Dune 2021, A Symbolic Analysis

A Pagan's Perspective

Greetings fellow frogs. I wanted to give my thoughts on the latest version of Frank Herbert’s Dune. I watched the 2021 iteration of Dune on the flight back from The Event in Nashville, but previously had seen the 1980’s version twice. Allow me to say that I was astounded by this film, it truly was the best film that I’d seen come out of Hollywood in years. To describe my reaction, I literally had the deepest sense of feeling and purpose instilled thanks to this film, & it spawned my poetic article about it on my Substack, which I’ve linked in the show notes. You might say it was simply the state of exhaustion, both physical & mental; from attending the event. You might say that it was the altered state of consciousness one has whilst imbibing copious amounts of alcohol & caffeine all weekend, in addition to sleep deprivation. No, I believe the feeling was genuine, despite the hectic schedule I had subjected myself to. In fact, I would not be exaggerating when I say that this was the most spiritually moving few days that I had ever experienced, and this movie certainly was a key part of that experience. I even watched it a second time after I got home from The Event with an IRL friend for his analysis.

               So other than the factors I listed, what else about this rehash of an outlandish sci-fi tale were so striking? Well, the visual aspect was impressive. Every scene was aesthetic. I mean that absolutely unironically, every frame was a work of art which could be used as a desktop for your computer or framed and placed in an art museum. The utilization of contrast, color, the simplicity in design was superb. I was very hesitant given Hollywood’s recent record of woke tinkering in movies, so this was a welcome change. Furthermore, there is a certain “aesthetic” shall we say which might remind you of certain events of yesteryear.. Which I found very entertaining. Ever-present as well was the positive depiction of religion, and of masculine forms of military virtue. So, despite the obvious presence of “diversity” and gender-bending, not a bad film at all. Although on that score, I found the character of Dr. Liet Kynes to be interesting since the movie seemed to have made a mistake in introducing that character as “him”, but it is played by a female character. The character in the book was originally male so I do wonder if that “mistake” in the script was left in intentionally.

               There was another thing which I happened to come across at around the same time. The day I went back to work after the Event I received a package which I had ordered that contained a book called Myth & Symbols of Pagan Europe. Once I began reading it, I noticed a few things which struck me: first, Dune (2021) is symbolically very Pagan. There are many elements in various scenes which I will break down for you.

                Dreams are messages from the deep. This sensibility is exceptionally pagan, the worldview of the pagan world utilized the interpretation of dreams to interpret the goings-on of the world. It was a common practice to sleep on a barrow mound to communicate with one’s ancestors. Furthermore, the Celts would perform a rite called Tarbfeis slaughter a sacrificial bull which would allow an opportunity for divination. One would drink the blood and eat the flesh of the sacrificed animal, and sleep upon its hide in order to receive a vision of the future king.

               There are other symbolic elements. The sacred grove is one. Pagans of all stripes in Europe considered select groves of trees as holy sites (many times oak trees, but not always). This iteration of a sacred grove differs in that it utilizes palm trees. The conception of why the tree is sacred ultimately comes to the conception of the world. The world is quite literally a tree: Yggdrasil.
               Another stand-out part is the sheer visceral nature of it. The Sardaukar human sacrifice before their deployment to Arrakis stands as a poignant reminder of the old ways. The idea that one must sacrifice or undergo a dangerous trial to acquire something such as knowledge, victory, luck, or strength is an omnipresent theme. The scene following the betrayal and defeat of house Atreides where the captured Atreides soldiers are beheaded by Rabban Harkonnen illustrates furthermore the theme of strength in the face of danger, given the response by Gurney Halleck to betrayal: to fight on valiantly despite the certainty of destruction. Both practices of sacrifice, both animal as well as human & the cult of the head are widely attested to in ancient practice. The Celts specifically carved severed heads on many of their stones, and the Norse had a similar theme with the head of Mimir, which dispensed knowledge & wisdom to Odin.

               There is another aspect which I’ll briefly touch on: the idea that one must act! In the beginning of the film, Gurney Halleck trains with Paul and says: “Mood? What’s mood got to do with it? You fight when the necessity arises, no matter the mood, NOW FIGHT!”. By the end of the film, Paul has learned this lesson well: despite being defeated by the Harkonnens, despite his family and friends being killed, despite the danger that his house will be annihilated, despite never having to draw a blade in actual anger before, and despite the possibility that he will die in front of his mother, he engages in a duel to the death with Jamis. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna: “What is this mad and shameful weakness? Stand up and fight” & he explains that victory & defeat are the same. “Act, but do not reflect on the fruit of the act: seek detachment & fight without desire. Do not withdraw into solitude, renunciation is not enough. YOU MUST ACT, but action mustn’t dominate you. In the heart of action, you must remain free from all attachment”. When questioned by Arjuna how this can be put into practice, Krishna replies: “You must learn to see with the same eye a mound of earth, & a heap of gold, a cow, & a sage; a dog, & the man who eats the dog. There’s another intelligence, beyond the mind.” To this true battlefield, where you need neither weapons, nor warriors. Where each man must fight alone. This theme is present in the idea of fate in the Nordic conception: one is required to act, to fight, and the decision on who is victorious in battle, is determined by higher powers: Odin, and the Valkyries. Those who fall valiantly are plucked up to Valhalla. Who lives & dies are determined by other, mysterious powers: fate. “All the warriors hurl themselves into your mouth, & you grind them between your teeth. They wish to be destroyed, & you destroy them….”

               The last symbol I’d like to touch on is the Sacred Knife made of Shai-Hulud’s tooth. The sacred blade is a symbol which is present in tradition. If you look carefully, you will see that the Fremen all cut their wrists before re-sheathing their blades. In some sources, some Germanic tribes did a similar practice, although this was done in a more strict manner: you would have to actually take a life before the blade could be re-sheathed.

               The symbolism in the last part of the film should not be ignored. This is not sourced from any religious tradition, but Paul Atreides does go through the heroes’ journey. He begins his journey as a lazy, petulant teenager; in other words, a boy. He ends the movie by overcoming his mother through force of will & by masculine assertiveness (albeit while high as a kite on spice). He takes risks with his own life by crossing the open desert where worms attempt to eat him & his mother. Thus does he overcome his mother. When he arrives at the Fremen, he is forced to engage in a duel to the death by Jamis. To understand oneself, one must have an opponent to test oneself against. He must engage for the first time in a fight with real stakes by taking on a more experienced, & aggressive, fighter & best him in single combat. Thus does he overcome The Other, & himself.

               Now, it should be noted the obvious casting decision in this scene: Paul is obviously cast as a white man with typically European physical characteristics. Jamis is played by a man of African descent. I personally was surprised at both the casting decisions made here, as well as the powerful symbolism that seemed to squeak by Woke censors & gatekeepers. The fact that this is allowed both intrigues & disturbs me since it represents the possibility of an internal revolt in Hollywood, but also the possibility of containment. “It’s ok, straight white male, you can still defeat the big baddie & rule the universe, everything will be fine!” This is also correlated that most of the characters in authority positions are white, while those in more subservient positions are not. This Eurocentric aristocratic sensibility amidst multicultural diversity plays well with the current set of rulers & speaks directly to their tastes. However, there is a tension throughout the film given the Dune storyline of betrayal & reversal, decline, rebirth, & vengeance. The memetic cycle of genesis, growth, decline, & rebirth we are all familiar with. Given this thematic element, the story arc of Paul Atreides being utterly betrayed and remaking himself from the greatest of adversity, too is an element that Men of the West could identify with. For this reason, I do not believe that this film is simply containment. I do not view the casting choices, symbolism, & thematic elements taken together as coincidence. Perhaps despite their best efforts, some of our rulers’ desire something new & different but must be shown a vision of the future through image & deed. There is something there which calls out for a rebirth from the ashes, & by the gods old & new, we shall achieve it.