Fear is the Mind Killer

When turning a book into a film, there are many variables to consider. Just because it was a good book, it does not mean it will be a good movie. Will people who have read and loved the book respond well to its adaptation? Is the movie similar enough to the book? There are a ton of things to take into account, but one of the most important questions would definitely be: Is this book still relevant today? It is a valid question, especially when making a movie out of a book written a long time ago.

This is the case of Dune, Frank Herbert's 900-page masterpiece. The book, which was published in 1965 was just made into a movie earlier this year and people have been wondering about the relevance of this movie in this day and age.

In his article, Don Kaye brings forward multiple reasons why it was perfectly reasonable to make this movie this year. Dune is a mix of many things but it is first and foremost a book of science fiction. When you dig deeper and look at the core themes though, it is easy to realize just how well the themes fit into our reality today. Here are a few examples: politics, power, racism, change, ecology. In 2021, we are in a race against global warming and the director, Denis Villeneuve, has mentioned that he sees this movie as an encouragement, especially to young people, to change the world.

Here is an excerpt that I found particularly thought-provoking in the article: “We will need to change our ways of living,” concludes Villeneuve. “We will need to change our way of dealing with nature and the world, and that takes a lot of courage and ethics. And I think that Dune is a call for that. It has its roots in all these topics, so that’s why I think Dune is more relevant than ever.”

In my opinion, this writer is completely right. The movie does its job of encouraging change perfectly because it is all about themes that are extremely relevant today and it will reach many people. Indeed, the cast packed with Hollywood stars ensures that movie theatres were packed for days on end when it first came out. I hope that this film will actually ignite change and encourage this generation to take action.

Kaye, Don. (2020, September 11). Why Dune is Still Timely in 2020. Den of Geek. https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/why-dune-is-still-timely-in-2020/