Dune Part 2 is a reimagining of one of the all-time favourite proclaimed science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert set 20,000 years into the future.
The protagonist of the story, Paul, finds himself reuniting with the female lead, Chani, as he attempts to avenge his family. The film incorporates a big budget, some of the best actors, incredible cinematography, and editing, presenting a very impactful image and narration to the audience. Despite excelling in all matters of cinema and story narration, the point of contention is raised when looking at the film's art direction—a snippet of what the audience globally received through the film's trailer and Posters.
The importance of posters as a media piece is regarding their accessibility and interpretation. It gives an outlook on not just the film but also taps into the audience's own social, cultural, political and economic inclinations and understandings, which are sometimes either reaffirmed or, at other times, seen to be challenged. Looking at these posters, one observes an orange-to-brown colour scheme, which is linked with desert areas; there is the presence of a distant shadow of a horse and a rugged landscape, an image which is once again connected to the East. Further, an aspect that visual media does so skillfully is also tapping into the emotions of its audience.
With a lack of infrastructural refinement and any form of "civilisation", one dedicates danger and mystery. The very perception of words such as "civilisation", "danger", and "mystery" can be seen to have deep oriental inclinations and forms of understanding that both the East and the West utilise to make sense of their surroundings and reality in general. The presence of deserts and horses, tied to media presenting scenes of uneasiness and danger, is reaffirming oriental ways of thinking and perceiving the world. While presenting calm and peaceful sceneries and emotions, presenting Western landscapes is more common.
This oriental perception of the East, as Edward Said points out, is the White man's opinions and understanding about the lives of a coloured man, which is then presented to all parties as proven facts and not opinions. When posters of films like Dune reembrace these ideologies, these opinions presented as facts are further solidified, enhancing the power dynamic which goes in favour of the white man naturally. They then have the power to determine what kind of human one can or can not be and if they are worthy of being called one in the first place.
This aspect can also be seen in the poster of Zendaya, the film's female lead. She is presented with sharp blue eyes, with a look of fear and confusion inhabiting her expression, presenting an innocent, helpless girl. This poster mimics the nonconsensual photograph that an American photographer took of Sharbat Gula, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan. The image was widely popular and used as an example of
Here, the young Afghan girl inhabits expressions of confusion and fear, as seen in how the coloured man keeps the Orient woman. However, what was disregarded was the invasion of space and privacy that the white photographer did to capture the image.
This conscious or subconscious mimicking of the oriental ideas of presenting individuals in the Est has found its way into a science fiction film, presumably set 20,000 years into the future.
Hence, identifying the presence of oriental traits within the popular media we consume and being critical of it becomes an important step in educating ourselves and using media through a more conscious lens.
-By Minahyl Haider
Your analysis of Dune Part 2's posters through the lens of orientalism is thought-provoking. The connection you make between the colour scheme, desert landscapes, and how media often links the East with danger and mystery really highlights the subtle ways Western cinema continues to perpetuate orientalist ideas. It's interesting to consider how even in a futuristic sci-fi setting, these age-old stereotypes are still being reaffirmed.
This blog post makes a thought-provoking argument about how Dune 2 taps into age-old Orientalist tropes, even in a futuristic setting 20,000 years ahead. I really enjoyed reading this and the link you’ve made with Orientalism. For me it was interesting and even ironic how the original source material, Frank Herbert’s book served as a critique of imperialism and colonial exploitation, yet the film’s visual direction has Orientalist leanings. The novel explored power, environmentalism and the dangers of colonial exploitation with Arakis symbolizing the exploitation of the indigenous and their resources. Yet in the film adaptation, these themes are overshadowed by stereotypical imagery associated with the Orients such as the deserts, mysterious landscapes and exoticized representations of Eastern culture. It really…
This blog post does a remarkable job of unpacking the orientalist themes embedded in Dune Part 2, particularly how visual media like posters subtly reinforce cultural stereotypes. I really appreciated the analysis of the film's color palette and imagery, as you effectively highlighted how these visual cues tie into broader historical and political contexts, like the association of desert landscapes with danger and mystery. Your connection to Edward Said’s work on Orientalism provides a strong theoretical foundation, making the argument even more compelling. This can also be linked to David Buckinghams article of audience agency and how symbolism is a vital part of how the audience interacts with the form of media as a whole- judging in the context of…
(I love Edward Said) Personally, it is always jarring to see that narratives disclosed by a book that came out in 1978 are still applicable almost 5 decades later, regardless, building on Edward Said’s Orientalism, your analysis of how Dune Part 2 perpetuates a "Western gaze" is honestly spot on. Said’s critique of the West's representation of the East as a mysterious, dangerous, and uncivilized "Other" is mirrored in your dissection of the Dune posters. The use of deserts, horses, and rugged terrains taps into this notion of the East as a barren, hostile land—an environment is always positioned in contrast to the perceived civility of the West.
What resonates with me most is your connection to how the media consistently portrays…
Linking Buckingham's theory of media literacy and the example, of the young Afghan girl and the orientalist framing of her image perpetuate stereotypical, colonialist views of the "East" as exotic and subordinate. Buckingham’s theory argues that media literacy is essential not only to decode such representations but to recognize the implicit ideologies and power relations embedded within them.
The invasion of the girl’s privacy by a white photographer parallels the historical tendency of Western media to objectify and exploit the "Other" for consumption. Buckingham would advocate that media consumers, through education, need to identify these subconscious biases, enabling them to challenge such narratives rather than passively accept them.