Dune was once considered to be the most unadaptable of novels in Western literature, but that did not stop filmmakers from trying to come up with new and innovative ways to communicate the themes, visuals, and motifs of Dune in a visual format. However, while Denis Villeneuve has managed to adapt the first novel in the series with breathtaking visual quality, the adaptation is incomplete without a third entry in the series.
While the novel heavily explores themes of oppression, religious zealotry, and material dependence, the book also leans into some themes that might come off as leaning towards a White Savior narrative. Given that Paul is painted in a much more heroic light in Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune, this might come off as one of the motives of the story. However, come the third film in the franchise, which still needs an official announcement, Paul Atreides might seem less of a white savior than the first two films make it out to be.
Paul Atreides was never meant to be the hero in Dune
A lot of Dune‘s inspiration for its story comes from the politics of its time. The Fremen, natives of the planet of Arakkis, are coded with MENA references, such that they emulate characteristics of these peoples from the real world, while also adopting a host of Arabic words into their vocabulary. This might seem to position Paul as a White savior, given that Atriedes is a Greek name, with the in-universe ancestors of the house being Greek heroes like Agamemnon and Menelaus.
However, Paul was never meant to be the savior, as echoed by Villeneuve in an interview with Inverse:
“Frank Herbert didn’t want to do a White savior story. He wanted to do the opposite.”
In the following entry in the franchise, Dune Messiah, Herbert makes a conscious effort to show all the problems that came with Paul’s ascension to the Padishah Throne, and how his reign and what comes after it will lead humanity to more suffering. There was no intention of making Paul a savior figure, rather the point was to talk about the dangers of following charismatic men blindly, such that he is even compared to the likes of notorious megalomaniacs like Genghis Khan and Adolf Hitler.
An adaptation of Dune Messiah shall set the record straight
Villeneuve’s version of Paul Atreides is a lot more politically and socially adept than he is depicted in the novels. There are already significant changes in the plot of the films, which might have bigger repercussions in the story going forward. However given the trajectory that is set in the films thanks to departures from the source material, an adaptation of Dune Messiah would put all talks of Paul being the White savior to rest.
Paul would see himself dealing with the consequences of his actions in Dune Messiah, from initiating the galaxy-wide Jihad in his name to his inability to control the actions of the Fremen and other loyal factions to the point where billions of lives are sacrificed in the name of maintaining peace, and great suffering awaits making under the prolonged rule of House Atreides.
