Javier Bardem: the real messiah of ‘Dune: Part Two’
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is an absolute triumph of science fiction and cinema in general, living up to every inch of the hype by continuing the journey of Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides in spectacular, jaw-dropping style as he grapples with the very notion of his pre-ordained destiny.
There’s no doubt that Chalamet is one of the most gifted young stars in the industry, having showcased that his Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Actor’ in Call Me by Your Name at the age of only 24 years old was hardly a fluke. Wonka even underlined his abilities to be a box office draw and bankable star, but it’s not a stretch to suggest projecting charisma and screen presence aren’t his strongest suits.
That’s not taking anything away from his performance in Dune: Part Two, where he convincingly conveys the inner turmoil of somebody who may be left with no other choice but to embrace the fate they’ve been actively trying to deny and run away from. That being said, his turn is lacking in the certain intangibles the best and most memorable blockbuster leading men weaponise to their advantage.
The second half of Villeneuve’s Frank Herbert adaptation is a very serious, solemn, and straight-faced movie, which again isn’t a bad thing. It’s storytelling on an epic scale realised by a filmmaker operating at the peak of their powers, but even though Chalamet’s Paul is the main character and driving force of the entire narrative, the actor regularly finds himself being blown off-screen from a purely performative standpoint.
Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica is a force of nature in her own right, but the real messiah of Dune: Part Two is Javier Bardem’s Stilgar. It’s not an easy part to play, given his function in the story and how it affects those around him, but the Oscar winner completely understands the assignment and almost walks away with the entire film under his arm.
One sign of a performance making a profound impact on the general public is through the volume of memes it generates, something that’s already happened with Stilgar, the latest addition to the ‘reaction shot’ club and the subject of countless associated jokes over how even the most trivial of actions can continue convincing him of Paul’s status as Lisan al Gaib.
Stilgar is so devout and in the thrall of Fremen prophecies that he’s almost a zealot, and injecting his performance with layers of comedy could have backfired spectacularly. Dune: Part Two is not the place for one-liners, quips, and zingers, but virtually every single one of the (admittedly very sparse) laughs found therein are derived directly from his insistence that Paul is the ‘Chosen One’.
In lesser hands, it could have come across along similar lines to the constant repetitions of “great white buffalo” in Hot Tub Time Machine or the cries of “Zoltan!” from Dude, Where’s my Car? to name a pair of sci-fi bedfellows, but Bardem’s seamless combination of pathos, gravitas, and the subtlest shades of comedic genius make his ongoing and constantly enthralled utterances of “Lisan al Gaib” and “as it was written” integral to the progression of his arc.
At first, Stilgar’s relationship with Paul isn’t that dissimilar to the crazy uncle who likes to get drunk at weddings and talk utter nonsense about religion and politics to their family, but by the third act, he’s evolved into the personification of the issues that come with blindly following figureheads based on nothing but faith and belief, the problems of religious indoctrination, and how those prophesised figures have the potential to incite a war their devotees will follow them into, no questions asked.
Dune: Part Two is a film packed to bursting point with some of the greatest talents in the business on either side of the camera, but for toeing such a delicate balance that incorporates being a mentor, comic relief, accomplice, and worshipper all at once, Bardem is the undoubted MVP.
