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by Atiksh Tiwari
A space opera with a desert planet? The chosen one? A big bad empire? When I first heard of Dune, it sounded just like a Star Wars rip off. I didn’t expect much from it. Yet, upon watching it, I realised it was something much more than what I expected. It wasn’t simply a story of a galaxy far far away. It was a reflection of something far closer to home. But at the same time, I wondered whether the nearly black and white depiction of the good guys and bad guys was an ironic statement or was it an exhibition of the author's imperialist opinions?
Nevertheless, Dune is one of the boldest films to express anticolonial and anti-capitalistic narratives out loud. These themes were very prevalent in the book, and have been further built upon by Villeneuve. Well then, to draw out the parallel between reality and fiction, and to reveal the narrative’s undercurrent themes and also the true intention of Herbert’s writing, we must dive into the world of Dune.
Uncle Sam and Mother Rus
Dune. On my first watch, the premise sounded strangely familiar. An epic space saga centered around two superpowers clashing over resources in a desert? It screams Cold War all over.
The film follows Paul Atreides, an heir of the Atreides clan, as he navigates the treacherous webs of politics and colonial intrigues. Their house takes over the occupation of Arrakis (sounds nothing like Iraq, does it?), a desert planet rich with an invaluable resource, Spice Mélange. A substance that doubles as a hallucinogenic narcotic and a fuel for interstellar travel. A fuel found in deserts that powers engines across the globe? Sounds unlike anything I’ve ever heard of.
Spice seems to be a blend of oil and opium. The occupation of Arrakis for the extraction of spice is directly reminiscent of the US invasion of Iraq. It is now widely believed that this was done to gain control of its oil resources and maintain influence over global energy supplies and other related strategic reasons. And though this is an oversimplification of the events, its parallels to the colonial narrative of Dune are undeniable.
The relation between House Harkonnen and Atreides mirrors the bipolar neo-colonial landscape of the Cold War, where two imperialist powers, the US and the USSR, clashed over the control of geopolitically important regions like Afghanistan, Vietnam, Syria, etc. These conflicts left the said regions in shambles and its people in despair, leading to socio-political turmoil.
The Harkonnen-Atreides conflict is a very clear depiction of the “good colonizer-bad colonizer” narrative that was common in the 50s-60s America. It was portrayed that a colonizing power like America was a benevolent colonizer: one that seeks to improve the social, political, and material conditions of the colonized; and if they do engage in warfare, they stumble accidentally into it. Whereas an imperial power like Russia is portrayed as a malevolent colonizer: tyrannical in nature, motivated by greed, with no concern for the people of the land.
This narrative translates into the Atreides-Harkonnen conflict in Dune. The portrayal of the two houses is very black and white.
The noble Atreides aim to extract spice through coexistence with the native Fremen. The duke aims to restore Arrakis back to the lush green paradise it once was. Further, their characters mostly have common American names, such as Paul, Jessica, and funnily, Duncan Idaho, the latter even featuring the name of an American state.
The Harkonnen, on the other hand, are portrayed as pure evil. Be it the grotesque depiction of the Baron, their sadistic tendencies, or their lustful and greedy nature. To quench this greed, he is willing to exterminate the natives of the land. They have names like Vladimir, Andrei, Aleksei, and Dmitri. The title Harkonnen is very close to the Finnish surname Härkönen. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say, Herbert was clearly going for a Russian association with the Harkonnen.
They Fight Back?
The nature of resistance carried out by the Fremen mirrors the anti-colonial activities of the revolutionaries that sprung up during the Cold War and after it. In Dune, the Fremen carried out guerrilla warfare, targeting the Harkonnen mining infrastructure, military vehicles, etc. This is quite similar to the tactics used by militants that have resisted neo-colonial occupation such as in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. The use of nature for camouflage and shelter by the Fremen is reminiscent of the Vietnamese use of the forest and tunnels in resisting the American forces.
The Fremen were deeply religious and believed in the prophesized arrival of the Mahdi, a saviour who would lead them to freedom and ecological transformation. The Bene Gesserit manipulated these messianic beliefs and implanted religious myths within the Fremen to gain control over their narrative, setting up Paul’s arrival. These activities are comparable to the disinformation campaigns carried out by groups like the CIA, Media, and colonial governments of the past.
Herbert has drawn clear inspiration for the Fremen from the Middle East. There is an abundance of Arabic, Persian, and other Middle Eastern linguistic links within the dune universe. Take the title of the emperor, Padishah, meaning the king of kings in Persian. Many names within Dune have Arabic roots, for instance Alia, Shaddam, Farok, etc.The concept of Mahdi has been directly borrowed from Islam, the word meaning “the guided one”, referring to a messianic figure who will appear at the End of Times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad, who appeared shortly before Jesus. Another name for Mahdi, Al Gaib, meaning the unseen one, is also featured in Dune. The great holy war to come in the upcoming films is called The Jihad, a clear reference to the Lesser Jihad within Islam. There are other Arabic terms in the books like hajj, jinn, and Gom Jabbar (“Mighty people”).
However, the most interesting loanword in the Duniverse has to be Fedaykin. It refers to the Fremen's guerrilla fighters that resisted against the Harkonnen’s occupation. The word traces its origin from the Arabic word Fedayeen (“those who sacrifice themself”), which refers to the various military groups willing to sacrifice themselves, usually against an oppressive colonial power. Instances of groups borrowing this moniker can be seen across the Middle East. Be it Egypt, Iran or Iraq. Most notable of all the Fedayeen, were the Palestinian Fedayeen, who fought against the Zionist occupation of Palestine.
These middle eastern connections within Dune solidify upon the anti imperialist themes of its narrative. The Middle East has been the site of major imperialist endeavour since the onset of the 20th century. From our perspective it would seem that Herbert was clearly moved by the events that have taken place in the Middle East during America’s “War on terror”.
However, Dune being written in the 60s, it precedes the most significant part of the Middle East’s tango with imperialism, the American “tinkering” that began in the 80s and has plagued the regions ever since. It almost feels like Dune was a cautionary tale for this very region. Be it the Colonial aspect, or the extremist element of the Fremen.
Concluding Thoughts
Well then, Noble Americanish good guys and comically evil Russian-sounding Bad guys, and an Arabic-ish resistance bordering on “terrorism”. It begs the question: was Herbert being satirical or was he just another imperialist?
Taking into consideration his past, working in the American overseas territories, and overseeing resource extraction, one would lean towards him coming from an imperialist viewpoint. On the other hand, his interactions with the indigenous populace as well as his childhood interactions with the Quileute people, would suggest a broader anti-colonial perspective. Perhaps, the truth lies somewhere along the middle.
However, the one thing that is clear to me, is that Dune is a warning. A warning for the colonisers and the colonised. It shows a mirror to the greed-filled hijinks of the West and the consequences of meddling with the world as if it were their playboard. But on the other hand, it warns those on the flip side of oppression. It warns those who fight back of the horrors of extremism in resistance. Its criticism of hero worship is loud and clear. It has a lot to say, for those who listen.
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