Spice harvester
1 media/Screenshot 2024-08-02 190445_thumb.png 2024-08-02T23:10:36+00:00 Samantha Duran-Sanchez 4a5fa936774a2c6f9c27d1e44659b1bbc92e8811 1 4 This machine is how spice is collected on the planet Arrakis, workers that are native to Arrakis are left behind to die because of a mal-function of an equipment carrier plain 2024-08-02T23:35:57+00:00 Samantha Duran-Sanchez 4a5fa936774a2c6f9c27d1e44659b1bbc92e8811This page is referenced by:
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Dune: Part One
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Directed by Denis Villeneuve
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2024-08-05T16:31:42+00:00
Introduction
Dune: Part One is a sci-fi adaption of the first Dune novel written by Frank Herbert. Herbert was born October 8, 1920 and died February 11, 1986. Although he was born a couple years after WWI, Herbert did in fact serve for the U.S Navy’s Seabees for a couple of months, he spent his time taking photos but was medically discharged due to a head injury. Immediately after enrolling at the University of Washington, he published short stories for different magazine firms. His writing and career finally took off in 1965 when Chilton published the novel Dune.
Summary
In the futuristic year of 10191, interstellar travel is necessary to travel to and from the different aristocratic houses. Interstellar travel is only attainable through the sacred hallucinogen “spice” or "melange." This spice, also known as fuel, can only be found on the planet of Arrakis. Arrakis is one of the many different planets in the galaxy that is ruled under the Padishah Emperor, Shaddam IV. The Emperor is afraid of the rise of the House of Atreides, so he orders House Atreides to rule over Arrakis. Leto is assigned to mine for spice, but what Shaddam IV really has in mind is to have the Harkonnens destroy Atreides while making sure that their growth in power is stopped immediately. Following the new overseer of Arrakis, Leto has to prove to the citizens of Arrakis that he is not like the past ruler, Baron Valdimir Haronnen, and plans to serve for the greater good when mining for spice. Although Leto sways the hearts of the spice miners, he has trouble convincing the native people of Arrakis: the Fremen.
Doctor Yueh betrays Duke Leto in return for his wife, who was kidnapped by the Harkonnen. The Harkonnens invade Arrakis and capture Duke Leto, kidnapping his wife, "Jessica," and son, "Paul," during the night. Although Yueh had to surrender Duke Leto to the Harkonnens in order to free his wife, he made an arrangement for Paul and Jessica to escape from their kidnappers and find refuge with the Fremen. Duke Leto is placed vulnerable in front of Baron Haronnen. However, he uses a fake tooth that releases lethal vapor when bitten that was given to him by Dr. Yueh in case of emergency. Leto bites down and dies instantly but does not kill the Baron.
As both Jessica and Paul seek refuge in the desert, Paul puts all his learned skills from the books that he has read about the Fremen to use when crossing the uninhabitable desert. As their journey continues, Paul starts to awaken his abilities of being able to see the past and the present. He has multiple visions of a woman named “Chani," who has the characteristics of a Fremen. As they finally reach the Fremen community "Sietch," Paul recognizes Stilgar as the Fremen that came and visited his father when they first arrived on Arrakis. Both Paul and Jessica are welcomed into the Sietch because many of the Fremen believe that Paul Atreidies is “Lisan al Gaib," the prophet or messiah.
Analysis
Although oil can be an amazing natural resource when used appropriately, when humans know that a natural resource is nonrenewable, it can become detrimental for everyone and everything. The Fremen have longed for their planet to be a place where water is more accessible and had previously begun transforming to a water-rich planet instead of an uninhabitable planet. The Imperium did not like the idea of natural resources being removed, which resulted in violence for the Fremen.
For the native human inhabitants of Arrakis, spice is utilized in its natural form as a medical tool for health which provides Fremen with psychic abilities allowing them to protect their native land as well as being able to have sustainable living on a planet that is uninhabitable. The people of Arrakis use the spice in their day-to-day lives through the use of creating foods with spice, clothing and weapons to protect themselves from factions similar to that of the Imperium. The Fremen can be seen as a metaphor for the Indigenous people in our world today; they similarly have been victims to environmental degradation and have been attacked for their natural resources that are found on their lands.
However, unlike the caring and selfless Fremen, the Imperium will go to great lengths to obtain the naturally recurring spice on Arrakis for their own personal gain to continue to be the rulers of all the factions. The Imperium has for many decades violated, destroyed and killed the Fremen who stood in their way when trying to obtain the spice for fuel cells and harvesting. Furthermore, when the Imperium assigned the Harkonnens to collect spice in the multiple refineries on Arrakis, they would oppress and target the Fremen who lived near the refineries on the spice fields. Any Fremen who tried to interfere with the extraction and mining of the spice would end up being killed even if this was a child, woman or man. The Imperium is parallel to what Americans have done in past history to residents that reside on these naturally recurring fossil fuels.
Oil is detrimental because it leads to the killing of people within the factions. Showing that the overconsumption of a nonrenewable resource can become harmful to the members of a society. Citizens begin to become fearful of the people who are supposed to be a voice for them (Imperium), which can result in groups of individuals like the Fremen to go into hiding because they no longer want to be involved with people who are greedy.
Conclusion
Director Denis Villenueve opens Dune: Part One with Fremen being attacked by the Harkonnens. This draws emphasis on how civilians who live near valuable resources will always succumb to injury or be exploited for their natural resources whether that is for the use of oil, coal, or nuclear weapons. Similar to how spice is harvested, oil is used in humans' everyday economy as a means for daily survival. It is important to understand that our usage of these natural resources and the way we obtain them can have an influence on the outcome of society.
Bibliography
Beck, Kathrine, and Kevin J. Anderson. “Herbert, Frank Patrick (1920-1986).” HistoryLink.org, 9 June 2021, https://www.historylink.org/File/21248. Accessed 28 July 2024.
Green, Archer. “Dune | Official Main Trailer.” YouTube, 22 July 2021, https://youtu.be/8g18jFHCLXk. Accessed 28 July 2024.
Smith, Curtis C., et al. “Frank Herbert.” Wikipedia, 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Herbert#/media/File:Frank_Herbert_1984_(square).jpg. Accessed 28 July 2024.
Villenueve, Denis, director. Dune: Part One. 2021. Myflixer, https://myflixerz.to/watch-movie/dune-6752.4792159. Accessed 28 07 2024.