After releasing my full movie breakdown for
Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part 2, there were still many questions and plot points to address
towards the world that the director adapted for the
big screen. From the ending, to the Bene Gesserit plan,
to the adaptation of Alia Atreides and the interesting details on Geidi Prime, I'm going
to be answering some of the biggest questions from Dune Part 2 in the aim to help the non-reader
discover things they missed and also aid those who are familiar with the novel to compare
the events that took place. This analysis will contain spoilers, so if
you do happen to be someone who hasn't seen the film yet, then I would recommend watching
this video after you've seen it. Also, a lot of things I discuss continue from
what I explained in my breakdown the other day, so I would definitely suggest checking
out that video first, which is linked in the description. Before I get into it though, if you want to
keep up to date on any of my upcoming content on Dune Part 2 and beyond, then don't forget
to support this upload by giving it a like rating, subscribing to the channel and turning
on your notifications. But without further a do, lets dive into some
of the biggest questions from Dune Part 2 explained. Starting with the ending section of Dune Part
2, there will be many who come out the film and see those final scenes, asking, what's
next? And it will be both the book readers who recognise
changes from Frank Herbert's book as well as non-book readers who want a better idea
of where this might be going. Well, Paul's harsh decision to initiate conflict
against the Great Houses who reject his claim to the throne, aims to showcase the depth
of his transformation throughout the film. By rallying the Fremen to partake in a brutal
crusade on his behalf, Paul is fulfilling the prophecy unveiled in his visions, a prophecy
that predicted widespread devastation throughout the galaxy. Following the ingestion of the Water of Life,
Paul's dedication to achieving triumph through the 'narrow path', intensified his desire
to seize control of the Empire. So despite the losses suffered by the Fremen,
Paul remains steadfast in his quest for power. We get a short final battle, that just like
the book, is done this way to showcase the destructive potential of the fremen, wiping
out the sardaukar army and coming face to face with the true oppresors of this story. And when we reach those fateful last scenes,
there becomes a slight deviation from the last pages of the novel. That's because in the film adaptation, Paul
is portrayed as embracing the Fremen's participation in their violent holy war. In the book, he faces down the guild, who
aren't shown, and it ends with him ascending and being in full control, while knowing that
he's powerless to prevent the bloody jihad. That holy war itself occurs between the events
of the novels Dune and Dune Messiah, and it seems that by ending the movie with a more
direct acknowledgment of going to war, that it adheres to that extended timeline. And yet with part 2 closing on Paul overtly
unleashing the war, it still gets to the heart of the book's ending by conveying that there
is a significant price that comes with his victory. Another aspect to this ending that many readers
will question, is how the final moments depict the character alteration of Chani. At the very end we see that Chani leaves Paul's
side and embarks on a solitary journey into the expansive desert by calling a sandworm. She shows her preparedness to confront the
forthcoming challenges and it becomes evident that for the time being, she is rejecting
Paul's reckless pursuit of power. Earlier in the film, Jessica expresses her
sympathy towards Paul as Chani chooses to distance herself. This decision is a result of Paul's actions
to embrace a path of religious extremism, which strongly contradicts Chani's fremen
beliefs in the film. However, in a poignant moment, Paul assures
his mother by saying, "She'll come to understand... I've seen it". This statement alludes to the future events
portrayed in Dune Messiah, the second novel, which again unfolds many years later, where
complications unfold between Chani and Princess Irulan. So director Denis Villeneuve is essentially
setting this in motion, with the drama of the Messiah storyline set to be a big driving
force in that adaptation. At the end of the first book, it doesn't show
us Chani leaving Paul, rather, she's upset that he will marry Irulan. Jessica then comforts her by saying that while
the two of them are just concubines, History will remember them as wives. So with Messiah in mind, he did make alterations,
but you could also argue that those changes were made because the director wanted more
of an emotional anchor in Part 2. Paul's rise must be depicted as a struggle,
not a cause for rejoicing, and the most effective approach to engage the audience is by utilizing
Chani. If she simply agrees with everything, she
becomes less compelling as a character and it results in a lack of tension onscreen. As the emotional core of the film, Chani must
be the character who perceives situations realistically, mirroring the audience's perspective
towards a messiah like Paul. The Fremen prepare to launch their holy war
against the great houses, and this creates further anticipation for the next film's exploration
of forceful messiahs. The impending conflict sets the tone for that
story and adds more depth to the storyline. A more optimistic conclusion with Paul and
Chani's embrace would have felt insincere as his army gears up for violence. The first book left it ambiguous, and until
we got to Messiah, we weren't able to fully appreciate the story the Herbert had in mind. So really, it's a good move on the director's
part to tap into the tragic nature of the next part. The next question that many had towards the
events of Part 2 was the depiction of both the Fremen in this adaptation and their disbutes
surrounding the prophesy of the Arrakis paradise. When we get to Sietch Tabr near the beginning
of the film, just like in the book we learn just how precious water is to the fremen,
but also, how for this particular adaptation, Denis has heightened the idea of dispute within
the tribe. When Paul and his mother arrive, we learn
that the southern fremen believe that he is the prophesised Lisan Al Gaib, while the other
more northern tribes don't believe in that. Stilgar tries to get the council at the sietch
to have faith in the prophesy after describing to them what happened to Jamis at the end
of part one and detailing that Paul already knows a fair bit of their customs. But Stilgar struggles to get anyone to believe
in what he's saying. Paul also tells his mother during the opening
that this is her doing because the Bene Gesserit have planted this prophesised story. But in the moments after between Jessica and
Stilgar, we come to learn about the importance of water and how that connects to the Fremen's
prophesy. As the water in Jamis's body is extracted
and added to an entire lake of water in the cave, Stilgar explains the importance of these
lakes to Jessica. Jessica learns from him that this is one of
thousands of water caches carefully created by the Fremen to help terraform the planet
and that the fremen have calculated exactly how much water they need to change the face
of Arrakis and bring back a great paradise. Liet-Kynes from the first film, also known
in the book as being Chani's parent, was one who helped imbue the Fremen with the ultimate
dream of turning Arrakis into a garden world. And thus, Stilgar and half of the Fremen believe
that the Lisan Al Gaib could make this dream a reality. When they see the signs and when they see
that everything is going as the prophesies predicted, the southern fremen become more
convinced that Paul is the Lisan Al Gaib. And the Fremen from the north who don't believe,
see it all as lies and fake prophesies. The idea of the north and southern fremen
wasn't in Frank Herbert's book, and rather, certain fremen didn't agree with certain aspects
of the prophesy and Paul's introduction with them. But alligning these varying perspectives with
different fremen tribes, I think Villeneuve has done so for multiple reasons. One is to make the ending with Chani and the
Fremen scenes much more dramatic, and the other is connected to delivering on the major
theme of the book, the idea of being skeptical towards charismatic leaders. And this brings us to how the Bene Gesserit's
plan connects to this and what central figures of the order do to keep power in this adaptation. The Lisan Al Gaib prophecy, although a tool
employed by the Bene Gesserit for manipulation, pales in comparison to the genuine power possessed
by the Kwisatz Haderach, which explains Paul's remarkable success in converting others into
believers. So the line between propaganda and authentic
prophecy becomes increasingly blurred. This was not limited to the planet Arrakis,
and the Bene Gesserit did not specifically intend for Paul to fulfill this prophecy. Their objective was to create a Messiah-like
figure whom they could manipulate and exert their influence over. Both Paul Atreides and Feyd Rautha were intended
to play a role in this creation, but as depicted in the film, events unfold beyond the control
of the Bene Gesserit. A great example of how the Bene Gesserit operates
is shown through the events that take place between Austin Butler's Feyd Rautha and Lea
Seydoux's Margot Fenring. After the Reverend Mother Helen Mohaim states
to Princess Irulan on Planet Kaitain that they have other prospects for the Kwisatz
Haderach, we learn that one of those is Feyd Rautha on Geidi prime. He does show potential and impresses Margot
Fenring during a gladiatorial fight, but it's stated in the book that the Bene Gesserit
wish he was more of a force for good like an Atreides figure. Still, with things worsening on Arrakis for
the emperor, they chose to seek out Feyd as a potential prospect. Margot seduces Feyd soon after his birthday
fight, puts him through the gom jabbar test and describes soon after to Mohiam and Irulan
on Kaitain that his bloodline is now secured. And that's because she has become pregnant
with Feyd's child. She informs the Reverend Mother that he can
be controlled because he's sexually vulnerable, giving us a good idea of exactly how the Bene
Gesserit operate and control those that are apart of their plan. More than that, it helped to communicate the
hold that the Bene Gesserit have on powerful people, depicting the sexual control they
possess, a strong part of their identity. It explains how the breeding plan works and
why they’re not freaking out over losing Paul as they have more candidates. It also helps to explain how Feyd is a dark
mirror to Paul, and while he and the Harkonnens are described as animals, they are seen as
human to the Bene Gesserit standard. Speaking of Geidi Prime, there is an excellent
black and white, or infrared sequence in the mid part of the film, where a few questions
come to mind for both book readers and those not familiar with the material. Beginning with the black and white footage,
it's worth noting that the outdoor scenery on Geidi Prime is influenced by an infrared
color scheme. As explained in the film during the introduction
of the gladiatorial fight, this is attributed to the presence of a black sun orbiting the
planet. I found this to be a clever detail that accentuated
the harsh and merciless nature of Geidi Prime and the Harkonnens. Consider this perspective, the infrared sunlight
could account for why the people of Geidi Prime predominantly wear black and white attire,
as well as their brutal behavior. Besides the influence of corporate greed,
it's possible that this peculiar sun affects the behavior of all creatures on the planet. Similar to how a lack of vitamin D in certain
regions can impact one's mood or lead to depression. In Frank Herbert's Dune, everything is interconnected
with ecology, therefore the planets shape the characteristics and culture, as exemplified
by the contrasting traits of the Fremen and Sardaukar. Hence, I found it ingenious that they utilized
this visual storytelling technique to convey that Geidi Prime possesses an infrared spectrum
sun. I also enjoyed observing subtle visual elements,
such as the Bene Gesserit's robes turning pure white under the Infrared light, and the
abstract appearance of fireworks following Feyd's celebration. The overall aesthetic of their planet was
reminiscent of H.R. Giger's style, effectively highlighting the
contrast between Geidi Prime, Arrakis, Selusa Secundus and the emperor's planet. But moving on, there are other inquiries that
book enthusiasts might have post the scenes on Geidi Prime, with a significant one revolving
around the alterations in the poison scenario and whether Feyd's blades possessed the same
attributes as depicted in the book. Similar to the final gladiator he confronts
in the movie, in the novel, that gladiator is an apprehended Atreides soldier. The gladiators are meant to be under the influence
of drugs, yet the audience can discern from his actions that this is not the case. In Herbert's narrative, this scheme is a collaborative
effort between both Feyd and Thufir Hawat to enhance Feyd's triumph. We discover that this mentioned gladiator
almost kills Feyd, and at a crucial moment, Feyd utters the word "Scum". Only Feyd and Hawat know that the slave has
been conditioned to weaken upon hearing that specific word. And seizing the opportunity, Feyd eliminates
the gladiator with a poisoned blade, a move that showcases Feyd's manipulation as he chose
to poison the long blade instead of the smaller one. The smaller blade is typically poisoned according
to Harkonnen tradition. However, in the film adaptation, the focus
was not on the poisoned blade element of the scene. They focussed on the administered posion before
hand, and even that was altered significantly. The responsibility for the Atreides opposition
not being poisoned fell on the Baron, and instead of enhancing Feyd's comfort by poisoning
the opposing blade, this aspect was completely removed. In my view, this change contributed to making
Feyd's victory appear more deserved to the audience, and in the following moments, it
highlighted the conflict between the Baron and Feyd in a different manner than seen in
the book. I believe this alteration was a positive one,
as it raises the greater possibility that Feyd could be the prophesied figure. A question that comes up surrounding the opposite
side of that prophecy, involves the reason for Paul's transformation into the Kwisatz
Haderach, as well as significant details we learn in the Water of Life scenes. In the film, we learn that the Water of Life
is created by submerging a small sandworm in water. In order for the Bene Gesserit and the Kwisatz
Haderach to access their "other memory," they must endure the agony. They consume a poison and must then regulate
their own internal body chemistry to neutralize it. The level of control, the agony, and the stress
caused by the "worm juice" all contribute to unlocking their genetic memory. However, with Paul it goes a step further
because as a man, this process essentially opens his "inner eye," allowing him to gain
the ability to see the future in its entirety. As a result, Paul's attitude undergoes a change
because he now possesses clear foresight. Suddenly, he is able to envision all possible
future scenarios with clarity. As we discover later in the film, Paul realizes
that he must consume the Water of Life in order to fully embrace the Lisan al Gaib prophecy
and ultimately gain the loyalty of the fremen. Jessica, who previously consumed the water
and experienced heightened awareness, discloses this fact to him earlier in the movie. And when Paul drinks the water, he gains full
access to his prescience, but foresees that various paths lead to their enemies' victory. Nevertheless, there is a narrow path that
offers a way through, forcing him to decide between annihilation or following this specific
route. Given all the events leading up to that moment,
Paul naturally opts for the latter. And it's crucial to note that a pivotal narrative
point that compels Paul to drink the water and undergo his transformation is Feyd's destruction
of Sietch Tabr, along with the implication that the southern sietches are the next likely
targets. This accelerates Paul's decision regarding
the water intake and after consuming it, Paul comes to the realization that the Holy War
will persist regardless of his actions. It's not that he desires to become a villain,
but rather he succumbs to the inevitable path. It's important to highlight that Paul undergoes
a similar profound change in the concluding chapters of the book, albeit with slight variations
in the sequence of events. In the book, the revelation of his and Chani's
child being killed by the Sauderkor during a raid on Sietch Tabr occurs just before Paul
decides to attack Arrakeen. Denis Villeneuve's adaptation alters the events
so that Tabr is destroyed first, leading to Paul taking the water of life and the process
of his transformation. Both examples are effective in their own right,
and while the death of their child may have had a stronger impact, the removal of the
two-year time skip before that meant that other aspects needed changing and somewhat
enhancing. The removal of Paul and Chani's child was
yes unfortunate, but his significance to this part of the story was mainly surrounding its
death, and yet there were still other ways to highlight this grief. The change was necessary to ensure coherence
in the adaptation and the other required alterations. I will be delving deeper into this topic in
my upcoming video on the major differences but as I said, I think most of the changes
worked. Regarding Paul's water of life scene, one
question that also arised was how Chani was able to bring Paul back from his trance during
his Water of Life intake. Lady Jessica summons Chani to visit Paul,
unaware that he has consumed the water and is unconscious. Paul's life signs are barely detectable, and
Chani realizes his attempt to consume the Water of Life. This angers her, and Lady Jessica employs
the voice to compel Chani to help him. And during this event, Stilgar recites a prophecy
stating that the Lisan Al Gaib will be revived using Desert Spring tears, which we learn
is Chani's fremen name. Under the control of the voice, Chani combines
her tear with a small amount of the water of life, touches his lips, and it instantly
revives him. This alteration in the film serves to emphasize
the tragedy of Chani and Paul. Chani possessed a secret name that aligned
with the prophecy, and her tears have the power to awaken the Kwisatz Haderach after
consuming the Water of Life. However, this does not necessarily imply that
she had a predetermined role to fulfill, as it simply reflects the hope of her helping
if the Kwisatz Haderach emerged. Despite Chani's opposition to the prophecy,
she is ultimately compelled to participate in its fulfillment. Both Paul and Chani find themselves coerced
by their respective communities and even family members to assume roles they do not desire. Coming to one of the last questions, many
who have read the book were stunned to see how Denis Villeneuve tackled Alia Atreides
and what thet meant for the structure of the film. It's important to highlight that Lady Jessica
plays a more significant role in this adaptation, with Alia still in the womb. Jessica takes the lead in advocating for Paul
as the lisan al gaib. And despite this, her relationship with Alia
remains impactful. The alteration of Paul's sister effectively
maintains the character's strangeness and sense of power from the novel. Both Paul and Jessica interact with Alia,
yet in the book, Alia is born, she possesses adult-like communication skills, and plays
a crucial role in the climax by killing Paul's grandfather, the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. Villeneuve retains the eerie essence of Alia's
character in this new form, as she can communicate like an adult from the womb. Yet the film hints also hints at more developments
to come, as Paul envisions his unborn sister in the future, portrayed by Anya Taylor Joy. She reveals family truths and expresses her
love for him, while gazing over ocens of water on a future Arrakis. This alteration appears to have been motivated
by various factors, including the desire to present a more serious depiction of the character
compared to silly one in a previous adaptation. By doing so, it made it easier to convey her
power, her uniqueness, and hint at her significant role in the future. This change also led to a major adjustment
in the timeline of events, as Alia being unborn resulted in the conclusion of the story unfolding
over a shorter period of time. This alteration had a ripple effect, impacting
other elements such as the absence of Paul and Chani's child and the portrayal of Paul's
training prior to his ultimate test. The scene where Rabban visits the Baron, expressing
concern over their harvesting operations, now serves as the replacement point for the
two-year time skip. This change in the film to a shorter time
frame allows for the development of Paul and Chani's relationship and the destruction of
Harkonnen harvesters by the fremen over the subsequent months. I am aware that some didn't like this alteration,
as they desired a more natural portrayal of Paul's training and the handling of characters
like Alia, as depicted in the book. However, in my opinion, the time jump was
executed exceptionally well, and while watching the movie, I never questioned the progression
of Paul and Chani during that period because each scene surrounding the smaller time jump
felt authentic. It did not feel forced to me. Nevertheless, I do acknowledge that a two-year
jump would likely have enhanced the effectiveness of this aspect too. So ultimately, changes had to be made to ensure
a more organic representation of the conclusion, and I believe Denis Villeneuve did that. In my upcoming video on the major differences,
I will delve deeper into these changes and explain why Denis made them. This will include the removal of characters
such as Thufir Hawat and Count Fenring, as well as alterations to the role of the Guild
Navigators, among other story points. But that was my video discussing some of the
questions that arose from Dune Part 2. I'm sure there will be many other things that
pop up on rewatch and other examples which you guys
may have picked out, so don't forget to let me know down below in the comments section. For much more videos and news on Denis Villeneuve's
Dune universe, then subscribe to the channel and turn on your notifications. Also if you enjoyed this video remember to
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links in the description. But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've
been Cortex and as always make some noise.
