11-11-2021, 01:31 AM
Ok, circling back to some of your questions now.
Yes, I do think that the Atreides are generally the "good" faction and the Harkonnen the "bad." But there is supposed to be more internal conflict within House Harkonnen that makes it more interesting, even if still cartoonishly evil. Though I'm glad the movie leaves out all the parts where the Baron is a child rapist. And there's also more conflict within House Atreides beyond just the traitor, with Jessica still thought of by some as a Bene Gesserit witch.
As for the Fremen, I didn't see them as merely victims. They are just people, outside the power structure of the Great Houses, who have developed all manner of norms based on their hellish environment.
Whether Paul marries Zendaya is an interesting question. I actually don't know the answer to that yet for certain, but much is made of the Duke never marrying Jessica. Though they loved each other, she was his concubine and not his wife. I think that decision got just one line in the movie but it was constantly in the thoughts of a few characters in the book and carries great importance. So, I think Paul's future relationship formalities will be of great importance too.
The Imperium going to the trouble of turning Arrakis into a trap is supposed to be for plausible deniability that the Emperor had any hand in House Atreides' demise. The Sardaukar forces sent to aid the Harkonnen attack were supposed to be disguised as Harkonnen troops. Apparently other Great Houses generally stayed out of war between two houses. But an attack by the Imperium on a House is supposed to rally all Great Houses to oppose such a move by the Emperor. But, apparently Duke Leto was getting too popular and the Emperor was convinced to have him taken out. I mean, that's supposed to be the power-balance background story. But in a universe with human supercomputers of various kinds, including the mentats, surely plenty of factions would have figured out the real moves going on. And, of course, they did to an extent. But House Atreides miscalculated the scale of Baron Harkonnen's attack. The Baron is said to have spent 50 years worth of spice revenue to carry out the attack.
The Baron floats because one of his many flaws is gluttony. He has transformed himself into a creature that can't walk without embedded floatation tech. And in the book he doesn't survive by floating to the ceiling, but by luckily making it out of the room before the poison gas reaches him and the doors seal.
As for the Bene Gesserit, one cool background move of theirs is to seed inhabited worlds everywhere with legends that develop into religions, complete with prophecies, which they can then take advantage of someday by fulfilling them should the need arise. But, the arrival of Paul and Jessica on Arrakis is kind of a funny instance of that. At what point does a planted religion become something all too real?
For the ASOIF/Game of Thrones fans out there, I'm going to repeat the following joke about Paul and his fate: He was positioned to be the Prince That Was Promised, but instead might turn out to be the Stallion Who Mounts The World.
Yes, I do think that the Atreides are generally the "good" faction and the Harkonnen the "bad." But there is supposed to be more internal conflict within House Harkonnen that makes it more interesting, even if still cartoonishly evil. Though I'm glad the movie leaves out all the parts where the Baron is a child rapist. And there's also more conflict within House Atreides beyond just the traitor, with Jessica still thought of by some as a Bene Gesserit witch.
As for the Fremen, I didn't see them as merely victims. They are just people, outside the power structure of the Great Houses, who have developed all manner of norms based on their hellish environment.
Whether Paul marries Zendaya is an interesting question. I actually don't know the answer to that yet for certain, but much is made of the Duke never marrying Jessica. Though they loved each other, she was his concubine and not his wife. I think that decision got just one line in the movie but it was constantly in the thoughts of a few characters in the book and carries great importance. So, I think Paul's future relationship formalities will be of great importance too.
The Imperium going to the trouble of turning Arrakis into a trap is supposed to be for plausible deniability that the Emperor had any hand in House Atreides' demise. The Sardaukar forces sent to aid the Harkonnen attack were supposed to be disguised as Harkonnen troops. Apparently other Great Houses generally stayed out of war between two houses. But an attack by the Imperium on a House is supposed to rally all Great Houses to oppose such a move by the Emperor. But, apparently Duke Leto was getting too popular and the Emperor was convinced to have him taken out. I mean, that's supposed to be the power-balance background story. But in a universe with human supercomputers of various kinds, including the mentats, surely plenty of factions would have figured out the real moves going on. And, of course, they did to an extent. But House Atreides miscalculated the scale of Baron Harkonnen's attack. The Baron is said to have spent 50 years worth of spice revenue to carry out the attack.
The Baron floats because one of his many flaws is gluttony. He has transformed himself into a creature that can't walk without embedded floatation tech. And in the book he doesn't survive by floating to the ceiling, but by luckily making it out of the room before the poison gas reaches him and the doors seal.
As for the Bene Gesserit, one cool background move of theirs is to seed inhabited worlds everywhere with legends that develop into religions, complete with prophecies, which they can then take advantage of someday by fulfilling them should the need arise. But, the arrival of Paul and Jessica on Arrakis is kind of a funny instance of that. At what point does a planted religion become something all too real?
For the ASOIF/Game of Thrones fans out there, I'm going to repeat the following joke about Paul and his fate: He was positioned to be the Prince That Was Promised, but instead might turn out to be the Stallion Who Mounts The World.