Dune: A Test
Is this the plot of Dune: Part One or Dune: Part Two?
As part of an opening montage, the Harkonnen troops are shown massed in formation at a major turning point in their rule of Arrakis. The montage is narrated by a woman, who wonders about the motives behind the Emperor’s decisions.
Jessica chides Paul for failing to follow her teaching. While sharing a meal, Paul and Jessica discuss his visions and the ways of the Bene Gesserit.
At a site that holds the remains of many dead ancestors, one character asks another to accept an important traditional role that has been passed down for centuries.
Jessica recites the litany against fear. A Reverend Mother performs a potentially life-threatening ritual on one character while another anxiously awaits the results. The ritual awakens the abilities of Jessica’s child. After the ritual, Paul and Jessica talk about how Paul could be the Kwisatz Haderach.
Jessica leverages the prophecy to ingratiate herself with the Fremen. A native of Arrakis explains the ways of the desert to Paul.
A desert mouse appears at the beginning of a scene in which Paul faces and overcomes a Harkonnen flying machine – an escapade that wins him a new kind of acceptance and fame among his comrades in arms.
A character praises the ways of the Fremen to Paul. Paul says or does something that causes Stilgar to see him in a new light.
A spice harvester is destroyed in the desert when a carry-all cannot pick it up. Gurney descends from a flying machine to the desert floor and Paul recognizes his footsteps.
The Harkonnens mount a devastating surprise attack on Arrakis, bombarding multiple sites at once and prompting Paul and his allies to flee into the desert.
A friend stays behind and dies after killing several enemy warriors. Paul follows advice given by Jamis in a vision. A sandstorm covers Paul’s escape; a Harkonnen incorrectly concludes that Paul was killed in the storm and assures his superior that this is the case.
A worm rises out of the sand and looks down on humans.
A dispute is settled by single combat with knives. One of the combatants is a champion fighting on behalf of a third party. Paul salutes his opponent to begin the duel and then kills him (even though we see him get stabbed himself).
Paul decides on a new path for the future, going against the wishes of an important woman in his life.
Chani travels into the desert.
This line of thinking started when I noticed that Jessica recites the litany against fear (“I must not fear… fear is the mind-killer…”) at almost the same point in both movies – about 20 minutes in. I admit I played a bit fast and loose with some of the parallels, and it’s true that I had to omit some significant chunks of the second film while telescoping two major battles from Part One into the comparatively short bombardment of Sietch Tabr in Part Two.
Nonetheless, I think the exercise speaks to the impressively rigorous continuity of the two films. They operate by their own internally consistent narrative and thematic logic, which is something not all literary adaptations do. A lesser adaptation merely transposes the source text into a new medium, flattening it in the process – the mark of a great adaptation, I think, is that it takes the text apart piece by piece and then rebuilds it from the ground up in what is necessarily a new form.
Moreover, looking at the two Dune films side by side reveals new layers to both of them. It is illuminating to see both the repetitions (how do the films complement each other?) and the reversals (how do the films contrast each other?). Here is the “answer key”:
(1) As part of an opening montage, the Harkonnen troops are shown massed in formation at a major turning point in their rule of Arrakis. The montage is narrated by a woman, who wonders about the motives behind the Emperor’s decisions.
In Part One, the montage is narrated by Chani and the Harkonnens are leaving Arrakis.
In Part Two, the montage is narrated by Irulan and the Harkonnens are retaking control of Arrakis.
(2) Jessica chides Paul for failing to follow her teaching. While sharing a meal, Paul and Jessica discuss his visions and the ways of the Bene Gesserit.
In Part One, Jessica chides Paul for his failure to use the Voice. Their discussion takes place while they are sharing a meal on Caladan. A framed painting of Paul’s grandfather is nearby.
In Part Two, Jessica chides Paul for standing with his back to the open. Their discussion takes place while they are sharing a meal at Sietch Tabr. In a vision, Paul sees a framed painting of his father.
(3) At a site that holds the remains of many dead ancestors, one character asks another to accept an important traditional role that has been passed down for centuries.
In Part One, the site is the Atreides cemetery and Leto is asking Paul to become the next Duke of House Atreides. Paul asks what happens if he refuses and Leto answers that he will still love him.
In Part Two, the site is the “well” holding the water of dead Fremen in Sietch Tabr and Stilgar is asking Jessica to become the next Reverend Mother. Jessica asks what happens if she refuses and Stilgar answers that she will be killed.
(4) Jessica recites the litany against fear. A Reverend Mother performs a potentially life-threatening ritual on one character while another anxiously awaits the results. The ritual awakens the abilities of Jessica’s child. After the ritual, Paul and Jessica talk about how Paul could be the Kwisatz Haderach.
In Part One, the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam performs the Gom Jabbar test on Paul while Jessica awaits the result; the test awakens Paul’s sight.
In Part Two, the Fremen Reverend Mother has Jessica drink the Water of Life while Paul awaits the result; the test awakens Alia in Jessica’s womb.
(5) Jessica leverages the prophecy to ingratiate herself with the Fremen. A native of Arrakis explains the ways of the desert to Paul.
In Part One, Jessica wins the trust of the devout Fremen housekeeper Shadout Mapes because she knows what a crysknife is, fulfilling the prophecy. Meanwhile, Paul learns from the devout keeper of the sacred palm trees, who tells him how much moisture the trees drink.
In Part Two, Jessica wins the trust of the non-believing Fremen by convincing them that Paul is the prophesied Lisan al-Gaib. Meanwhile, Paul learns from the non-believing Chani, who tells him how windtraps catch moisture.
(6) A desert mouse appears at the beginning of a scene in which Paul faces and overcomes a Harkonnen flying machine – an escapade that wins him a new kind of acceptance and fame among his comrades in arms.
In Part One, the desert mouse appears right before Paul faces the Harkonnen hunter seeker. Afterwards, he joins the Atreides council for the first time and Gurney (in jest) dubs him “a hero of old.”
In Part Two, the desert mouse appears right before Paul faces the Harkonnen ornithopter gunship. Afterwards, he joins the ranks of the Fedaykin for the first time and Stilgar dubs him “Usul” (a “strong” name meaning “base of the pillar”).
(7) A character praises the ways of the Fremen to Paul. Paul says or does something that causes Stilgar to see him in a new light.
In Part One, Duncan talks to Paul about how much he admires the Fremen and how beautiful the desert is. Paul’s wise words in the council cause Stilgar to suspect that he is the Lisan al-Gaib.
In Part Two, Chani talks to Paul about how much she admires the Fremen and how beautiful the desert is. Paul rides Shai-Hulud, cementing Stilgar’s belief that he is the Lisan al-Gaib.
(8) A spice harvester is destroyed in the desert when a carry-all cannot pick it up. Gurney descends from a flying machine to the desert floor and Paul recognizes his footsteps.
In Part One, an Atreides harvester is destroyed by Shai-Hulud after the carry-all malfunctions. Leto saves the crew of the harvester.
In Part Two, a smuggler harvester is destroyed by the Fremen, who also destroy the carry-all. Paul saves the crew of the harvester.
(9) The Harkonnens mount a devastating surprise attack on Arrakis, bombarding multiple sites at once and prompting Paul and his allies to flee into the desert.
In Part One, the Harkonnens attack Arrakeen, bombing it from above. Though only one attack is shown, we are told that “the whole planet” has been hit.
In Part Two, the Harkonnens attack Sietch Tabr, bombing it from above. Though only one attack is shown, we are told that “the whole of the North” has been hit.
(10) A friend stays behind and dies after killing several enemy warriors. Paul follows advice given by Jamis in a vision. A sandstorm covers Paul’s escape; a Harkonnen incorrectly concludes that Paul was killed in the storm and assures his superior that this is the case.
In Part One, Duncan (Paul’s best friend) stays behind and dies after killing several Sardaukar. Paul follows Jamis’ advice to let go of the ornithopter’s controls. Rabban assures the Baron that Paul died in the storm.
In Part Two, Shishakli (Chani’s best friend) stays behind and dies after killing several Harkonnens. Paul follows Jamis’ advice to drink the Water of Life. The Baron (backed by Rabban and Feyd-Rautha) assures the Emperor that Muad’dib (who he does not know to be Paul) died in the Southern storms.
(11) A worm rises out of the sand and looks down on humans.
In Part One, a worm rises out of the sand and looks down on Paul and Jessica.
In Part Two, several worms rise out of the sand and look down on the Sardaukar.
(12) A dispute is settled by single combat with knives. One of the combatants is a champion fighting on behalf of a third party. Paul salutes his opponent to begin the duel and then kills him (even though we see him get stabbed himself).
In Part One, Paul fights Jamis as Jessica’s champion. In a vision, Paul is stabbed by Jamis, but in reality, he stabs and kills Jamis.
In Part Two, Feyd-Rautha fights Paul as the Emperor’s champion. Paul is stabbed by Feyd-Rautha, but still manages to stab and kill him.
(13) Paul decides on a new path for the future, going against the wishes of an important woman in his life.
In Part One, Paul decides to go into the desert (following Chani) despite Jessica’s objections.
In Part Two, Paul decides to become Emperor and begin the holy war (following Jessica) despite Chani’s objections.
(14) Chani travels into the desert.
At the end of Part One, Chani leads Paul and Jessica into the desert while a Fremen rides a nearby sandworm.
At the end of Part Two, Chani leaves Paul and Jessica before calling a sandworm and preparing to ride it into the desert.