After much anticipation, the sci-fi epic Dune from filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has been released. There have been plenty of expectations for the film, which is the latest in several adaptations that were based on Frank Herbert’s iconic novel. Of course, with such a massive task, the complete story is actually planned to be stretched across two films. As such, this first movie only focuses on a portion of what goes on in the novel. Nevertheless, there’s plenty in the film to work from – including an ending that Dune fans might be interested in knowing more about.
As those who’ve seen Dune already know, the movie is something of a hero’s journey for Paul Atreides. Tragically, however, in order for Paul to become the leader he’s destined to be – he must first kill someone. Specifically, he does battle with one of the Fremen located on Arrakis – a character named Jamis. This character is notable as Jamis actually is the first person that Paul has killed after finishing the battle. As a result, Paul and his mother Lady Jessica are allowed to join the Sietch by the Fremen.
However, as noted above, this is a tragic action more than anything else. It shows that Paul is actually beginning the first steps for what will be much worse. In fact, he will set in motion what will become the deaths of billions. Of course, this story won’t be told until the second film of Denis Villenueve’s planned duology. And because of where this first film ends, it’s clear that the second will focus much more on the Fremen and exploring their characters. This includes an uprising against the Harkonnens.
It’s clear that the story will be expanded upon greatly with the next film. Nevertheless, Paul’s story remains a tragic one even after the ending of Dune. As illustrated in the themes of Frank Herbert’s writings, people in power never end up being heroes.
Denis Villenueve directed Dune from a screenplay he wrote with Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth. The story was based on Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name, with plans for a second film to adapt the rest of the book.
The film is currently available to watch in both theaters and on the HBO Max streaming platform.