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Dune’s opening scene changes the beginning of Frank Herbert’s novel. However, there is a good reason for this that actually helps the story.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dune, now in theaters and on HBO Max.
As with any adaptation, the new Dune film makes several changes from the Frank Herbert novel that it is based on, especially toward the beginning. While the book opens with its protagonist Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), most of the scenes from the first chapter do not take place until fifteen minutes into the movie. Instead, the opening scene of the new Dune movie is not in the book, but it is necessary for appreciating the novel.
The movie begins with a woman (Zendaya) giving a voice-over, describing the beautiful sunsets on her home planet of Arrakis, where her native Fremen people can see spice in the desert air. She then explains how outsiders come each night to harvest the spice. These outsiders, the Harkonnens, have ravaged both her people and the planet, and the spice has made them even richer than the Emperor. A short fight scene shows Fremen warriors rising from the sands to kill Harkonnens, even as Harkonnen ships unleash an explosive bombardment. However, without warning, the Harkonnens left the planet. The voice-over ends with the girl wondering who their next oppressors will be.
All of this helps set the scene and explain the complex backstory behind Dune. Audiences learn about some of the different groups, notably the Fremen of Arrakis and the violent Harkonnens who invaded to harvest the lucrative spice. This opening is then followed by several more scenes that introduce different characters and factions to the audience, most of which are original to the film. On top of all this, the voice-over is provided by Chani, an important character seen throughout the film in prophetic dreams, but otherwise not introduced until the end of the movie.
At the same time, the opening voice-over has another function that is even more important. As Chani contemplates who the next oppressors will be, the film cuts to a shot of Paul — the first time audiences see him. By introducing the Fremen first, the film makes it clear that the Atreides family are not heroic liberators, but invaders colonizing the planet Arrakis and harvesting its resources for themselves.
This is important to see at the beginning of the film, as it addresses the complexities of the narrative and anti-colonialist themes. Paul’s father Leto rules with a sense of fairness that distinguishes him from the Harkonnens. He reaches out to the Fremen, offering to give them whatever is in his power, and he cares more about the lives of his workers than the profits of harvesting spice. However, even at their best, House Atreides is still part of the problem, something that the Fremen perspective makes clear.
These themes are prevalent throughout Herbert’s novel. Leto is an honorable man and Paul is depicted as a messianic savior, even as the story actively subverts traditional narratives about honorable rulers and saviors. Both men are flawed. Their good intentions are not enough to avert the widespread suffering of political realities and often exacerbate such issues. But Dune is an incredibly subtle novel, and such subtlety does not translate well onto the big screen.
By introducing the Fremen before Paul, the film allows audiences to empathize with the plight of the Fremen people. It also shows how both the Harkonnens and Atreidai are extensions of the Emperor’s will, who only came to Arrakis to plunder the planet’s resources. This is reinforced in a later scene when one of the Fremen leaders, Stilgar, tells Leto, “You come here for the spice, you take it, giving nothing in return.” Paul acknowledges this, and Leto offers the Fremen anything that is in his power to give. All Stilgar asks for is that the Atreides forces stay out of the desert and leave the Fremen alone. But Leto cannot do this, as he has been appointed by the Emperor to rule.
The forces of imperialism and colonialism — more than any particular faction — are the real villains of Dune. The Harkonnens are drastically crueler and more violent, as they actively advocate for genocide. However, the opening scene of the film makes it clear that any offworlders who come seeking the spice are guilty of the same crimes.
To see this opening in action, watch Dune, now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
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