Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on a desert planet? Or how people living on different planets would interact with each other? The “Dune” book series, which began in 1965, explores a universe in which noble houses, similar to feudal Europe, control planets. Frank Herbert wrote the “Dune” novels, and this series was somewhat of a trailblazer for science fiction epics to come.
“Dune” is set on the desert planet of Arrakis, which is highly coveted because of the drug called melange, but commonly referred to as ‘spice’ that can only be found on Arrakis. Arrakis is ruled by House Atreides, and the conflict of “Dune” stems from the battle between the Atreides family and the Harkonnen family. Throughout the first novel, the Harkonnens attempt to gain control of Arrakis following the high Emperor’s command. This storyline along with the galactic setting creates the drama and grandeur that draws people to “Dune.”
James Seegars (9) is currently reading the first “Dune” novel. This task is easier said than done as the paperback novel is 896 pages and consists of many moving plot lines and strange names. Seegars has also seen Parts 1 and 2 of the recently made “Dune” movies.
“I was initially interested in ‘Dune’ because of two reasons: one was that I know someone who was a huge ‘Dune’ fan and they recommended the series to me. The second was that I have been pretty disappointed in modern the modern Star Wars movies, and I heard ‘Dune’ was succeeding where Disney’s Star Wars was failing,” Seegars said.
The two recent film adaptations of “Dune,” directed by Dennis Villenueva, have been huge box office hits, with both films grossing over $400M worldwide. Despite the massive income made by these movies, the budget for each was surprisingly low, with each movie costing less than $200M. Comparatively, each of the three newest “Star Wars” movies cost over $300M. “Dune” has been praised for having astounding special effects and camera shots, despite the low budget.
Cameron Lee (11) agrees that “Dune” uses masterful special effects along with a well-written soundtrack to create an epic work of cinema.
“I think the movies are incredibly well-produced. I had heard of ‘Dune’ before but started paying when I heard Hans Zimmer was scoring, so maybe that is why the first thing that stood out to me was the sound design and music, specifically the percussion and how electronic elements combine with organic instruments and vocals to create this striking alien vibe,” Lee said. “His work on the sound alongside the very creative visuals and acting gives the films this grand, large, and to me almost Lovecraftian-feel.”
Chloe Parrott (12) watched “Dune: Part Two,” but not “Part One.”
“My favorite character in ‘Dune’ is Paul Atreides because is very relatable in how he presents himself as a character throughout the movie. I liked the cinematography because of how they used it to build the plot and the score that they created for the film,” Parrott said.
