Dune (2021)

12/21/22 • 36 min

When you imagine the distant future, what do you see? Some, like Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, envision a future utopia, where humankind has finally worked through their differences, solved hunger and poverty, and have united in a mission of peace and discovery. For many others, like HG Wells, author of The Time Machine, the future is a post-apocalyptic dystopian nightmare of our own creation. In his 1965 novel Dune, Frank Herbet envisioned a future that has advanced as much as it digressed, rebuilding the feudalism of our past in far off galaxies. Dune clearly doesn't present a utopian future. But are utopias really all they're cracked up to be?

In this episode, we look at Deni Villeneuve's 2021 adaptation for the big screen (the first, in what will be a series of films). We explore the nature of utopia, and dissect the biblical parallels in a fictitious future world filled with ritual, belief, and religious imagery. What sort of figure is our protagonist, Paul Atreides? Is he a "chosen one" akin to Moses? Or is he more of a classic Jesus-type saviour figure? Finally, we pull the future all the way back to the biblical past to ask: Can you read the Bible as science-fiction?

Glossary:

A glossary of terms used in Dune, and their relationship to real-world words / concepts, can be found on our website: www.godsandmoviemakers.com/episodes-104-dune

Episode Credits:

Many thanks to Katherine (Kat) Gwyther for her time and expertise.

Kat is a PhD researcher in Hebrew Bible at the University of Leeds, working on utopia and Exodus. She’s interested in how utopian literature and science fiction (and the related criticism) can enrich our understanding of biblical texts and their reception. You can find Kat on Twitter @KatGwyther.

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Glossary:

A glossary of terms used in Dune, and their relationship to real-world words / concepts, can be found on our website: www.godsandmoviemakers.com/episodes-104-dune

Episode Credits:

Many thanks to Katherine (Kat) Gwyther for her time and expertise.

Subscribers will gain access to extra content after each main episode broadcast. Become a subscriber at https://plus.acast.com/s/godsandmoviemakers.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

On a cold Parisian night in October 1988, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the St. Michel cinema, seriously injuring thirteen people; it was just one of a number of violent protests against Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ. What was it about this film that caused so much anger? What was behind the uproar it inspired worldwide? In this episode we revisit and rethink the controversy, and ask: Was the outrage warranted, or is the film actually a deeply pious and personal exploration of faith? In his attempt to understand the dual nature of Christ, we see Scorsese presenting a Jesus that is more “Chosen One” than “Saviour Figure”, giving us the most human Jesus in cinematic history.

Glossary:

Hypostatic Union - A theological term that expresses the Christian belief that in Christ, two natures exist together, each retaining their own full and complete properties. These two natures, God and Man, are not commingled or united. The Hypostatic Union was formalized at the Council of Chalcedon in 451.

Episode Credits:

Many thanks to Matt Page for his time and expertise.

Matt is a bible and film expert, having published and lectured on the topic for over twenty years. His Bible Films Blog is the largest source of information about bible films on the internet. Make sure to check out his recent book, 100 Bible Films, published with the British Film Institute. You can find Matt on Twitter @MattPage.

Subscribers will gain access to extra content after each main episode broadcast. Become a subscriber at https://plus.acast.com/s/godsandmoviemakers.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Joan of Arc (1928 & 1948)

How do we remember the people of the past? And what does it mean to enact that remembering through the medium of film? Joan of Arc (b. 1412-d. 1431) has been depicted on film more than most historical figures. The broad outlines of her life certainly provide the basis for good drama, as she went from peasant girl to successful military leader to heretic, burned at the stake, all in under 5 years. A complicated figure in her own time, Joan's story became all the more enthralling when she was eventually given sainthood by the very Church that martyred her. Still, the various ways she has been remembered on screen may be almost as interesting as The Maid herself, for what it can tell us about ourselves and about the act of commemoration in popular culture.

Join us, as we compare two wildly different Joan of Arc films, La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928) and Joan of Arc (1948), and two wildly different Joans, with our wonderful guest, Dr Laura O'Brien.

For a Glossary, Map of Joan's journey, and a picture of Les Larmes de Jeanne d'Arc (The Tears of Joan of Arc), visit the episode page of our website.

Episode Credits:

Many thanks to Dr Laura O'Brien for her time and expertise. Laura is Assistant Professor in Modern European History at Northumbria University, Newcastle. She is a cultural historian of France and Europe, and her work is particularly focused on visual culture and performance, including how history is adapted and depicted via cinema and theatre. Her research interests also include the cultural history of religion in France, print culture, and the history of Paris. You can find Laura on Twitter @lrbobrien.

Subscribers will gain access to extra content after each main episode broadcast. Become a subscriber at https://plus.acast.com/s/godsandmoviemakers.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.