DUNE

Timothee Chalamet     Rebecca Ferguson     Oscar Isaac     Zendaya     Jason Momoa

Stellen Skarsgard     Stephen McKinley Henderson     Javier Bardem     Chen Chang

Sharon Duncan-Brewster     Dave Bautista     Charlotte Rampling

            I would say it’s just glorious to be enthralled by the sensory extravaganza that Dune presents.  The vistas and patterns of shimmering sand in the desert (Greig Fraser, Cinematographer), the elegance of the aircraft, the fascinating production design (Patrice Vermette), the eeriness of the music (Hans Zimmer) and sound effects—Denis Villeneuve and his collaborating filmmakers mesh together so well, the film is like a living tapestry that is spellbinding.  

            And the cast!  Beginning with Chalamet as an ideal Paul Atreides, a duke’s son trained in a comprehensive framework of arms, politics and government, and prophecy.  His eyes, his bearing, his obvious sincerity all convey a special person—let alone his handsome looks.  All the casting choices are spot on.  We get Oscar Isaac as Paul’s father and Duke of Atreides cynically awarded a planet in the Imperium by jealous calculating emperor Shaddam.  He portrays nobility and a genuine sense of fairness in the universe. Rebecca Ferguson as Paul’s mother sees that he is physically/mentally/emotionally prepared for an expected destiny.  She demonstrates the power of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood which is intimidating physically and emotionally and keenly perceptive.  Jason Momoa as Duncan the Atreides’ swordmaster, Josh Brolin as the Atreides’ weapons expert, and Javier Bardem as Stilgar the leader of the desert Fremen all demonstrate their characters’ particular skills and their mentoring attachment to Paul.  Sharon Duncan-Brewster as the ecology-aware Dr. Liet Kynes; and Charlotte Rampling as the Reverend Mother Mohiam, from the exclusive sisterhood Bene Gesserit aptly fill out a stellar cast.  In a departure from the book, Dr. Kynes (played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster) is a female, presumably a nod to contemporary times.

            For those not familiar with the story, the universe consists of a number of planets, each with its own head.  Over all is the emperor of the conglomerate, the Imperium, which has a huge army, the Sardauker.  In the mix is the planet Arrakis, which is extremely valuable for its “spice” found in the sands of its desert.  This spice, mélange, promotes youth, vitality, and lifespan, is a valuable resource.  Planet Harkonnen has held its sway on Arrakis for years, exploiting the crop of spice for its own benefit, along with cooking the books to favor itself.  Now, the emperor is not only worried about his revenue from this planet, but he is jealous of Lord Atreides of Caladan.  

            Thinking he will win by pitting the two against each other, the emperor appoints Lord Atreides to the Arrakis planet in direct opposition to Harkonnen.  (The fact that he will eventually favor Harkonnen over Atreides is part of the story.)  But he hasn’t taken into account the Atreides’ humanitarian bent.  The Duke is committed to good governance, which includes diplomatically engaging the Fremen, masters of the desert, whom the Harkonnens have mistreated.

            This account of Dune ends with Paul and his mother Lady Jessica being rescued from the desert by the Fremen who are wondering if he is their messiah.  This is Villeneuve’s Part One; Part Two is planned for a later release.

 

Thrill to the story of interplanetary competition mixed in with mystical realism in an epochal battle for the good.

 

Grade:  A                              By Donna R. Copeland 

THE ASSASSIN

Qi Shu     Chen Chang     Zhou Yun     Fang-Yi Sheu

          The Assassin is a complicated story in its mysteriousness, the opaqueness of which is helped along by so many scenes in which the viewer must guess who the characters are and their roles in the high drama. Cinematography (Ping Bin Lee) is a big part of the production in its breathtaking shots of nature through which we see the action; with numerous scenes viewed through smoke, fog, and even sheer decorative fabrics.  Landscapes are sweeping and mysterious.  Taiwanese Director Hsiao-Hsien Hou won the prize for directing at Cannes earlier this year, and Giong Lim won for the soundtrack. 

         The setting is 9^th Century China, when warring political forces were conflicted about central control of government versus local power.  In the province of Weibo, a young female warrior (Nie Yinniang played by the lovely Qi Shu) and her family are inclined to make peace with the central control, as is Tian Ji’an (Chen Chang), the military head of Weibo.  But his parents form a political alliance with a rival group by marrying their son to the other leader’s daughter (Yun), despite the fact that he was already betrothed to Yinniang.  As a young child, Yinniang is sent to be trained by a nun called “The master”, Jiaxing (Sheu), in the rival faction.  Yinniang becomes an excellent warrior, and when she is ready, The Master directs her to kill Tian Ji’an, whom the nun regards as having committed ruthless acts. 

        There is a major problem with this, which is that as good as she could be at it, Yinniang does not like to kill.  Her master tells her, “Saintly virtues play no part in this.  Your skills are matchless, but your mind is still hostage to human sentiment.” 

       Yinniang does set out to do her duty; however, when she comes upon Tian Ji’an with his son, her empathy for him and her belief that the region will devolve into chaos without a leader makes her walk away.  This is despite Tian’s throwing a dagger at her back, which she turns and catches by the handle.  During the film, she has numerous encounters with him and others ready to kill her, but she is so skillful at defense, she ends up walking away unharmed.

        Although the pace of this film is very slow (one must be prepared simply to admire and enjoy the images), I loved the story of a young woman who knows her own mind and overcomes violence with her unmatched restraint and flawless defense.  I understand that the issue of central control vs. local government has been in dispute for centuries in China; what better way is there to resolve the conflict then a powerful pacifist stance? 

     The swordsmanship shown in many encounters is like watching dancers exquisitely weaving around and coming into play with one another.  Qi Shu is graceful and extremely quick in deflecting what could be fatal blows.  Chen Chang portrays a leader in conflict, prone to lose his temper, but proving his strong leadership while still being an adoring father to his son.

An artistic and heart-stirring picture of the martial arts in action in 9^th Century China.

Grade:  B                                        By Donna R. Copeland