Denis Villeneuve’s planned trilogy of Dune films is unmistakably focused on telling the story of Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet. But just because it’s Paul’s story doesn’t mean he’s the main character of all the films. In fact, one of the cleverest and most effective methods Villeneuve uses to show us Paul’s journey Dune: part two is by subtly shifting the Freman warrior Chani (Zendaya) from her original role as narrator and love interest to the film’s protagonist. And Zendaya is one of the few actors who can actually pull that off.
(Ed. remark: This story contains spoilers for Dune: part two.)
At the beginning of Dune: part twoPaul’s mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), slowly consolidates power and tries to convince both the Fremen and Paul himself that he is the prophesied messiah, Lisan al Gaib. That prophecy was planted many generations ago by Jessica’s Bene Gesserit organization as a means to control the Fremen. At first, Paul is determined to refuse to support Jessica in manipulating the Fremen, who saved Paul and Jessica’s lives after the Harkonnen family attacked them and drove them into the desert. Paul does not want to be the Messiah of the Fremen, he wants to be their equal.
But as the film progresses, Paul’s desire for revenge against the Harkonnens grows, and the idea of surviving without taking control of the Fremen on Arrakis begins to seem less and less possible to him. By the time he decides to go south and meet the Fremen fundamentalists, it is clear that Paul has chosen to take on the role of Lisan al Gaib, something he knows will cause the deaths of billions of people in will cause the entire universe. His Fremen lover Chani wants to keep him away from that future, but she cannot.
Image: Warner Bros.
Communicating his shift from main character and hero to something much darker and more complicated is one of them Dune: part two‘s biggest challenges. It probably would have been impossible for the film to fully make Paul a villain. It wouldn’t have been authentic to the story or themes for his story to end neatly. But Villeneuve’s much smarter solution is to show us how Paul slowly but surely descends into the temptations of power.
Dune: part two lets us see that transformation through Chani’s eyes. From the moment Paul first rides a sandworm, Villeneuve shows us Chani’s reactions instead of Paul’s when people talk. Where previously the camera hung on Chalamet’s face after he gave a particularly moving speech to the Fremen, this one instead cuts to Zendaya, reacting with increasing fear that she may have lost the person she loves under the weight of manipulated prophecy .
By the time Paul drinks the Water of Life and Chani is forced to bring him back to life, Paul has practically become a supporting character. Scenes begin and end with her involvement. Even Paul’s climax to the emperor is cut short by Chani’s departure. And when she does, she is the character we follow as she heads into the desert and rides off into the sunset to close the film.
It’s a delicate change, and a subtle enough shift in the story that most people might not even notice if they’re not actively looking for it. But the effect is strong enough to convey the thematic core of the film: we know that Paul is a changed man, and that he has taken a turn for the worse, because we can clearly see those thoughts forming on the face of the person he loves. Filmmaking and writing is a big part of why this shift works so well and can communicate so much. The script, written by Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, continually casts Chani as a skeptic of the prophecy, but never lets that get in the way of her love for Paul.
But the other, even more important reason why this all works so well is Zendaya’s performance. Zendaya is, plain and simple, an absolute movie star.
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She is extremely charismatic, funny and winning on screen, and she knows how to win sympathy from the audience in her films. Dune: part two just by sheer charm and loving looks. It is economic performance at its best. She takes a supporting role that could easily be lost in the epic waves of Dune’s space opera and makes it the most important thing in the film. It’s the best Zendaya to ever hit the big screen.
Her performance feels like a coronation, but not a surprise. Zendaya has been a celebrity for years, going from a Disney Channel child star to a social media darling. It’s been almost five years since she first got the chance to show off her acting chops in HBO’s terrifying teen drama Euphoria.
But she’s never been in a major movie before. Sure, she’s a supporting player as MJ in the Sony/MCU collaboration Spider-Man films, but those belong more to the Marvel Cinematic Universe than to any particular star, and she’s usually still in third place behind Tom Holland and a villain or two. She had a leading role in it The greatest showman that gave her screen time but no depth, and a title role in Netflix’s Malcolm & Marie that gave her depth but minimal impact. And she’ll get the chance to actually helm a movie later this year the excellent looking Challengers.
But for now, Dune: part two is the biggest blockbuster role she has played to date. And it’s hard to think of another actor her age who could have pulled this off. At 27, she has the built-in charisma that only a star can bring to the role. The audience supports her Dune: part two even before it officially becomes her movie, because they walked into the theater knowing they already loved her. That’s something only a star can give to a film.