Denis Villeneuve dug deeper into Arrakis’ culture in Dune: Part Two, which also went to great lengths to show the Fremen’s painstakingly frugal way of life.
Dune: Part Two hit the ground running with a continuation of Part One‘s final scene, which saw Paul Atreides (played by Timothy Chalamet) immediately exposed to the Fremen’s survivalist life. The first half of Part Two was almost entirely dedicated to Paul in Arrakis and among the Fremen tribes, learning their norms and customs. These include their sparing use of all available resources, particularly water and fluids. While this is understandable in a harsh planet like Arrakis, it wasn’t revealed if the Fremen were also frugal with their technology and equipment. In an interview with Gizmodo, director Denis Villeneuve settles any doubt by confirming how the Fremen retrieve their sand thumpers.
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Now that the film finally showed Fremen hitching on sandworms for a ride, Villeneuve entertained the thought of the creatures as Arrakis’ “recycling dumps.” He added, “Yeah, it’s a thing you ask yourself. Is there something that they can find back there out of the digestive system of the worm? I’m sure the Fremen thought about that. I’m sure that there’s a way to recycle because it’s a culture that is all about recycling. It’s a bit like people living in space. It’s an environment that’s so harsh and they are very clever people.” Both Dune films depicted sandworms devouring melange spice harvesters, and in Part Two, it’s certain the creatures also swallow the sand thumpers on their tracks.
How Fremen Retrieve Thumpers After Sandworm Attacks
Villeneuve hedged a bit but hinted at how the thumpers are retrieved after a sandworm attack. “So there’s a way of recycling those thumpers to find them back. We should ask a Fremen,” he quipped. When asked if the Fremen picked off the thumper from sandworm excrement, Villeneuve only said, “I suspect,” with a laugh. The method may be cringe-inducing, but it’s consistent with the Fremen way of life. One scene in Part Two demonstrated how they retrieved water from fallen comrades, believing that one’s water belonged to the tribe. Zendaya even expressed it was particularly difficult to convey Chani’s emotions without crying since the Fremen are forbidden to waste water regardless of the source.
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Villeneuve said he intentionally spent the first hour of Dune: Part Two on Arrakis to provide an immersive Fremen experience. “I wanted to [make sure] the audience is being immersed, like Paul in the film, in the Fremen culture and to feel the first part of his arc,” he explained. “It felt stronger this way.” The harsh landscape of Arrakis contrasts the Harkonnen’s home planet Giedi Prime, which was for the most part depicted in monochrome black and white.
Dune: Part Two is now showing in theaters.
Source: Gizmodo
Dune: Part Two
Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
- Director
- Denis Villeneuve
- Release Date
- February 28, 2024
- Cast
- Timothee Chalamet , Zendaya , Florence Pugh , Austin Butler , Christopher Walken , Rebecca Ferguson
- Writers
- Denis Villeneuve , Jon Spaihts , Frank Herbert
- Runtime
- 2 hours 46 minutes
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Production Company
- Legendary Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Villeneuve Films, Warner Bros.
