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Here's Why The Mystery Of Interstellar Travel Is So Important To The Success Of Dune

The omission of several major components of Dune's spacecraft demonstrates why the film's sci-fi works. The movie portrays Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his clan as they leave their home planet of Caladan to colonize the desert planet of Arrakis. Dune's cast of characters utilizes and alludes to a variety of various space-faring spacecraft during the twists and turns of political schemes and cruel secrets, most notably the massive, cylindrical spacecraft they use to travel between worlds.
nullThese spacecrafts are known as Heighliners in Frank Herbert's original 1965 Dune book, and they are owned and controlled by the enigmatic Spacing Guild. However, director Denis Villeneuve elected not to depict the interiors of the spacecraft, and he even stated that the Dune films will not include the interiors of the spaceships. Given that the interiors of spacecraft have become such iconic settings for the most famous sci-fi programs like Star Wars and Star Trek, this appears to be the proper option for Dune.
nullIn reality, Dune's absence of the interiors of the spacecraft demonstrates why its sci-fi has been so successful. Dune was widely regarded to be unadaptable for the large screen since it tells such a deep epic set in a large and deeply constructed universe, yet Villeneuve's rendition manages to achieve a fair balance between sci-fi cliches and plot aspects. While traditional sci-fi themes are vital in a picture like Dune, Villeneuve manages to concentrate the focus on the things that are essential to building the plot and characters within the restricted length given to a movie.
nullDenis Villeneuve's Dune is the first film adaptation to really comprehend which features of Herbert's complex cosmos are most important to the drama at hand. While it's necessary to include significant sci-fi tropes to attract viewers of the genre who aren't familiar with Dune, the focus should truly stay on the core components of the plot if it's to be effectively told in two films. While Dune's major theme does not feature numerous science fiction classics such as high-tech spacecraft battles, teleportation, or laser swords, the novel has a definite sci-fi feel. Villeneuve chooses to trust the viewers and the original story as it focuses on the characters and the planet Arrakis, knowing that constructing the main characters and the primary setting in his first Dune episode was more important than stuffing it with formulaic "space-age" conceits if the story was to extend.
nullThe depiction of spacecraft also demonstrates that Dune 2021 has finally grasped the feeling of mystery that pervades the original novel. The fact that so little is known about the influence of the spice plays a vital role in the storyline, especially later in the Dune saga. It is mentioned in the story as being necessary for modern space travel because it enables Guild navigators to navigate Heighliners through the cosmos at faster-than-light speeds. The internal workings of the Spacing Guild, on the other hand, remain a well-kept secret to the bulk of the galaxy, protecting the Guild's monopoly on this crucial function. Because viewers never see the interior of the vessels, they share the characters' innocence about how they truly operate and the implications of their reliance on spice melange, Dune's famed psychedelic resource, which contributes to a remarkable sense of mystery later on when Villeneuve is given the opportunity to flesh out the Dune world in full depth.
nullVilleneuve's Dune's sci-fi aspects succeed by leaning into the story's more esoteric features, such as Dune's iconic sandworms of Arrakis and the Fremen society, rather than appealing to more accessible visuals, such as high-tech spacecraft with special effects. It also leaves the Spacing Guild considerably more mysterious, giving them the ability to play a far more fascinating part in the plot later on. Even though the interiors of spacecraft will not be included in his subsequent films, it will be intriguing to see what other sci-fi decisions Villeneuve takes with the Dune sequel.
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