Top 10 Things You Missed In Dune
#10: A Deep Message
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Before the Warner Bros. logo appears, “Dune” catches the audience off guard with an ambiguous caption: “Dreams are messages from the deep.” The text is only made more jarring due to the deep throat singing in the background. Actually, what you’re hearing is the Sardaukar language. As for the caption, that can be interpreted in a few ways. The “dreams” refer to Paul’s visions of possible futures. “The deep” may allude to the vast desert of planet Arrakis. However, “the deep” could also stand for “the past,” as it’s later revealed in the source material that Paul’s prescience isn’t limited to the future. His powers extend to the past and the now. Thus, the message could be read as “visions are messages from the past.”
#9: What Blue Eyes You Have
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The Fremen inhabitants of Arrakis stand out with distinctive blue eyes known as “eyes of Ibad.” Their blue-within-blue eyes are a result of exposure to the Spice, which runs rampant throughout the planet. In one of his visions, Paul’s brown eyes are traded in for a pair of blue eyes just like the Fremen’s. In another vision, Paul sees Lady Jessica and her newborn baby with blue eyes as well. While Paul’s visions don’t always come to fruition, it’s safe to say that he won’t be leaving Arrakis anytime soon. So, we’ll likely see Paul and Jessica develop blue eyes by “Part 2.” The blue eyes also hint at Paul’s prominence among the Fremen, as he evolves from a stranger to their leader.
#8: Thufir Hawat’s Mentat Background
Denis Villeneuve thankfully doesn’t spend too much time explaining every detail of this universe. Unless you’ve read the books, though, there are several character quirks that might’ve left you puzzled. For example, when Leto Atreides inquires how much it will cost the Emperor’s herald and company to travel to Caladan, Thufir Hawat’s eyes suddenly turn completely white. Faster than it would take us to look something up on Google, Hawat gives the precise amount. Like Piter De Vries of House Harkonnen, Hawat is a Mentat. To call Mentats “human calculators” would be an understatement. Not only do they possess incredible intelligence, but great memories, cognizance, and organizational abilities as well. Rather than spell this all out, Hawat’s background is summed up with a simple gesture.
#7: Jason Momoa’s Nod to His Son
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Jason Momoa dedicated one of Duncan’s fights to Khaleesi, having just watched the “Game of Thrones” series finale. In another showdown, Momoa snuck in a reference to his son, Nakoa-Wolf. Momoa can be seen employing the Kali martial arts technique, which derives from the Philippines. Although Momoa hadn’t engaged in much Kali training before signing on, his son knew a fair deal about the technique. Before his last stand against the Sardaukar, Duncan puts his hand to his heart and then to his head. Although this is directed at Paul in the film, Momoa said it was truly meant for his son. Oh, and if you thought Momoa needed more screentime, Duncan can always come back as a ghola, artificial replicants of the departed.
#6: The Suk With the Diamond Tattoo
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In one of the film’s most shocking moments, Dr. Wellington Yueh lowers House Atreides’ protective shields, enabling the enemy forces to attack. While Yueh gives Leto a poisoned tooth to use against the Baron, his betrayal still comes as a massive blow, even with the knowledge that he did it out of love. Yueh’s traitorous turn is only made more tragic when you consider the black diamond tattoo on his forehead. This symbol is part of the imperial conditioning that students receive at the Suk Medical School. To take a human life would strictly go against everything the imperial conditioning stands for. When Yueh sides with the Baron, he doesn’t just betray House Atreides. He betrays everything his tattoo represents.
#5: How About Those Bulls?
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You might have noticed that House Atreides has an unusual bullfighting decor. A statue of a man fighting a bull can be spotted under a portrait of the Old Duke - Leto’s father and Paul’s grandfather. The Old Duke’s grave depicts a similar image. It’s mentioned shortly after that the Old Duke fought bulls for sport and paid with his life. This wasn’t just any bull, however. It was a Salusan bull! Native to Salusa Secundus, these bulls possess two brains and several horns, although they appear to only have two horns in Villeneuve’s film. After the Old Duke died in battle, the bull responsible was condemned to death. House Atreides’ keeps the bulls’ head as a trophy, even taking it with them to Arrakis.
#4: Baron Channels Brando
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“Dune” is full of impressive makeup effects, although Stellan Skarsgård’s transformation into Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is the most jaw-dropping. Makeup artist Donald Mowat cited Marlon Brando in “Apocalypse Now” as an inspiration for the Baron’s design. Like Colonel Kurtz, the Baron is bald, overweight, and constantly hidden in mysterious shadows. Both characters have similar introductions with one shot, in particular, seemingly paying direct homage to Brando’s legendary performance. Talking to Dave Bautista’s Glossu Rabban during a steam bath, the Baron rubs his meaty hand down his bald head. This is almost identical to a gesture that Brando makes during his iconic “errand boy” monologue. Mowat also considered Brando’s performance in “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” Hey, that’s another classic novel Villeneuve should try doing justice.
#3: No Artificial Intelligence
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Where many other sci-fi properties can come off as generic-looking, “Dune” is among the most distinctive. Part of that’s because there’s no artificial intelligence to be found in Villeneuve’s film. There isn’t even a computer in this futuristic setting. That’s not to say A.I. is foreign to the “Dune” universe. Long before the film’s events, humans relied heavily on “thinking machines,” which ranged from computers to robots. The overreliance on thinking machines amounted to the Butlerian Jihad, an extended period of war. This ultimately resulted in the destruction of thinking machines with the Mentat serving as replacements. Some computers with limitations can still be found, although A.I. remains banned, enforcing the mentality that “man may not be replaced.”
#2: Possible Timelines
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Although Paul can see the future, not everything is set in stone. Paul trains under Jamis in one vision and gets stabbed by him in another. Not long after meeting Jamis in person, though, Paul puts him down with a crysknife. This suggests that Paul’s visions are only potential glimpses into his future. In one possible timeline, Jamis became Paul’s mentor and friend. Jamis instead chose a path that resulted in his own demise. In a way, however, Jamis still showed Paul the ways of the desert. Jamis’ death marks a significant turning point in Paul’s journey as he’s accepted by the Fremen and begins to learn their ways. So, even when a vision is deceiving, there can be truth beneath the surface.
#1: A Tale of Two Pauls
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While “Dune” has received widespread acclaim, some have called the ending abrupt. It might not build to the giant battle we’re used to seeing in sci-fi epics, but Villeneuve actually picked an appropriate point to conclude “Part 1.” Although he emerges victorious from his fight with Jamis, this is essentially the end of Paul Atreides’ story. Not long after this point in Herbert’s novel, he adopts the name “Paul Muad'Dib.” “Dune: Part Two,” which has been officially greenlit, will likely center on Paul accepting the Muad'Dib moniker and his role as a religious figure. As a voice says during one vision, “Paul Atreides must die for Kwisatz Haderach to rise.” Paul Atreides may be dead, but Paul Muad'Dib’s story is just beginning.
