Denis Villeneuve has promised Dune: Part Three will be the most action-packed installment of his sci-fi trilogy, and judging by the reactions to the opening scene, he wasn’t exaggerating. Following the release of the first full trailer earlier this week, the closing part of Villeneuve’s epic has already drawn comparisons with one seminal piece of war cinema.
At a worldwide event this week, fans and journalists alike were treated to the premiere of the new trailer, followed by a Q&A with Villeneuve and star Timothée Chalamet as well as an exclusive look at the first seven minutes of the film. Several outlets, such as Dexerto, compared the sequence to the legendary opening scene of Steven Spielberg’s wartime classic, Saving Private Ryan.
Villeneuve has already gone on record as saying that this installment will be more action-packed than previous entries. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he described the tone of each of the films:
“If the first movie was more of a contemplation, like a boy exploring a new world, and the second one being a war movie, this one is a thriller. It is action-packed and tense. More muscular.”
The footage shown at the fan event would appear to bear this out. Rather than easing back into the deliberate pacing of the previous films, Dune: Part Three begins with a frenetic, fast-paced set piece, as the followers of Paul Atreides (Chalamet) led by the devoted Stilgar (Javier Bardem) stage a full-on military assault on a rainy enemy planet.
Before showing the footage, Villeneuve himself prepared the gathered audience for the scene, saying:
“Silence to me is so powerful. I actually have some footage to show you today that speaks to this. This is one of the early scenes from the film. Both visions from the first two movies have become reality, and we see the consequences of his (Paul’s) decisions… I would not consider what you are going to see to be a silent film, but there’s not a lot of dialogue.”
Like Spielberg, it sounds like Villeneuve weaponizes the sound design, leaning into this quiet before the storm, as he depicts the Fremen warriors descending on an enemy world on dropships, nervously preparing themselves for battle. Like the opening scenes of Spielberg’s depiction of the Normandy landings, which shows Allied soldiers bracing themselves before storming Omaha Beach, Villeneuve shows the water-worshipping Fremen nervously preparing themselves for the attack, some reading, some fidgeting with good luck charms, and others praying (including the mantra: “Water will fall from the sky.”)
Once they land, all hell breaks loose, with the Fremen immediately coming under fire from enemy forces in a chaotic assault on the senses that will undoubtedly be something to experience in IMAX. Like Saving Private Ryan, though, SlashFilm has reported that among the explosions and “pulsating laser blasts,” Villeneuve still finds time for small, personal moments, such as one Fremen’s wonder at his first sight of rain.
If you missed out on the fan event, not to worry, as Villeneuve also revealed that at least some of this scene will be played ahead of IMAX screenings of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, while Dune itself will be in cinemas in December.
“This was shot on 70mm IMAX film, and audiences will be able to see a glimpse of this scene ahead of The Odyssey showings in 70mm IMAX.”
If these early reactions are to be believed, Villeneuve’s final trip to Arrakis will begin with one of the most explosive openings of his career.
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