original – Photo: Internet.
One of the biggest surprises of Dune 2, also the biggest change from the original, is Chani’s story. For most of the film, Chani is always skeptical about the prophecy surrounding Lisan al Gaib, even when she is passionately in love with Paul. Chani left after Paul ascended the throne and took Irulan as his wife, although he declared that he would always love her. The bitter betrayal and the way Paul began his rule went against what Chani wanted.
In the ending of Dune 2, Chani rides a sandworm and heads into the unknown. Because this is a change from the original, we will not be able to find the answer to where Chani went in Frank Herbert’s novel. Maybe Chani decided to leave Paul forever so she could freely explore the world instead of being controlled by him. This could lead to major changes for the Dune: Messiah (Dune 3) adaptation, if Warner Bros. really “green light” for this project.
Dune 2 turned Paul Atreides into a tragic villain
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The tragic nature of Dune has been clearly portrayed through Paul’s journey to power – Photo: Internet.
Dune 2 revolves around Paul becoming Lisan al Gaib, and through this lens, the film portrays the tragic nature of turning the male protagonist into an anti-hero. From the beginning, the film emphasizes that Paul does not believe that he is the prophesied savior of the Fremen, nor does he himself desire this. Everything Paul says and does is directed against that outcome, because visions tell him that following the Fremen will turn him into a messianic figure and start a large-scale Holy War.
That’s why Paul becoming Lisan al Gaib becomes even more tragic. He must accept that there is nothing he can do to prevent this outcome, forcing him to become the thing he hates and begin the mass genocide. It’s true that Paul fully holds his power and influence as Lisan al Gaib, but Dune 2 always cleverly shows that this is not really what he wants. Paul just did what he had to do to save the planet Arrakis.
One of the important ways Dune 2 successfully portrays this tragedy is through Paul and Chani’s relationship. Paul repeatedly affirmed his love for her, hoping that she would understand the decisions he had to make to protect her, the Fremen, and Arrakis. Chani leaving Paul at the end of the film shows that it is too high a price he has to pay to become a great ruler. That helped Dune 2 clearly portray and accurately convey the internal battle taking place within the character Paul Atreides.
The ending of Dune 2 conveyed the true meaning of the film that the filmmaker wanted, which was also the intention of the late author Frank Herbert. That is the danger of power, clearly shown through Paul’s rise in status. That danger is explored not only through the implications of the new power Paul possesses, but also through its impact on the galaxy. Dune 2 ends with Paul liberating one group, the Fremen, but bringing oppression to many other groups.
How did Dune 2 pave the way for Dune 3?
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There are too many unanswered questions after Dune 2 ended – Photo: Internet.
Dune 2 ended Herbert’s first novel, while also creating a foundation for future projects. Dune 3, if produced, will likely adapt the second novel, Dune: Messiah, set 12 years after Paul became Emperor of the universe. Holy war may not be the focus of this film, but it will be the premise for other forces to plan to overthrow Paul’s reign.
The marriage between Paul and Irulan will also be a central theme of Dune 3. This is clearly just a political love affair, nominally not real, because Paul has always loved Chani. Chani’s ending raises questions about which aspect of Dune 3 will exploit this story. This will also be a difficult problem for Villeneuve to adapt Dune: Messiah in the most reasonable way compared to the original.
Finally, it is impossible not to mention the character Alia Atreides (Anya Taylor-Joy), Paul’s sister. Choosing a rising star for this role shows that Alia will play an even more important role in the future of the Dune universe, and fans have the right to hope that she will bring more changes to the Dune universe. with the ruling power of Paul in particular and the entire universe in general. Alia’s appearance in a vision of a future where an ocean exists on Arrakis will also help establish a different world in the next film.
Source: ScreenRant