The two movies that heavily influenced ‘Dune: Part Two’
It might be a blockbuster sci-fi sequel, but the source material that served as the inspiration for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two has been heavily interpreted as having religious undertones for decades.
It’s easy to label Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides as ‘Space Jesus’, considering he’s presented as a messianic figure prone to vivid and prophetic dreams that drive his destiny. This is counteracted by the more rational thinking of the Fremen, who don’t put too much stock into such things.
Villeneuve’s epic duology hasn’t gone all-in on the metaphors. Still, it’s not a coincidence that a pair of movies rooted heavily in the teachings of Christianity were named by the director as having cast an influence over his latest feature. Even if he actively tried to ensure it wasn’t overpowering, their fingerprints remain there.
Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth and Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ both tell the same story, albeit through very different means, with a pair of legendary filmmakers at the helm. Whether he wanted to or not, each of them made their way into Villeneuve’s thinking when he was crafting Dune: Part Two, as he explained to Letterboxd.
“I remember having a part of Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth and also Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ that were an influence, but they were a background influence.” Instead of lifting directly from his inspirations, then, Villeneuve has created his own method of ensuring his work is entirely reflective of his own directorial sensibilities, even if he’s happy to acknowledge the self-serving nature of it.
“When I make a movie, I try – it’s very arrogant and pretentious – I try to go into a zone where I try to get rid of the influence of other voices,” he continued before accepting that it’s not something anyone can ever truly run away from. “Which is, of course, impossible because you are always a product of influence, but I try as much as possible.”
Based on the adulation being thrown the way of Dune: Part Two already, it’s safe to say that Villeneuve has managed to put his own inimitable stamp on the material. The opening instalment was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ before winning six prizes largely in the technical categories, and there’s no reason why the follow-up won’t be able to do the same.
It sounded fanciful at first when the filmmaker’s stab at adapting Frank Herbert’s novel for the screen for a second time was earning early comparisons to Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back. However, not only has Villeneuve made a serious attempt at living up to those lofty expectations, he might even end up with a third film of his own, too.
