Frank Herbert’s epic science fiction seriesDunehas always placed women at the forefront of the story. In fact, with each subsequent book,Herbert heavily expanded the role women playin the world ofDune.It only makes sense that directorDenis Villeneuvewould continue this trend by making major changes to a female character who is arguably one of the most consequential figures in the series. This character is, of course, Chani.
Played byZendayain the films, Chani is an important, yet understated character in the early books. Villeneuve’s changes to her character are a massive improvement. While Chani’s portrayal in the books is as a devoted and loving wife to protagonist andgalactic messiah Paul Atriedies (Timothée Chalamet), Villeneuve manages to keep the essential elements of the character intact while greatly expanding her role in the story. The Chani of the film is far more wary of Paul weaponizing her people and, as a result, her character is far more interesting.
How Different Is Zendaya’s Chani to the Dune Book Series?
Herbert’s portrayal of Chani is not terrible by any means. Book Chani is a strong, competent character who fights for the freedom of her people and is a supportive and passionate person. However, Chani’s characterization in the novels is fairly bare bones. Outside those key elements, readers get very little insight into her character.Part of what makes Dune exceptionalis the deep characterization given to the large collection of primary characters. This makes Chani feel less interesting to the reader compared to other strongly characterized women in the series, like Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson).While Chani’s limited screen time for the first film wasfairly accurate to the originalcharacter, it is inDune: Part 2where the character is elevated past her book version.
‘Dune: Part Two’s Most Underrated Scene Has a Deeper Meaning
“There are no sides. You of all people should know, Reverend Mother.”
Zendaya’s Chani inDune: Part 2is still clearly the character from the book, but in the film, she is given far more agency and personality. In the films, the native people of Arrakis, the Fremen, are more diverse in their spiritual beliefs. Chani is one of the younger, less-religious members of the Fremen freedom fighters. It is remarkable howchanging Chani from a blind believer in her faith to a more skeptical figure in Paul’s life recreates their entire dynamic.Chani sees through Paul and Jessica’s plan to weaponize the Fremen against their enemies, the Harkonnens, early on.
Through Chani, Villenueve explores the consequences of Paul’s commitment to the radicalization of the Fremen. Chani correctly foresees that her people have traded one oppressor for another, and throughout the whole movie, she tries desperately to convince her people to stop the escalation that will soon lead to a holy war for the universe.Zendaya gives a marvelous performancethat is essential to integrating the major changes to her character into the story.Her leaving Paul at the end of the filmwould be unthinkable for the book version of Chani. However, with Zendaya’s portrayal and the changes to the narrative by Villenueve, Chani seamlessly falls into the role of conflicted opposition. Her arc in the second film complimentsthe slow loss of humanityby Paul and heavily sets up what is to come in Villeneuve’s third film.
Zendaya’s Chani Will Likely Have an Even Bigger Role in Denis Villeneuve’s Next Dune Movie
Herbert’sDune Messiahwill be the basis of the third Dune movie by Villeneuve, and Chani’s changed character has perfectly set the stage for the major change of pace the second book brings. It is unknown what Villeneuve will change compared to the source material,but making Chani and Paul estranged at the end ofPart 2was a smart move by the filmmakers. In the waters of life scene, where Paul becomes prescient and sees into the future, he remarks that Chani’s hatred of him for what he is doing will stop one day. With this simple line, the movie sets up a common theme of the second book: the power and danger of prescience.
Dune Messiahis all about deconstructing the myth of Paul Atreides. One of the biggest parts of Messiah is how isolated Paul feels after his holy war is a success. His prescience becomes so all-encompassing that he cannot have a conversation with Chani without knowing exactly what she will say.It is likely that Paul will bring Chani back to his side in the third movie by using his prescience, and yet he will also likely be haunted by his inability to stop seeing what will happen next.
This tragic existence of the most powerful man in the universe being incapable of connecting to the woman he loves will likely beeven more tragicin the upcoming film because of how well developed Chani’s character is. Paul will likely only see his remaining life with Chani like a movie he’s already seen before, and her fate will be just as painful. She loses any chance of her people being free and, on top of this,she has to reckon with the one she loves being the person who caused this pain. It will be fascinating to see how this tragedy changes with a far more proactive, interesting Chani.
Dune: Part Two
Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
