Loading ...Oscar-Nominated Film Dune 2 Shows Arab Culture in Hollywood
By Rena Elhessen / Arab America Contributing Author
The Oscars passed without a hitch. Still, viewers noticed that the award show was filled with tense and politically charged moments. This shift in the environment was also reflected in the quality of nominations. Nominations included some light-hearted films considered to be easygoing. Other films cast viewers into a sci-fi world of escape. Among these contenders was the American-made film Dune 2. The allusions to Arab culture throughout the film gave Arab audiences a cause to celebrate this representation. However, the film’s adaptation of Arab culture simplifies the culture and society of the Middle East and North Africa region. As a result, viewers see crumbs of Arab culture. Instead, the film becomes a perfect example of what Palestinian American Edward Said called ‘Orientalism’. The film takes the American-desired aspects of Arab culture and transforms them into a ‘trend. ’
Edward Said’s ‘Orientalism’
Palestinian American Edward Said came out with his book Orientalism, where he studied the American-European portrayal of the Middle East. He argues that Western countries, regarded as colonizers, degrade those they have colonized by representing them as the ‘other’ in media. Orientalism is the term Said gives to how Eastern cultures are viewed and written about by the Western world. Said argues that the West portrays the people of the East as savage to justify Western colonization. The West paints a picture of the East in movies and media to control the image of Eastern culture. This theory goes further, explaining how Orientalism as a study has allowed unfavorable stereotypes of Eastern cultures to persist.
The Arab influence in Oscar-Nominated Dune 2
Written in 1965, Frank Herbert’s Dune took the sci-fi genre by storm, establishing a large fan base. Since the novel’s publication, Dune has had multiple film adaptations, but none as popular as the most recent film saga. This film adaptation combines new Hollywood special effects with a stunning movie soundtrack to become an Oscar-nominated film. The release of Dune 2 also brought controversy as Middle Eastern viewers came to notice a lack of representation despite the Arab influence and setting.
The author of Dune drew influence from Arab culture, but the film adaptation of Dune diminishes those ties. The storyline of Dune unfolds within the desert landscape of the planet of Arrakis. This planet is covered by sand and is threatened as civilizations try to exploit the planet’s much-desired spice. The novel is strongly based on the colonization of resource-rich countries in the Middle East. Native inhabitants of Dune gained their name from the Amazigh people of North Africa, which translates to ‘free men. More references to Arab culture appear when the main character, Paul, is given the name of ‘Muad’Dib’. A distinctly Arab word translating to ‘one who teaches’. Despite these Arab influences throughout the film, the population symbolic of Arabs are dehumanized, waiting for their ‘savior’ Paul. Even in the novel, the indigenous people of Dune are seen as savages, leaving room for their ‘White Savior’ Paul.
The practice of ‘Orientalism’ dehumanizes the symbolically Arab population of Dune, justifying the colonial conquest. The film adaptation of Dune 2 reflects this practice. However, the filmmakers try to distance themselves from indicative Arab influence, instead showing more desirable and less controversial parts of Arab culture.
Is Arab culture becoming a ‘trend’?
In Dune 2, costuming alludes to Middle Eastern and North African culture, with Fremen dressed in abaya-like clothing or keffiyehs. The mother of the main character, Paul, also dresses in North African-influenced ceremonial clothing and facial tattoos. However, the lack of Middle Eastern and North African casting distances these Arab cultures from the root of their origin. Once again, this shows how ‘orientalism’ throughout this film extracts aspects of Arab culture looked upon favorably by the West, but disregards the root of these practices and changes their identity. The movie appears to leave behind the clear indicators of Arabic influence, opting to maintain the fashion trends of Arab culture.
The Westernized representation of the Arab culture throughout this film is the epitome of what Edward Said warned against, ‘orientalism’. The distinctly Arab setting of the novel combined with the symbols of Arabic culture throughout the film gives it the impression of Middle Eastern and North African influences, but that correlation ends there. Instead, filmmakers choose to distance Dune from its Arab influences, dehumanizing the native ‘Arab’ population of Arrakis while excluding Middle Eastern and North African representation on screen.
Hollywood actors in the film are also adopting the trend of more favorable Arab culture, particularly the fashion. One instance was the burka-like white gown worn by actress Anya Taylor-Joy. Fans were quick to recognize the hypocrisy of the situation. Where traditional Arab and Muslim fashions are criticized by the West, it becomes high fashion when seen in Hollywood. Once again, this shows how Hollywood has taken elements of Arab culture and romanticized it to accommodate their likes.
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