Why Dune's Editing Feels Different

Adapting Dune for the screen was a big challenge that pushed Director Denis Villeneuve and Editor Joe Walker, ACE to use a slightly unconventional approach to editing in the film. In this video I breakdown how Walker works within the "montage mode" of editing to tell the film's story efficiently and powerfully.

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[neofromthewarnerbrothersic]

I love how the ships come out of the water instead of being on land. Just emphasizes how the Atreides are going from a life with an overwhelming abundance of water to a new life where it's overwhelmingly scarce. Makes you think about how they could never be truly prepared for such a massive change.

Can't wait for the next movie. I really, REALLY loved this one, I wish it was 4 hours long. Would have been great to see a bit of what life is like for regular people on Caladan, even if it was just a couple stray shots here and there. And I kind of wish they had found time for the dinner party scene on Arrakis. Would have added a lot of flavor to the place, and made the invasion feel less abrupt.

[Terrados]

What I love about the movie specifically is that it takes it's audience seriously. You are not treated like child and have evereything spoon fed to you. The movie also doesn't overload you with information. It's hard to describe especially when your jaw is permanently dislocated from the sheer beauty of the shots.

[GetDaved]

8:31 - it's not just a shot of Paul's hand in water, it's Paul touching *sand* in water. That's the thematic transition. He goes from touching vegetation, to touching submerged sand, to the dry sands of Arrakis, to the spice.

[JayFolipurba]

The glass of water scene, in context, made me feel the same feeling you have when you wake up from a daydream, or get ripped back into reality when in deep thought, or even that brief moment between dosing off and waking up, realising you had dosed off. And that's exactly what it would feel like in universe. But to be able to create that feeling artificially.. that's just amazing

[maxzett]

2:20
I actually didn't notice that.
While watching the movie it always felt like she just didn't move it far enough, indicating he got her to move it, but couldn't hold the "trance" long enough.

[blackskullx]

I was just looking for a good video to watch while eating.... perfect timing

[SuperNovaJinckUFO]

I was listening to an interview with Frank Herbert, and he talks about how he intentionally added a rhythm to the prose of Dune, through his word choice and sentence structure. (It creates the effect that the first part of the story is read very slowly and methodically, which helps people digest and understand the world, while the last part of the story has such a fast pace that people naturally blow through it). How fitting is it that the movie follows a similar technique?

[PatrickWHerrmann]

A scene I really liked is when they are firing up the ornithopter to escape. They cut back to looking at the tunnel (checking for pursuers) like four times. The scene is really intense. They fly away before anybody even emerges from the tunnel. Really makes you share in the anxiety of the moment without the cliche of the buzzerbeater escape. They had a margin, but they didn't know that and neither did you.

[theNickRYG]

Leaving Caladan was exactly the point in the film where I got that "Seeing Star Wars for the first time." feeling.
The editing and the score are 100% responsible for that.

[fsxaviator]

That eye-movement cut you did is such a great example of the power of editing, wow. Completely changes the feel and pace of the scene.

[loganseibold]

Hope you make a video about The Batman. It was the most atmospherically immersive movie I’ve seen since Dune and Blade Runner 2049. Greig Fraser did it again.

[mercilpb]

Great analysis. One of the tremendous accomplishments of Dune is its ability to use what you call "continuity of emotion" and "brain stemmy"-ness to convey an absurd density of information intuitively to an audience without exposition. We simply don't have time for the film to explain to us everything we need to know- so Dune trusts us to intuitively grasp ideas using only the briefest of shots. The hand on Jessica's neck sticks out to me. It's only a few seconds of screentime, but it conveys everything we need to know about Leto and Jessica's relationship in a few frames. This is a practical, logistical solution to the density problem as much as anything, but it's also what allows the universe to feel so lived in. Great stuff!

[fettfan]

I’ve never read the book, but the editing during the scene with Paul and the Mother Superior conveyed the situation flawlessly. The cuts between the characters, the slight blurring of the image that occurs when the Voice is used, the small but noticeable sound effects all added up beautifully.

[flippert]

The scene between Stilgar, the Duke and Paul was most subtle but significant. You did you a very good job pointing out what exactly made it subtle and significant. Very insightful!

[itcanwait]

The amount of information you've provided, as to what makes Dune a cinematic masterpiece, I never would've conscientiously seen. One of my favorite films since BR2049.

[detoxwithp-talksofficial]

It's a good day whenever Thomas uploads. There's always something new to learn about films and filmmaking. I always instantly click the latest videos because I know it's gonna be good.

[JoaoFederle]

suprised you didn't mention the scene were paul says "I can feel your footsteps, old man" and then it jump cuts to Gurney right behind him. such a distinctive and idiosyncratic editing technique.

[nanamiharuka]

I left the movie theater in a trance after Dune and mostly attributed it to the fantastic score and cinematography, so I’m glad to hear about the other features that I didn’t even notice that created this feeling, it really is a masterpiece

[xairo]

One of my favorite edits in the film is the way the efficiency of Thufir's investigation of the hunter-seeker operator is carried out, even though its such a quick moment. Paul says 'The operator must be near by', followed by that musical sting that almost sounds like an alarm, Thufir rushing down a hall with his aides, the aftermath of the operators' discovery and then Thufir's resignation. In a film so densely packed this sequence, albeit by necessity, manages to feel so full of information and memorable.

[Nice-szee]

ANOTHER DUNE!
Never noticed the disconnection and information connectivity.. Only that everything felt pronounced in a way I can't explain. What did you find was similar/different about the editing in Blade Runner 2049/Arrival?