Film Review: DUNE: PART 1 (2021): An Entertaining Scifi Movie Combining Style, Originality, & The Best Adaptation of The Source Material

Idaho’s Corridor Battle

Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa)’s final battle is one of the tensest in Dune: Part 1, aided by Fremen that are disappearance artists and Sardaukar that are like apparitions that appear in silence, stalk, and kill their opponents in a steady swarm.

It is this environment that encompasses Idaho’s doom as he stands guard outside of a room housing the new Duke. The ensuing battle, yet again, shows Idaho’s high-end fighting ability in the age of energy shields and swords. It’s the shot composition on-screen, the silences, and the creeping of opponents that make the scene so good. It builds upon itself.

The viewer knows something different is going to happen this time around when Duncan salutes Paul, his former student, his Duke, then closes and locks the corridor door. When the death blow is struck, it is as much a surprise to Idaho as it is to the viewer, but Paul’s vision saw him dead and this moment plays into that prescient glimpse. Villeneuve uses that previous visual queue from the first act of Dune against the viewer, plays into the viewer’s expectations for the scene, and then exceeds them as Idaho silently begins to pull the sword out of his chest.

This is followed by another exciting moment in Dune: Part 1 and a mistake no Swordmaster of the Ginez would make. Idaho should not bellow when he gets back up off the corridor floor. Is it dramatic? Yes. Entertaining? Yes. Cool? Yes. Strategic? Absolutely not. Idaho has the drop on the Sardaukar. Their backs are turned. If he goes for the femoral artery in their legs, he could kill three or four of them before they know what is going on. Alternatively, he can begin stabbing them through the back. These are the ways a military tactician would play the situation, especially one out-numbered and mortally-wounded. A military tactician would quickly calculate through years of training and experience the best course of action and execute it, i.e., silent kills from behind.

A sturdy argument can be made, however, that Idaho roars to swiftly stop the Sardaukar from using the laser cutter on the door that leads to his Duke, that Idaho doesn’t know if he can get to the Laz Gun operator in time thus roars to draw their attention and give Paul and Lady Jessica more time.

Or perhaps Idaho just isn’t thinking straight from the wound and all of the chemicals it sends surging throughout his body, least of which is Adrenalin.

Whatever the reason for the way the fight ends, illogical or needful, it is entertaining.

Dr. Keynes, the Sardaukar, and The Maker

Dr. Keynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) is portrayed as a person in constant conflict, existing in two worlds, balancing the needs of both, serving both (a similar push and pull that Lady Jessica endures throughout Dune: Part 1). That self-status complexity is tested when the Atreides are attacked by the Harkonnens (aided by The Emperor that she serves). Through this attack, Dr. Keynes is given a character arc in Dune but it is so small, it is almost to the point of non-existence, but it is there.

A surprising and lingering question surrounds Dr. Keynes’ last moments on-screen: though exciting and concise with fist-to-sand, featuring Keynes in full Fremen persona, why don’t the Sardaukar use the suspensors on their belts to avoid the jaws of the Sand Worm? These soldiers are trained to act quickly yet they feel themselves sinking into the sand and no one yells “Suspensors!”? None of them simply touch their belt to activate their suspensors and float over the gaping mouth of the Sand Worm and/or fly away? It is a great visual, a sound and thorough comeuppance for these Sardaukar, but it defies logic. Again, why don’t the Sardaukars’ hands automatically slap against their belts to activate their suspensors and The Holtzman Effect?