The Oscar Race Review: "Dune Part Two"
Long live the fighters
In 2009, the Academy Awards became more inclusive. Not necessarily culturally or racially (the event was still #OscarsSoWhite until relatively recently), but in terms of what kind of movies qualified as worth discussing. The expansion of the Best Picture field from 5 nominees to 10 at that year’s show was, according the Academy, meant to be a throwback to the 1930s and ‘40s, when anywhere from 8 to 12 movies could be nominated for the top prize in a given year.
Realistically though, they were responding to some pretty intense backlash. 2008 saw the releases of both The Dark Knight [5/5] and WALL-E [4.5/5], two movies that were not only massive commercial hits, but critical darlings as well. These were crowd pleasing blockbusters, a superhero sequel and an annual Pixar release respectively, and yet they still live on in memory as two of the best movies of that entire year regardless of genre or style. Instead of deigning to nominate either of these movies for Best Picture, however, the Academy played it safe.
Its picks were prestigious, not big commercial hits but deemed “important” by the critics. Slumdog Millionaire took home the top prize that night, and while that movie’s pretty good [3.5/5], it ain’t The Dark Knight. People were, rightly, fed up with the Academy failing to recognize movies that were both critically adored AND blockbusters. As a compromise, we now get 10 Best Picture nominees every year.
The change brought by the expansion was immediate. Hard scifi classic District 9 [5/5], technically marvelous blockbuster Avatar [3.5/5], modern urban drama Precious, beloved family animation Up [4.5/5], all these and more made onto the Best Picture list in 2009. The strength of its competition made The Hurt Locker’s win that year feel all the more impressive [great movie, 4/5], and the tastes of more people were represented overall. It was a win win.
Unless you’re a completionist for movies nominated for best picture. Having to watch 10 movies to be fully informed instead of 5 makes this whole Oscar obsession of mine way harder. When the nominees for Best Picture were announced earlier this year, I had only watched one of them to that point.
Thankfully, the one I had watched, a massive scifi blockbuster that wouldn’t have been nominated 20 years ago, is also my absolute favorite of the bunch.
The first Denis Villenueve Dune [4.5/5] was one of the first major blockbusters to release after the end of COVID lockdowns in the US. It’s a banger adaptation of Frank Herbert’s original novel, though really it only depicts the first half of the book. That side of the story is almost all political intrigue, scifi anthropology, and trying to catch up with the linguistic nightmare that is jumping into this series for the first time.
Dune Part Two is payoff on the level of the second Lord of the Rings movie.1 The story is filled to bursting with action as the skullduggery of the first part evolves into all-out war. The cast expands to be even more impressive, adding luminaries like Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Austin Butler to heavy hitting carryovers like Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, and Javier Bardem. And most importantly, the plot really begins to explore the ideas first broached in the first movie, fleshing them out as deeply as the source material.
You could write a whole separate book on the way Dune tackles the topics of weaponized religion and cults of personality. Paul Atreides is a fascinating messianic figure, stuck in a prolonged personal Gethsemane. To accept his role as Lisan al-Gaib, religious and military leader of the Fremen, would make his personal goals of revenge and survival trivially easy to accomplish, yet would cause a Holy War with a galaxy-wide death toll in the hundreds of millions.
Paul is a version of Christ who lives to see the atrocities committed in His name. His hesitation to weaponize a planet of zealots, ready to kill and die for him, makes him relatable even as every other character and story beat paints him as the most important human to ever live.
To this end, Chalamet kills it. He plays Paul’s uncertainty with Hamlet-esque melancholy. Every step he takes moves him closer and closer to the point of no return. When the line is finally crossed, Chalamet’s reserved worry becomes a cry of anger, calling out for followers that he knows will obey him to the bitter end.
This is another one of those movies that makes me wish for a Best Ensemble Performance award at the Oscars. The pool of acting talent here is deep and exhilarating, old guard actors like Josh Brolin and Stellan Skarsgard helping to inaugurate new stars. Watching the climactic battle between Chalamet and Butler, Pugh and Zendaya staring on, it’s impossible to not be excited for a new era of leading men and women after what‘s felt like years of casting stagnation at the top of the box office.
Villanueve proves himself as an inspired action director with Dune Part Two. Moments like the Fremen attack on the spice harvester or the INCREDIBLE monochrome sequence on Giedi Prime combine exciting fight choreography, brilliant effects (both practical and digital), clear yet bold cinematography, and believable character acting to great effect. Though the director is famous for his taut thrillers like Prisoners, his work on Dune Part Two doesn’t just cement his blockbuster credentials, it confirms him as a generational filmmaker.
I could go on, but alas, the Oscars are starting soon. As much as I love this movie, the Academy maintains its anti-blockbuster sentiment when it comes to giving the actual award. I and millions of other Duneheads will be in a seat for night one of Dune Messiah, but unfortunately that likely means little to the people giving out the awards tonight. I’d love to be proven wrong, but like Paul about to cross into southern Arrakis, I know not to hope for this happy ending.
One day, I’ll write a full “A Life Through Film” column about this movie. I imagine I’ll be even more in love with it.
Rating: 5/5
With that, I’ve reviewed every Best Picture Nominee from 2024! Here are my personal rankings:
Dune Part Two
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Anora
I’m Still Here
A Complete Unknown
The Brutalist
Conclave
Wicked
Emila Perez
Enjoy the Oscars tonight, everyone!
-Will
Hot take: Two Towers is the best one. 5/5