Our final movie this winter, with the "water wars" theme,
is the science fiction classic "Dune." I read Frank Herbert's Dune
trilogy-plus-one in the first summer post-college graduation and loved the rich
political drama, storytelling from multiple points of view, and interesting
ideas about ecology and human nature. The movie should really be classified as
"spice wars", because the plot centers around the mysterious spice substance
on the planet Arrakis. Control and distribution of spice throughout the galaxy
is the key to political power.
The movie begins with the House Atreides moving from their beautiful water planet, Caladan, to the dry barren planet, Arrakis. Atreides has won the Emperor's favor to replace House Harkanon, who has ruled the planet and spice trade with cruelty and corruption. Arrakis is populated by huge worms, and an ancient desert people called the Fremen, who have adapted to the harsh conditions. Duke Leto Atreides is a wise leader, willing to sacrifice spice for his men; Lady Jessica, his concubine and mother of their son, is a Bene Gesserit who went against her religious training; and Paul Atreides is their teenage son, who does not want to move to their new home. House Harkanon soon stages a coup to regain their power and position on Arrakis, kicking off a series of events leading Paul Atreides to emerge as a new kind of leader, the Maud'Dib.
I especially enjoyed learning about the mysterious Fremen who had adapted to desert life. They wear still-suits that capture and recycle their water; collect the water of the dead in large underground pools deep in the caves; develop farming techniques that capture water from the atmosphere; and live in caves. (Perhaps we should take note here in the west, for ways to live with more harmony with our warming, and drying planet)! They understand their world, but foster a dream to bring green to their planet. I also appreciated the Bene Gesserit, the sisterhood who are genetically engineering their messiah across generations through selective breeding (until Lady Jessica stepped outside plan). Watch the trailer (click "Watch Trailer"):
I hope you have enjoyed this winter's pick of movies where the plot revolves around water as a scarce commodity. For another movie in this category, see "The Milagro Beanfield War".
The movie begins with the House Atreides moving from their beautiful water planet, Caladan, to the dry barren planet, Arrakis. Atreides has won the Emperor's favor to replace House Harkanon, who has ruled the planet and spice trade with cruelty and corruption. Arrakis is populated by huge worms, and an ancient desert people called the Fremen, who have adapted to the harsh conditions. Duke Leto Atreides is a wise leader, willing to sacrifice spice for his men; Lady Jessica, his concubine and mother of their son, is a Bene Gesserit who went against her religious training; and Paul Atreides is their teenage son, who does not want to move to their new home. House Harkanon soon stages a coup to regain their power and position on Arrakis, kicking off a series of events leading Paul Atreides to emerge as a new kind of leader, the Maud'Dib.
I especially enjoyed learning about the mysterious Fremen who had adapted to desert life. They wear still-suits that capture and recycle their water; collect the water of the dead in large underground pools deep in the caves; develop farming techniques that capture water from the atmosphere; and live in caves. (Perhaps we should take note here in the west, for ways to live with more harmony with our warming, and drying planet)! They understand their world, but foster a dream to bring green to their planet. I also appreciated the Bene Gesserit, the sisterhood who are genetically engineering their messiah across generations through selective breeding (until Lady Jessica stepped outside plan). Watch the trailer (click "Watch Trailer"):
I hope you have enjoyed this winter's pick of movies where the plot revolves around water as a scarce commodity. For another movie in this category, see "The Milagro Beanfield War".
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