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Life and Art from FT Weekend

Culture chat: Dune: Part Two, directed by Denis Villeneuve

Life and Art from FT Weekend

Forhecz Topher

Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture

4.6601 Ratings

🗓️ 8 March 2024

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, we talk about the new film Dune: Part Two. A star-studded epic featuring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and more. It’s the second instalment in the Dune franchise, based on the book by Frank Herbert and directed by Denis Villeneuve. The FT’s global business columnist Rana Foroohar, an avid Dune fan, and associate editor Stephen Bush join guest host Katya Kumkova to talk through it. Is watching the film worth its long runtime? Why has Dune endured as a franchise? And what do we want from a possible third film?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): 

Dune: Part Two is in cinemas now. 

– FT critic Danny Leigh’s 4-star review of Dune: Part Two is here: https://on.ft.com/3V7rx5G 

– Rana is on X @RanaForoohar and Stephen is @stephenkb

– Rana has also written the cover story for this week’s FT Magazine – an interview with the USs’ most powerful union leaders: https://on.ft.com/3TsltU4 

– For those inspired to read the Dune novels, we enjoyed this feature, ‘Sci-fi books are taking off again’: https://on.ft.com/3T9J0YE 

More or Less: 

– Rana wants to see more people taking weekend trips to the Catskills. 

– Stephen wants to see less detail in video games such as Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. You can read the FT’s review of the game here

– Katya wants to see better sound design in movies and cinemas. Dune: Part Two’s score was written by Hans Zimmer. You can listen to a playlist here

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clip by Warner Brothers. 


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


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Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to Life and Art from FT Weekend. I'm Katya Kumkova. I'm in for Lila Raptopoulos, and this is our Friday chat show.

0:11.7

Today we're talking about Dune Part 2, the second installment in the sci-fi franchise by Deneve-Lnev.

0:18.8

The movie stars Timothy Shalameh and Zendaya, alongside a slew of other big names, including

0:25.0

Javier Bardem, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson.

0:31.1

June 2 continues the story of intergalactic imperialism that started in June 1.

0:36.9

Imperial forces are still out to conquer the desert

0:39.7

planet of Iraqis, which is the source of the world's most precious material, which is known

0:44.7

as spice. But the planet's indigenous people, known as the Fremen, are doing their best to fight back.

0:51.5

On their side is the hero Paula Treadise, played by Timothy Shalame.

0:59.8

This world is beyond cruelty.

1:04.8

You've been fighting the Harkinans for decades. My family's been fighting them for centuries.

1:11.1

They were massacred alongside my father.

1:16.5

Your father didn't believe in revenge.

1:20.0

We believe in frontmen.

1:23.6

I'll me fight beside you.

1:25.0

I should say that the plot of the Dune series is notoriously complicated.

1:29.3

Timothy Shalame, as Politreides, may or may not be a Messiah, who's called on to start an enormous war.

1:36.4

There's also a mysterious lodge that might be running the entire universe.

1:41.3

Let's get into it.

1:42.6

I'm Katya, and I'm just a humble desert mouse.

1:47.1

Not so humble if you knew your lore, my friend.

1:52.2

With me, New York is FT's global business columnist Rana Faruha, and Rana is a huge fan of

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