Dune (2021) Movie Review - The white savior trope in this decade?

The long waited #Denis Villeneuve was beyond a literally gorgeous film, but as someone going into the film not seeing the original film, or reading the book, I have to ask why was a tale of a rising white savior necessary especially for the times we're living in? And please, no comments about, "the sequels explain, blah blah blah!" None of that should matter. This is a movie that should be able to stand alone.

Timecodes
0:00 - Intro
0:28 - Review
7:17 - The white savior trope

IG: Aboutdre

Title theme by Ryan Little:

[desisdead]

idunno why everyone's like "u have to read the books to understand it!!" because like no dude if you have to do homework to watch a movie its an ass movie that fails to properly communicate its story, and yeah, ive never read the books cause fictions not my vibe so the movie came off as a really obvious white savior fantasy with a lead who couldn't act for shit, tho i agree it was super pretty tho

[BlueHooloovoo]

“I wrote the Dune series because I had this idea that charismatic leaders ought to come with a warning label on their forehead: May be dangerous to your health." - Frank Herbert

[johngott]

If you actually think Dune is using the “white savior” trope, go watch the video by Quinn’s Ideas channel.

[mansondelacy]

Denis has made it clear, and the film has made it clear through Paul’s fear of “A War in His Name.” Paul’s exposure to spice gives insight into his powers to see possible futures, where he sees a destructive Jihad fought by religious fanatics fighting in his name, wreaking havoc and destruction across the galaxy. This fear plagues his soul, which is why the scene becomes so intense to watch. That’s the point Herbert, and Denis meant to make; a warning about charismatic leaders. Paul, in seeing possibles futures, and not “The Future” presents the struggle of what his actions going forward will bring forth to bear, like in how he takes the possible future advice of Jamis during the sandstorm scene despite going on to having had to duel him to the death later at the end of the film. Paul in seeing possible futures presents the dynamic of seeing the possibility, and making decisions that could lead to that possibility, a perfect analogy for the reliance on charismatic leaders, which if you know the second half of the book, and the future books, plays towards Paul’s downfall.

Dune is a thinking-man’s science-fiction, and it’s sad to see so many people constantly trying to jump into political bullshit like this and call Paul a white-savior when the film, despite being part of the arc of Paul Muad’Dib that goes the least into his premonitions and the fear he has as a charismatic leader, still gets that part of the story across in obvious ways.

Political fervor is what this is, and it’s disgusting. Tainting art like Dune with narratives like this is disgraceful.

[allanqg]

people lost the ability to enjoy a book or a movie without stupidly over analyze it

[MrSmokinDragon]

Well... It was HEAVILY alluded to in the dialogue of the movie that it is a FALSE MESSIAH, but I guess that in the present day everything has to be a spoon-feed exposition dump for it to stick with people. Dune (the books) have a heavy theme of warning against the messiah-type.

[adrianslair]

Dune is a series dedicated to warning us about the white messiah stigma

[GallowayJesse]

Not a white savior trope AT ALL.

The movie goes to great lengths to explain that the only reason Paul was able to have success with the Fremen is because his mother's organization manipulated their society long ago and that Paul sees the Fremen as a means to an end.

The series as a whole is basically a critique of the "savior" trope and a warning against following charismatic leaders in general but you don't even need to read the books to see this because the movie alone tells us Paul isn't the hero he'd have the fremen believe he is. This is absolutely not a white savior story or even a savior story.

[cwell]

Read the book or listen to the audiobook and you might gain an understanding of the story. This isn't Star Wars or LOTR, it's a thinking man's Sci-fi novel.

[khadijadurrani]

Anyone who says it has a white saviour ‘problem’ clearly hasn’t read the books

[ChrisRowe]

The book is a critique of the white saviour trope and this will become evident in the second film. Paul is not a hero. To quote the author: “The bottom line of the Dune trilogy is: beware of heroes. Much better to rely on your own judgment, and your own mistakes. Dune was aimed at this whole idea of the infallible leader because my view of history says that mistakes made by a leader (or made in a leader's name) are amplified by the numbers who follow without question… I am showing you the superhero syndrome and your own participation in it…”

- Frank Herbert

[amunra]

Ahhhh Paul is actually the anti hero/villain. Frank Herbert - the author said it’s about following a charismatic leader that is followed blindly and the disaster that results from it.

[SheydokGear]

With all do respect: Pay close attention to the movie, it isn't a white savior, at all. Some people argue "We'll just wait for the second part and you'll see" or "Go read the book and you'll see" well, not even that. Paul isn't the hero that is coming to save the Fremen, and the movie makes that pretty clear, when Paul hears about the Lisan Al'Gaib he says "There just see what they've been told to see", when he has visions with his future with the Fremen, he just sees himself being worshiped and a war being done in his name, he literally murders one of the natives in order to join them.
With that said, white savior is a problem, is racist story telling and I'm sick and tired of it, I fully agree with you, but Dune? That ain't it, Chief.

[bleachedout]

The cinematic complaints about the audio and even some of the casting is something I share but your inability to be connected to the films story is more of a limit to your own attention span and reflects that this movie was not made for someone like you.
This movie was made for Dune fans and Sci fi fans not general movie goers.
You seem to ignore that the black people who are connected to the emperors court as high authority figures and I'm pretty sure the emperor will be black.

[AdrianQuark]

I guess it really shows the power, durability, and ubiquity of the white savior narrative in our culture, that people would believe so strongly that part one tells a white savior narrative despite all the evidence to the contrary within the film. It's sort of like how a lot of people didn't notice that Verhoven's Starship Troopers was anti-fascist satire because we're so used to fascist propaganda in movies.

[bidossessi]

I've watched the movie and I've watched your video. I totally agree with you, there was way too much info in too short a time for it to make sense after a single watch. Races, clans, names, all over the place.
I also agree that the MC (Paul) was pretty lifeless most of the time, and not very interesting to follow as a character. And I found the constant flashbacks / dreams of Zendaya annoying after a while.
All in all, i left the movie... not moved, and not really yearning to watch the rest, from a storytelling standpoint.

However, I must admit your video left me a bit confused. I would agree that the audio was muddled at times, but What made you think that the white boy was going to save the oppressed coloured people? Is there a scene you can point to, or some piece of dialogue, that really pushed that sentiment to the front for you? I came out with the certitude that he was going to "join" them, at least, to survive. But I didn't get any vibe beyond that, from the movie itself, at least. I could "guess" that it's the directing trope, but that would be projecting. Maybe I missed something you picked up on?

[Nugtoka]

Dune isn't about the white savior trope it's more of the antithesis of that. If they do part 2 you'll see that Paul is a manufactured messiah and ends up doing much more harm than good. Dune the book is more of a warning against following charismatic leaders and religious prophecy.

[ronmosely]

I waited 2 years with high hopes, just to see Villeneuve, make an epic to kick the Black man in the nuts, from start of the movie to the end ! His whole mesage the way Blacks were cast was ....even 80 thousand years in the future, you people better know your place !

[shwah]

If done right, I think Dune Part II will hit people in a way a sequel has never done before. Especially those who are uncomfortable/all too comfortable with the themes presented in part I.

The political criticism in this movie's themes are at the same time off-base and spot on. Because that's the entire point of the first half of the story, to build upon that familiar trope. The second half is all about breaking down that trope.

A blink and you miss it bit of foreshadowing is in the very opening: Chani (Zendaya) asks "who will our next oppressor be" followed by a hard-cut to Paul's face.

Keep watching, it will pay off.

[natewhite]

Opinions. Everyone getting triggered by this man’s opinion. While I completely disagree with him and find his critiques lacking substance, it’s his opinion. I will say, his responses to people in the comments seem a bit dismissive and intentionally inflammatory, but hey, again, don’t take the bait. The man admits he knows nothing of the dune novels. And if you watch the entirety of his review you realize he clearly missed a lot of explicit points made in the film with regards to his “white savior “ criticism. Not his fault. And nothing to get pissed over. Hopefully he gives it one more shot.