Dune (2021 film)

Dune (titled onscreen as Dune: Part One) is a 2021 American epic science fiction film about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Written by Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Eric Roth, based on the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert.

It Begins. (taglines)

Paul Atreides

[Trailer] This is an extermination. They're picking my family off one by one.
[to Stilgar] The Emperor sent us to this place. And my father came, not for spice, not for the riches, but for the strength of your people. My road leads into the desert. I can see it. If you'll have us, we will come.

Lady Jessica Atreides

[reciting the Litany of Fear] I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Duke Leto Atreides

[Final words] Here I am. Here I remain.
A great man doesn't seek to lead, he's called to it. And he answers.

Gaius Helen Mohiam

[Trailer] Arrakis is a death trap.
[Trailer] One day, a legend will be born. All of civilization depends on it.
[to Paul] An animal caught in a trap will gnaw off its own leg to escape. What will you do?
[to Paul] Goodbye, young human. I hope you live.

Chani

[first lines] My planet Arrakis is so beautiful when the sun is low. Rolling over the sands, you can see the spice in the air. At nightfall, the spice harvesters land. The outsiders race against time to avoid the heat of the day. They ravage our lands in front of our eyes. Their cruelty to my people is all I've known. These outsiders, the Harkonnens, came long before I was born. By controlling spice production, they became obscenely rich. Richer than the Emperor himself. Our warriors couldn't free Arrakis from the Harkonnens. But one day, by imperial decree, they were gone. Why did the Emperor choose this path? And who will our next oppressors be?
[to Paul] I would not have let you hurt my friends.
This is only the beginning.

Duncan Idaho

[Trailer] Let's fight like demons.
Dreams make good stories, but everything important happens when we're awake. 'Cause that's when we make things happen.
When you cross blades with a Sardaukar, you'll know it.
To hell, dogs!

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen

I said I would not harm them, and I shall not. But Arrakis is Arrakis, and the desert takes the weak. My desert. My Arrakis. My Dune.
For hundreds of years, we've traded blood for blood. But no more. Your son is dead. Your concubine is dead. Tonight the House of Atreides falls. And your bloodline ends forever.

Jamis

The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. A process that cannot be understood by stopping it. We must move with the flow of the process. We must join it. We must flow with it.
May thy knife chip and shatter.

Other

Introductory placard: Dreams are messages from the deep.
Narration Recorder: Extreme temperatures and treacherous weather events make life outside the cities of Arrakis truly hostile, with sandstorms powerful enough to cut through metal. Only the native tribes known as the Fremen have adapted well enough to survive. Preferring to inhabit the remotest regions of Arrakis, the Fremen share the deep desert with the giant sandworms known to the Fremen as Shai-Hulud. Long exposure to spice has given the tribe their characteristic blue eyes, the Eyes of Ibad.

Little else is known of the Fremen, except that they are dangerous and unreliable. Fremen attacks make spice harvesting extremely hazardous. For the Fremen, spice is the sacred hallucinogen which preserves life and brings enormous health benefits. For the Imperium, spice is used by the navigators of the Spacing Guild to find safe paths between the stars. Without spice, interstellar travel is impossible, making it by far the most valuable substance in the universe.

Narration Recorder: The largest and most dangerous organism on Arrakis is the sandworm, capable of reaching 400 meters in length. To avoid making rhythmic noises, which attract the sandworms, the Fremen cross desert spaces using the sandwalk, a dance-like motion with irregular rhythm which emulates the natural sounds of the desert.
Shadout Mapes: When you have lived with prophecy for so long, the moment of revelation is a shock.
Liet Kynes: Bless the Maker and His water. Bless the coming and going of Him. May His passage cleanse the world. And keep the world for His people.

Dialogue

Duke Leto Atredies: Smile, Gurney.

Gurney Halleck: [with a stoic face] I am smiling.

Herald of the Change: By the grace of Shaddam IV of House Corrino, ascendant to the Golden Lion Throne of Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe, I stand before you as Herald of the Change. We are witnessed by members of the Imperial Court, representatives of the Spacing Guild and a sister of the Bene Gesserit. The Emperor has spoken. "House Atreides shall immediately take control of Arrakis and serve as its steward." Do you accept?

Duke Leto Atreides: We are House Atreides. There is no call we do not answer. There is no faith that we betray. The Emperor asks us to bring peace to Arrakis. House Atreides accepts!

Paul Atreides: So, you're going to Arrakis tomorrow. With the advance team.

Duncan Idaho: Yes, I'm going to Arrakis tomorrow with the advance team.

Paul Atreides: I'd like you to take me with you.

Duncan Idaho: You would?

[Paul nods]

Duncan Idaho: Well, that's too bad. 'Cause no.

Duncan Idaho: Look at you. Put on some muscle?

Paul Atreides: I did?

Duncan Idaho: No.

Paul Atreides: What if I'm not, Dad?

Duke Leto Atreides: Not what?

Paul Atreides: The future of House Atreides.

[Shows Paul his signet ring]

Duke Leto Atreides: I told my father I didn't want this either. I wanted to be a pilot.

Paul Atreides: You never told me that.

Duke Leto Atreides: Your grandfather said, "A great man doesn't seek to lead. He's called to it, and he answers." And if your answer is no... you'll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be. My son.

[Paul is to practice fencing with Gurney]

Paul Atreides: I guess I'm not in the mood today.

Gurney Halleck: Mood? What's mood to do with it? You fight when the necessity arises, no matter the mood. Now fight!

[the two begin fighting, and Paul eventually puts his blade to Gurney's throat]

Paul: I have you.

Gurney Halleck: Look down, my lord. [Paul does, and sees Gurney's blade to his ribs.] We'd have joined each other in death. I see you found the mood.

Paul: Will it be that bad?

Gurney: You don't get it, do you? You don't really understand the grave nature of what's happening to us. For 80 years, Arrakis belonged to House Harkonnen. 80 years of owning the spice fields. Can you imagine the wealth? Your eyes. I need to see it in your eyes. You never met Harkonnens before. I have. They're not human. They're brutal! You have to be ready.

[Giedi Prime, homeworld of House Harkonnen: "Beast" Rabban reports to his uncle, the Baron]

Beast Rabban Harkonnen: Lord Baron.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: Rabban.

Beast Rabban Harkonnen: The last of our ships have left Arrakis. It's done.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: Very good.

Beast Rabban Harkonnen: [turns to leave, then turns back] Uncle, how can we let this happen? How can the Emperor... [angrily thunders at the Baron] TAKE everything we've built, and give it to that Duke?! HOW?!

Piter De Vries: Don't be too sure it's an act of love.

Beast Rabban Harkonnen: [to the Baron] What does he mean?

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: When is a gift not a gift? The Atreides voice is rising, and the Emperor is a jealous man. A dangerous, jealous man.

{Trailer]

Paul Atreides: There's something happening to me. Something waking up in my mind. I can't control it.

Gaius Helen Mohiam: What did you see?

Paul Atreides: There's a crusade coming.

Gaius Helen Mohiam: The test is simple. Remove your hand from the box, and you die.

Paul Atreides: What's in the box?

Gaius Helen Mohiam: Pain.

[Trailer]

Gaius Helen Mohiam: You've proven you can rule yourself. Now you must learn to rule others, something none of your ancestors learnt.

Paul Atreides: My father rules an entire planet.

Gaius Helen Mohiam: He's losing it.

Paul Atreides: He's getting a richer one.

Gaius Helen Mohiam: He'll lose that one too.

Gaius Helen Mohiam: Like sifting sand through a screen, we sift people. If you had been unable to control your impulses like an animal, we could not let you live. You inherit too much power.

Paul Atreides: What, because I'm a duke's son?

Gaius Helen Mohiam: Because you are Jessica's son. You have more than one birthright, boy.

Duke Leto Atreides: What do they say about this hellhole again?

Gurney Halleck: "To shower, you scrub your ass with sand," my lord. That's what they say.

Thufir Hawat: Sire, I failed you today. There's no excuse. You have my resignation.

Duke Leto Atreides: You would deprive us of your talents at this time?

Thufir Hawat: Sire, my honor demands-

Duke Leto Atreides: They tried to take the life of my son! I don't give a damn about your honor. You want absolution? Go catch some spies.

Piter De Vries: If the Duke's son lives--

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: No Atreides shall live.

Piter De Vries: My Lord, you gave your word to the witch, and she sees too much.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: I said I would not harm them and I shall not. But Arrakis is Arrakis and the desert takes the weak. My desert. My Arrakis. My Dune.

Duncan: The Fremen watched me search for them for days. I never saw them. Finally, they sent a warrior out to kill me. And I gotta tell you, I have never come so close to dying. There's no finer fighter in the Imperium. They fight like demons.

Leto Atreides: Desert power.

Leto Atreides: The Emperor has given me Arrakis as my fief to rule and protect. I cannot promise not to travel into the desert if duty compels me. But your sietches will be yours forever. And you will never be hunted while I govern here.

Stilgar: That's very honorable. I must go. That's all I have to say to you. [turns away]

Paul Atreides: Won't you stay? We would honor you.

Stilgar: Honor requires that I be elsewhere.

Dr. Liet Kynes: You've worn a stilsuit before?

Paul Atreides: No, this is my first time.

Kynes: Your desert boots are fitted slip-fashion at the ankles. Who taught you to do that?

Paul Atreides: It seemed the right way.

Kynes: [muttering in Chakobsa] He shall know your ways as though born to them.

Duke Leto Atreides: Where are they?

Crawler Operator: Sir, there's protocol for a reason. If we take one step out there, we're as good as dead. Besides, we're got a full load of spice. We can't just leave it-

Duke Leto Atreides: Damn the spice! I want every man off that crawler now!

Duke Leto Atreides: Dr. Kynes. You saw it. With your own eyes. It's plain to see. Everything they've left us is in shambles. We've been set up to fail.

Dr. Liet Kynes: That carryall was just old. The desert isn't kind to equipment.

Duke Leto Atreides: You know what will happen, if I don't get spice production back on track.

Dr. Liet Kynes: I'm not here to take your part. Arrakis has seen men like you come and go. Take good care of your family. The desert's not kind to humans either.

Duke Leto Atreides: Jessica. You gave me a son, and from the moment he was born I never questioned you. I trusted you completely, even when you walked in shadows. Now I'm asking you this one thing. If anything happens, will you protect our son?

Lady Jessica Atreides: With... my life.

Duke Leto Atreides: I'm not asking his mother, I'm asking the Bene Gesserit. Will you protect Paul?

Lady Jessica Atreides: Why are you having these thoughts? Leto, this is not you.

Duke Leto Atreides: I thought we had more time.

[The Sardaukar legions, the Emperor's elite shock troops, are assembled at a landing zone on Salusa Secundus. The warrior-mystics are being blessed by a muezzin throat-singing deep chords, while nuns literally baptize the troops with human blood taken from nearby crucified victims. A Sardaukar Bashar (general) leads Piter de Vries through the ranks.]

Sardaukar Bashar: [battle-cant] Why does the Baron need us? Harkonnens outnumber the Atreides.

Piter de Vries: The Atreides legions are the finest in the Imperium, trained by Gurney Halleck and Duncan Idaho...

Sardaukar Bashar: [battle-cant] Bah! We are the Sardaukar. The Emperor's blades. Those who stand against us fall.

Piter de Vries: Just so. Three battalions, as agreed.

[The prayer ends and the kneeling Sardaukar legions all spring to their feet, with clockwork precision.]

Sardaukar Bashar: [battle-cant] The Emperor commands it. It is done.

Duncan Idaho: Kynes!

Dr. Liet Kynes: It's not safe for you here.

Duncan Idaho: Will you tell the Great Houses of the Landsraad how we were betrayed? How the best of them were murdered?

Dr. Liet Kynes: I am commanded to say nothing. To see nothing.

Duncan Idaho: The Emperor sent us here to die.

Beast Rabban Harkonnen: We chased them into a Coriolis storm. Winds at eight hundred kilometers an hour. Nothing survives such a storm. They're dead. It's a certainty.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: [emerges from a healing bath] So it's done, finally. Send word to Giedi Prime to begin selling our spice reserves... but slowly. We don't want the price to fall. You have no idea how much it cost me to bring such a force to bear here. Now I have only one requirement: Income. So squeeze, Rabban. Squeeze hard.

Beast Rabban Harkonnen: Yes, Uncle. And the Fremen?

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: [submerging into the bath again] Kill them all.

Paul Atreides: [while having a vision] That's the future. It's coming. Holy war spreading across the universe like unquenchable fire.

Lady Jessica Atreides: Paul, you're scared. I can see it. Tell me, please, what do you fear?

Paul Atreides: Somebody help me, please.

Lady Jessica Atreides: Paul.

Paul Atreides: It's coming. I see a holy war spreading across the universe like unquenchable fire. A warrior religion that waves the Atreides banner in my father's name.

Lady Jessica Atreides: Paul.

Paul Atreides: Fanatical legions worshiping at the shrine of my father's skull. A war in my name! Everyone shouting my name!

Chani: [vision] Paul

Lady Jessica Atreides: Paul Atreides. You are your father's son. You are my son. You are the Duke Paul Atreides. You know who you are. You know who you are.

Paul Atreides: [snaps angrily at Jessica using the Voice] GET OFF ME!! [normal voice] You did this to me! You Bene Gesserit made me a freak!

[After Jessica incapacitates Stilgar]

Stilgar: Why didn't you say you were a weirding woman? And a fighter?

Lady Jessica Atreides: Our conversation ran short.

Jamis: I will not have them.

Stilgar: Jamis, I have spoken. Be still.

Jamis: You talk like a leader. But the strongest leads. She bested you. I invoke the amtal.

Stilgar: You may not challenge a Sayyadina.

Jamis: Then who will fight in her name?

Stilgar: Jamis, don't do this. Don't. The night is fading.

Jamis: Then the sun will witness this death.

Chani: [to Paul] I don't believe you're the Lisan al-Ghaib.. but I want you to die with honor. [offers Paul her knife] This crysknife was given to me by my great aunt. Its made from a tooth of Shai Hulud, the great sandworm. This will be a great honor for you to die holding it.

Jamis: [yelling angrily, ready to fight] Where is the outworlder?

Chani: Jamis is a good fighter. He won't let you suffer.

Stilgar: Is he toying with him?

Lady Jessica Atreides: No. Paul has never killed a man.