A series of masterpieces, the Dune saga is inevitably one of the most exceptional fictional worlds that filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has effortlessly brought to life. It is unarguably one of the most immaculate novel-based adaptations, starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, two of the currently raging hotshots in Hollywood, in the lead.
Yet, while all those die-hard Dune fans who have read the books are truly in love with Villeneuve’s live-action adaptations, other non-novel readers are accusing Dune: Part Two of being a ‘White Savior’ film, led by Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides. However, the novel readers aren’t one to just sit and watch the drama unfold as they absolutely destroy cancel culture over all these accusations!
Timothée Chalamet’s Dune 2 is Getting Accused of Being a ‘White Savior’ Narrative!
Amid the raging success of the Dune universe brought to life by Denis Villeneuve, there are also quite a few people who are failing to read the world for what it actually is. Just like how The Boston Globe, among others, for instance, accused Dune: Part Two of holding a “white-savior narrative.”
For those who may not know, a white-savior narrative essentially refers to a cinematic trope where the central lead character is a White, who rescues non-White characters (who are often portrayed as less prominent characters) from deplorable circumstances.
In the Dune universe, this ‘White Savior’ is inevitably implied to be Timothée Chalamet‘s Paul Atreides. What’s more, is that these allegations about Villeneuve’s freshly built and critically acclaimed universe are undoubtedly coming from non-novel readers.
Why? Because all the fans who have read the entire novel series know for a fact that Paul Atreides is anything but a savior.
Allow us to elaborate: While the first book in the Dune series noticeably implied Paul Atreides’s being targeted as the potential messiah to lead the entire planet and galaxy to a whole new era, the second book brings about something entirely different.
In Dune Messiah, Paul Atreides is shown as one of the most powerful emperors of all time who is legit worshipped as a messiah by the people of Arrakis. However, when he faces questioning from some political houses under his control about one ruler practicing such absolute power, Atreides shows his true colors.
As Frank Herbert, author of the Dune novel series, himself describes the book: “No more terrible disaster could befall your people than for them to fall into the hands of a hero.” Moreover, even Denis Villeneuve had already cleared off this white-savior narrative much before.
During an interview with Empire in August 2023, the filmmaker had made it evident that Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides was anything but the protagonist of the saga as he said:
“Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero,” Villeneuve explained. “Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation [of Dune] is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning.”
That being said, the true, die-hard Dune fans are crushing this cancel culture following all these accusations of Dune: Part Two being a white-savior-led movie!
Fans Crush Everyone Accusing Dune 2 of Being a ‘White-Savior’ Narrative
Since the first and second films in Denis Villeneuve‘s Timothée Chalamet-led universe, i.e. Dune and Dune: Part Two, are based on only the first book of the novel series, it is somewhat understandable that non-novel readers are accusing it of being a white-savior narrative saga.
Despite that, the die-hard fans of the saga have been putting up some hilariously accurate justifications nonetheless justifying just why the Dune saga is anything but a white-savior narrative one with Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides in the lead.
Taking to all their respective X handles, here’s how fans are responding to all these accusations:
This idiot is missing the entire point of Paul Atreides’ arc. He’s a tyrant in the making. We really need DUNE MESSIAH to be made. He’s far from a white savior pic.twitter.com/kyM3az9pCy
— Jake Metz (@jake_metz) March 1, 2024
Best part of the movie was watching People realize that Paul in Dune isn’t a white savior because he’s ultimately going to be the main Antagonist to the story pic.twitter.com/pbpv0LdIgu
— FENTY JR.🧞 (@Helaindiividual) February 29, 2024
"Dune is critiquing the white savior trope" is the new "Professor X and Magneto are based on MLK and MX" pic.twitter.com/Nz8RweLGhu
— El Mago Haitiano (@AtlantisFell) February 29, 2024
When Denis Villeneuve adapts Dune Messiah and people start realizing that Dune is not a white savior story. pic.twitter.com/AsUiypCNnZ
— Hafizul Husin (@Hafizul74H) February 29, 2024
People who say Dune is a white savior story clearly haven't read past the first book because I have it on good authority that the actual savior of humanity is a gigantic half-human half-sandworm monstrosity who guarantees our survival by being intergalactic Hitler for 3500 years
— Swann Marcus (@SwannMarcus89) February 21, 2024
People with no media literacy will accuse everything of being a white savior movie. Especially Avatar, a critically acclaimed series that I am a fan of. That being said I did not watch dune nor do I want to ! https://t.co/HArkda1mjc pic.twitter.com/T1LjCtJnYd
— Schnappi 🐊🎶 (@Schnappi_ism) February 22, 2024
On my hands and knees begging people to have the media literacy to realize dune is not a white savior story
— harris☀️n They/them (@ZombHarris) March 1, 2024
People who believe the Dune novels were white savior stories or Netflix's live action adaption of The Witcher is progressive because of a diverse cast and depiction of imperialism, colonialism and misogyny are incapable of reading subtext and are bad at media literacy in general.
— Syrian National Army hater 🇵🇸 (@anarsistekurd) February 23, 2024
With all of this being said, the creation of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Messiah has essentially further become a full priority because only that can stem all of these negative reviews about Dune: Part Two being a “white-savior narrative”!
P.S. Dune: Part Two is out and rocking in the theatres now!
