Human Dignity and the Politics of Dune

Dune: Part Two is a blockbuster worthy of the name. Earning over $200 million dollars so far at the box office, it is the highest-grossing film of 2024, and proof that, in the era of superhero film fatigue—as well as the failure of storytelling that characterized Disney’s Star Wars trilogy—there is a real opening to attract audiences with new and interesting stories and adaptations in the space opera genre. Frank Herbert’s son Brian argued that Dune is to science fiction as Lord of the Rings is to fantasy, which naturally invites a comparison of the film adaptations. It is similar in ambition and scale to the original LOTR films. Dune is an epic that sprawls multiple worlds, brought to life with powerful performances and eye-candy visuals (aided by CGI that, unlike much of The Hobbit trilogy, doesn’t detract from but enhances the story), and a heart-thrumming soundtrack. Another comparison that comes to mind is more remarkable: how conservative, in many of the best senses of that term, the film is. I shall focus here on the themes of human dignity, faith and reason, and political faith.