Soham Bhure

“What is important for a leader is that which makes him a leader. It is the needs of his people.” This quote from Dune portrays the way Paul Atredies rises as a leader amongst the Fremen. Recognizing “the needs of his people” made Paul a leader. But it was the blind faith of the Fremen that made him a God.

I first got into the “Dune” books thinking it’d be a fun read. And it was. But when I went back for a second round things got a lot more interesting. The more you read, the more you see how Frank Herbert, wasn’t just making up a story. He was building a universe, layer by rich layer, filled with politics, war, and some seriously deep themes, which are especially relevant today.

But here’s the thing: this blog isn’t about comparing the book to the movies. Instead, I’ll be focusing on the deep, mind-bending ideas highlighted in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Part 1 and Part 2, and one idea in particular: “How Blind Faith can make False Gods.” So, I’ll be sticking with the films, which means there might be a few spoilers ahead. But you don’t need to have read the book to understand the main theme of this essay.

Paul is shown to have visions from the beginning of the first film, and combining this with his story and character development, we are pretty much convinced that he is going to be the hero of the tale. And for most of the second movie, that belief doesn’t really waver. But then, things take a wild turn, as Atreides becomes the most despised house in the universe, even worse than the Harkonnens. This shift is all down to the blind faith placed in Paul, as he supposedly leads the other houses to ‘Paradise.’ It turns out, Paul is actually the villain and a false god. “Dune 2” cleverly fools us into thinking Paul’s on the rise, when in fact, he’s falling from grace.

After watching these films, you really start to question the rise of Paul. Was he truly the chosen one, or was it just everyone’s blind faith that hoisted him up to this god-like status?

To understand this, let us take a look at Dune from a different lens. Picture a world where the Bene Gesserit propaganda about a savior hadn’t spread over in Arrakis. In such a case, after the Harkonnen attack, Paul might have barely survived the desert, let alone him being a leader of the Fremen. Moreover, the Bene Gesserit had other prospects, including one of the villains of Part 2 – Feyd Rautha Harkonnen. It’s easy to imagine if there was another, more fitting than Paul, yet it was Paul’s fortunate timing that allowed him to seize the moment and ascend beyond all others.

Halfway through the second movie, it’s clear that people are divided about Paul. Some believe he is just an ordinary foreigner while others view him as the long-awaited savior. It’s difficult to imagine Paul leading the Fremen without the initial support of his followers. There’s a moment where Chani points out that many doubt Paul could last even two weeks living the desert life. Given the tough environment the Fremen endure, their faith in this outsider was essential for his survival. Sure, Paul was skilled and well-trained, but without any faith from those around him, his chances of making it were slim.

Truthfully, Paul was far from being the perfect leader. He was driven by revenge, intent on defeating the Harkonnens. His methods weren’t always ethical; he resorted to using atomic weapons in an assault on Arakeen. While he may not have deliberately exploited the Fremen, his actions, influenced by his subconscious desire for vengeance—aided by his mother, Jessica—manipulated and used the Fremen, including Chani. Paul missed several chances to stop the spread of fear and violence. Especially during his speech in the south, he made himself sound more like a God than like a leader of the people.

Paul’s journey is overshadowed by a “terrible purpose,” and even with the knowledge of the dark path ahead, he doesn’t back down. He seems to be stuck in a web of prophecy and destiny that drives him forward. This internal struggle is also creatively portrayed through the cinematic choices, as illustrated by the shift in Paul’s attire from brown to black after his revival by Chani’s tears.

By the end of Part 2, when the larger political powers refuse to align, Paul leads all the houses into a holy war. As viewers, we are convinced that Paul has sound reasoning behind his decision. He promises a green world and safety for the Fremen, who have previously lived with scarce water and were oppressed by rule. But in the back of our minds, we know that his action was not a moral one. He had the chance to leave the other houses alone and rule on Arrakis, but instead, he “leads them to paradise.” What an amazing play on words! This leads to the big question – If a god is not moral, who will be?

So, the one lesson that Dune teaches us is that blind faith creates false gods. And that’s what Paul is. A False God. A tragedy. In today’s world, we should be careful not to mistake leaders for Gods, or else it might lead to the downfall of a society. There is a thin line between true faith and blind faith. Instead of blindly following a person, we should have faith in humanity as a whole, and that’s how we will prosper.