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Dune: Good and based or bad and reactionary? (hexbear.net)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net
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This is the official hexbear Dune discussion thread (not really)

I watched the new Dune and enjoyed the films from a cinematic/fantasy perspective but wasn't super on-board with the politics as I thought the message was simply 'leaders bad', but what didn't come across (imo) from the movies and what I'm learning from discussion of the books is that the message is more nuanced than that: Herbert's message wasn't "don't blindly follow leaders because they're evil", but "don't blindly follow leaders because movements based on blind belief are a force of their own and can sweep everyone up into a mess, even if that was not at all the intention", and there are of course examples of that happening throughout human history. I want to hear all of your thoughts on the books, the films, and the messages. Thanks. heart-sickle

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[–] 13 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

I agree with you completely except for this pair of lines:

I felt like much of fremen culture is not possible for the human psyche to handle. I don't think that grief and resentment can be bottled up so easily without consequence.

... because there was, in fact, a massive consequence to the Fremen's bottled-up grief and resentment: they went on a genocidal, galaxy-spanning jihad before being driven extinct by their supposed white saviors.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    Thats true! It certainly has narrative consequence. But it doesn't effect their personal lives or relationships at all. Humans are social creatures, and grief doesn't have a schedule. Part of what Herbert does is assume that the fremen could exist, given an environment like arrakis, and given the collective memory of the reverend mothers and a history of strife and oppression. I just sorta disagree. I don't think humans could be pushed that far. But, this point is the one I feel least strongly about.

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