Dune Is Paul Still a [Spoiler] in the Movie

Dune: Is Paul Still a [Spoiler] in the Movie?

In Dune, Paul Atreides trains as a fighter and in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, but one aspect of his education seems to have been left out.

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Dune Is Paul Still a [Spoiler] in the Movie

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dune, now in theaters and on HBO Max.

In Frank Herbert’s hugely influential novel, Dune, Paul Atreides, played by Timothy Chalamet in Denis Villeneuve’s film of the same name, is a Mentat — a class of Imperial citizens acting as “human computers” who are trained “for supreme accomplishments of logic.” In Villeneuve’s adaption, Mentats are seen but are scarcely mentioned outside of Thufir Hawat, the Master of Assassins for Duke Leto Atreides, and his twisted-Mentat counterpart, Piter de Vries, who serves Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.

According to Dune’s source material, the need for Mentats came about due to the Butlerian Jihad. During this war, computers and other technologies that mimic the human mind were destroyed and banned under anti-artificial intelligence laws enforced by devotees of the Orange Catholic Bible. Part of the reason for this war was because computers lacked a moral compass and could not set ethical boundaries as human beings can. The capabilities of AI also far exceeded the human mind and became an existential threat to humankind. Therefore, all “thinking” machinery was dismantled and new technology or inventions were prohibited, a crime punishable by death. Without the aid of artificial intelligence to help further develop human civilization, the need for humans who could perform and analyze complex logical computations and calculations arose, clearing the way for the Mentat order.

Dune Is Paul Still a [Spoiler] in the Movie

Although Paul has many different powers and abilities in the novels and film adaptations, his Mentat training has not been mentioned or distinctly shown on screen. However, this does not necessarily mean that he is not a Mentat in the 2021 iteration of Dune. To be sure, Paul’s status as a human-computer is up in the air. Still, perhaps Villeneuve planned for his audience to read between the lines to piece together Paul’s logic training due to time constraints and an understandable aversion to exposition dumping. As such, fans might see this critical component of the books explored in future films. Considering that there is too much source material to condense into one singular movie, Mentats might get their turn to shine in the sequel.

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Another likely reason for only hinting at Mentats is that Villeneuve presumably wanted to highlight Paul’s Bene Gesserit connections and training because of his Kwisatz Haderach destiny. To those unfamiliar with Dune lore, the Kwisatz Haderach is a mythical male messiah-like figure whose existence is integral to the plot of the novels and films. Moreover, this “Chosen One” has the unique ability to give the Bene Gesserit access to Y chromosome genetic memory, a remarkable and valuable skill to claim since they only have access to the X chromosome memories of their ancestors within their DNA.

In Villeneuve’s adaption, the Bene Gesserit’s breeding program develops Paul’s powers instead of his Mentat training with Thufir Hawat. His instruction by his mother, Lady Jessica, took center stage thus far. Still, perhaps his Mentat potential and training will be the focus of the next film, given that, in the novels, it is integral to his survival on the harsh desert planet of Arrakis and to his strategizing within the precarious political arena that he is about to enter. Fans know that Paul is close with Thufir Hawat, the man whose eyes turn white when he enters a Mentat semitrance in the movie, based on how affectionately the two greeted each other on Arrakis. Additionally, Mentats are educated in secret and do not know of their training until adolescence. Conceivably, Thufir may have never told Paul that he was teaching him in the way of the Mentat, meaning he could be unaware of this facet of his intelligence even now.

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Dune Is Paul Still a [Spoiler] in the Movie

In a line taken from the Dune novel, Herbert shares some specifics regarding Paul’s Bene Gesserit and Mentat preparation: “All the special training from Hawat and his mother — the mnemonics, the focusing of awareness, the muscle control and sharpening of sensitivities, the study of languages and nuances of voices — all of it clicked into a new kind of understanding in his mind.” The groundwork is there, though the film does not take a firm stance on whether Paul remains a Mentat or not. Nevertheless, this evidence, along with what readers know from the books, indicates that Thufir indeed trained Paul in the Villeneuve movie universe, though it is not shown on screen. This is mainly demonstrated through Paul and Hawat’s warm rapport. More importantly, it is also shown in Paul’s speedy cognition, including his ability to read body language, like during his battle with Jamis, as well as quickly notice and mirror intonation, like he does when he uses the Voice — a power of the Bene Gesserit.

Furthermore, Paul is incredibly knowledgeable and possesses superior logical and computational reasoning skills, which, for example, could have helped him land the ornithopter during the desert storm escape scene. Consequently, it is reasonable for fans to speculate that flashbacks could reveal Paul’s Mentat training from infancy and childhood similar to those that communicated his Bene Gesserit-induced visions through brief flashes of imagery. The combination of Paul’s Bene Gesserit and Mentat training make him nearly unstoppable on the battlefield and in the war room. Unfortunately, however, the answer to the question of whether or not Paul is still a Mentat in the 2021 Dune movie won’t be uncovered until the sequel comes out in 2023.

Dune is currently playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.

Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/dune-2021-paul-still-a-mentat/

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