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Dune (1984) was directed by David Lynch and the music was mostly done by the rock band, Toto.  Dune (2021) was directed by Denis Villeneuve and the music was done by Hans Zimmer.

The movie is based on the first book of Frank Herbert’s 6 book series.  The 1984 movie was filmed mostly on location in Churubusco Studios in Mexico City and the 2021 remake was also filmed on location, however, this time they filmed all around the world in multiple countries such as Abu Dhabi, Budapest, Jordan, and Italy.

The budget for the 1984 movie was 45 million USD, and the budget for the 2021 remake was 165 million USD.

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In summary, the movie sets the stage for the story being a world set far into the future in which a resource called “spice” is a hallucinogen that is used for interstellar travel.  The galaxy is controlled by a class of families, and these families fight to gain control of the spice.  The spice is located on Arrakis, a desert planet home to the native people called the Fremen.  The main character being the heir to House Atreides, Paul is set as being the “chosen one” who becomes the messiah the Fremen people have prophesied.  The 1984 movie goes touches upon the prophecy more heavily than the 2021 counterpart.

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Paul Atreides: He is the son of Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica.

Jessica Atreides: She is the official concubine of Duke Leto and the mother of their son Paul. She is also a member of the Bene Gesserit, which is an old organization that is a sort of religious cult that harbors some sort of mystical power.

Duke Leto Atreides: He is the head of the House Atreides and Paul's father.

Gaius Helen Mohiam: She is the head, Reverend Mother, of the Bene Gesserit, who tests Paul before he goes to Arrakis.

Thufir Hawat: He is a Mentat, which is a sort of human-computer, who was responsible for training Paul in both knowledge and fighting.

Gurney Halleck: He is a Warmaster, working for Duke Leto Atreides, and also trains Paul in fighting.

Duncan Idaho: A swordmaster that works under Duke Leto and also trains Paul.

Wellington Yueh/Dr. Yueh: He is the doctor for House Atreides.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: He is the head of House Harkonnen and the main villain of both House Atreides and the movie itself.

Count Glossu Rabban: Nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, also another antagonist.

Pilter De Vries: The Mentat that works under Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.

Liet Kynes: A planetologist for Arrakis and the "Judge of Change" for when House Atreides takes over in Arrakis.

Stilgar: He is the leader of the Fremen people.

Chani Kynes: A member of the Fremen, the girl Paul keeps seeing in his visions and dreams.

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The traditional hero's journey was the focus of Lynch's 1984 movie as it portrays Paul as the stereotypical adventure-seeking main character, similar to Luke Skywalker.  This is not a coincidence as this film was produced one year after the Return of the Jedi hit theatres.  Villeneuve's portrayal of Paul is rather more introverted and brooding as if he understands the deadly seriousness of the political happenings of the world.

These different portrayals of Paul depict the difference in the tone of the movies, with the 1984 version being a more light-hearted, turn-your-brain-off type of sci-fi movie, while 2021 is the beginning of a vast world with rich and dense lore that may never even be touched by the film.

The "white savior narrative" and colonialism are what separate these movies. The addition of extensive use of Arabic words and phrases accentuates these notions.

The main character in both movies is played by a white actor that ends up becoming the "messiah" character to the Fremen people on Arrakis who are portrayed as being non-white people in the 2021 version, but white people in the 1984 version. This also raises the issue of 1984 whitewashing a lot of the characters in the movie, specifically the character of Dr. Yueh who is written as being an Asian character but is portrayed by a white actor.  The Fremen people in the 1984 movie are also white actors, but just with a layer of dirt and sand on them to make them look like "savages" in comparison to Paul and his family.

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The white savior theme is seen in this scene when Paul arrives on Arrakis and the Fremen people that are present are shouting “Lisan al-Gaib.”  His mother, Lady Jessica, explains how it is their word for the messiah and how they believe Paul is the One.  This myth of the messiah coming from beyond their planet has been the work of the Bene Gesserit, which is a religious group of women that train their bodies both mentally and physically to gain superhuman powers. Lady Jessica is one of them and has been training Paul in their way since he was a child. The way that the Bene Gesserit have been infecting the Fremen with their myths of a foreign messiah, or savior is for personal benefit as it is one of their plans they have been working on for a while. Paul understands this deception and says “They see what they’ve been told to see,” which means that the Bene Gesserit have been manipulating the Fremen for generations to align with the plans they have set forward.

The myth of the messiah lines up with Obeyesekere’s model of myths where he argues that “an underlying set of ideas (a myth structure or cluster of mythemes) employed in a variety of narrative forms” (Obeyesekere 10).  Obeyesekere’s myth model allows for the understanding that myths and stories can be used to manipulate the history of a group of people. While Obeyesekere argues that the Europeans created James Cook to benefit themselves, the Bene Gesserit did the same thing with the Fremen, by injecting a myth about a messiah from a different world as this was what they have been working on for centuries.

The music and sound design of this scene are also rather subtle. The sound of a high-pitched string instrument increases in volume as Paul argues with his mother. This creates an unnerving sense which comes and goes. It is brought to the forefront as the flying contraptions Paul and his mother are in start to ascend. The sound of the wings of the machine starts to bleed back but it can be only heard in the background as the harrowing string instrument plays louder as they fly over the fields of sand. As they approach the main city where they mine spice, percussion is introduced. This percussion gets louder each time it plays as they fly over the city. The music then goes back to the unpleasant string instrument sounds as Duke Leto looks at the moons of Arrakis. The music completely cuts out by the end of the scene to mimic the silence of the failing spice-collecting operation in the city.

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"These People Have Waited For Centuries For The Lisan Al-Gaib. They See You" |  DUNE 2021  |

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Arriving on Arrakis is one of many scenes both movies share. The difference between the scenes is the music and the presence of the Fremen. In the 1984 movie, the music is rather orchestral as Paul and his family leave Caladan, their home planet. The orchestra plays throughout most of the scene and increases in volume until they finally arrive in Arrakis.  When they do the music shifts to a similar high-pitched whistle sound whose melody is rather sweet but mysterious in order to set up the "prophesy" the Reverend Mother explains.

Arriving in Arrakis in the 1984 version is more grandiose and awe-inspiring, while in the 2021 version the music is more cautious and unnerving. Lynch wants the viewers to feel the "epicness" of traveling through space, especially since the movie only shows Atreides' spaceship just appearing next to Arrakis out of nowhere. They justify this by stating that spice allows space travel through "folding space" and thus they do not need to actually move. In the 2021 version, Villeneuve focuses mainly on how it feels to be in a new environment, there may be danger anywhere and nervousness associated with being in an unfamiliar place. Both versions serve well with the dialogue that they are accompanied by. The grandiose orchestra along with Duke Leto's speech on spice space travel and the unpleasant strings that pair with the tense conversation between Paul and his mother.

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In this scene, Paul is showing off the sonar weapon that Lynch has invented for this movie.  This weapon does not exist in the book or the 2021 version of the movie.  This scene is to reflect how much stronger and better Paul is supposed to be in comparison to the Fremen.

The scene begins with Paul asking the Fremen, one by one, to break the obelisk of stone that is thought to be the strongest substance. When they all fail, they are amazed to see that Paul is able to break it with one word and a blast from his sonar device.

In the last bit of the scene, the sonar weapon reacts with the word "Muad'Dib," the word the Fremen use to refer to Paul, breaking some stone. It is followed by some unwanted internal monologue that Paul has which reveals the idea that he believes not only that the Fremen are already qualified to fight the Harkonnens, but also that he is the one that must lead them to victory. However, the only caveat is that he must conquer the giant sandworms.

The difference between changing "Muad'Dib" to "Lisan al-Gaib" in Villeneuve's movie is rather more of semantics as in Arabic "Muad'Dib" refers to more a teacher, rather than a messiah-like figure, which is what is portrayed in the beginning half of Lynch's movie but throughout in Villeneuve's movie. The word "Muad'Dib," however fits better in Lynch's movie as it does show Paul teaching the Fremen about the Atreides' fighting methods and weapons like the sonar device.  Paul in Villeneuve's movie wasn't really portrayed in a teacher-like persona, the messiah figure was what the narrative focused on. This is the reason "Lisan al-Gaib" fits in his movie as it translates to someone who is a sort of fortune teller. Paul is seen as the person who will bring the "holy war" as both movies state.

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The topic of colonization is brought to attention in the scene where a Fremen leader named Stilgar meets with Leto Atreides to discuss an alliance between their people. While Leto argues that he will grant them anything within his power as they have suffered under the rule of the Harkonnens, Stilgar only asks that they not trespass into the desert as it is their home, they take the spice and stay on their side.  This scene was important as it portrayed Leto Atreides’ respect for the Fremen people as he went out of his way to diplomatically speak with one of them. Leto Atreides’ respect and appreciation for the Fremen show how he views them differently than the rest of the Houses and the Emperor, just like how Montaigne had viewed the natives.

Michel de Montaigne was a French philosopher, and writer who wrote many essays.  In his essay On Cannibals, he wrote about the Tupinamba people of Brazil.  While the French labeled the Tupinamba people as being “barbarous” and “savage” because their traditions and culture do not match each other (Montaigne 109).  Montaigne was arguing for the idea that it is simply a matter of perspective that can make one group of people civilized while labeling another as savages. Leto Atreides is trying to help the Fremen as the Harkennens ignored and oppressed them, not understanding that they could have used their desert power for military and political gain.

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The Dune films show that even in the far future, colonization still has a place in society.  The colonization of the planet of Arrakis for the spice that is harvested and the Fremen people that are oppressed contains similarities to European colonization of the New World.  While Europeans came to gain new land and resources, they also oppressed and killed many of the natives on that land to get what they needed. The Fremen people symbolize the natives that Montaigne and many other historians had written about.  The theme of the white savior is also rather strong as Paul Atreides is suspected and treated as being the messiah of the Fremen, someone who will lead them to paradise.  While much of the myth and legend behind the messiah can be accredited to the Bene Gesserit as they are the ones that planted and injected these legends and myths into the Fremen culture. It shows how even in myth, the “Chosen One” or “perfect being” as the Bene Gesserit calls it, is a white man.

While the 2021 version of Dune does well to criticize the geopolitical landscape of resource extraction that has plagued history, both movies fail victim to the "white savior" trope.  Even in the case of the 1984 version, where the whole cast is white, the white savior trope is still visible as the Fremen are portrayed as being clueless savages that need guidance from a "civilized" person.

The reception of the films is where the stark difference really shows.  The 1984 release of David Lynch's Dune was met with stifling reviews even then.  The New York Times gave it a one star out of five and wrote in their review, "Several of the characters in Dune are psychic, which puts them in the unique position of being able to understand what goes on in the movie" and that the plot was "perilously overloaded, as is virtually everything else about it" (Wikipedia. "Dune (1984 film)").  The movie's budget was in the $40 million range, and even by the end of its run, it only grossed a little over $30 million, thus it was agreed as being a colossal failure.

While Denis Villeneuve's rendition of Dune in 2021 was met with more positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie an 83%, with an average rating of 7.60/10, and wrote "Dune occasionally struggles with its unwieldy source material, but those issues are largely overshadowed by the scope and ambition of this visually thrilling adaptation" (Wikipedia. "Dune (2021 film)"). Much of the other reviews also touched upon the idea that the story being broken up into two movies is a good idea, but it still made the pacing of the movie feel slow and drawn out. The movie has grossed over $300 million, therefore it is well within the range of being a box office success.

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Villeneuve, Denis, director. Dune: Part One. YouTube, 2 May 2022, https://youtu.be/ADR_AEVT9PE. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.

Lynch, David, director. Dune. YouTube, 12 Apr. 2020, https://youtu.be/gVEQRj_WJG4. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.

Lynch, David, director. Dune. YouTube, 12 Apr. 2020, https://youtu.be/WyDfUSwAiRA. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.

Villeneuve, Denis, director. Dune: Part One. YouTube, 15 Jan. 2022, https://youtu.be/fJ_KjUZfwew. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.

"Dune." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Nov. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(1984_film). Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.

"Dune." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Dec. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(2021_film). Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.

Obeyesekere, Gananath. The Apotheosis of James Cook: European Mythmaking in the Pacific. Princeton University Press, 1992.

Montaigne, Michel de, and J. M. Cohen. “Chapter 31 On Cannibals.” Michel De Montaigne: Essays, Penguin Books, London, 1993, pp. 105–119.