Dune: Part Two's Biggest Weapon Isn't A Sandworm – It's Christopher Walken
Mild spoilers for "Dune: Part Two" follow.
"Dune: Part Two" is loaded with hot young stars — Timothée Chalamet! Zendaya! Austin Butler! Florence Pugh! And nestled among all these new Hollywood faces is someone from the old school: Christopher Walken. When Walken joined the "Dune: Part Two" cast as Shaddam IV, the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe, I was thrilled. Not because I'm overly familiar with "Dune" lore (I've never read any of the books), but because the prospect of seeing Christopher Walken in a big sci-fi epic as the "Emperor of the Known Universe" sounded pretty damn cool.
Sure enough, Walken shows up in "Dune: Part Two" and walks away with every brief scene he has. It's not a big role. It's not a showy role. But Walken, sporting puffy white hair and a hang-dog expression, has such gravitas, such heft as a performer, that he makes a meal of every tiny morsel. In a way, the film is weaponizing what we know about Walken as an actor. At this point in his long career, we kind of have an idea of what to expect from Walken — and it's usually something slightly weird and off-kilter, with maybe a little dancing thrown in for good measure (Walken is a trained dancer). The actor is arguably best known for the very unique way he handles dialogue, emphasizing words in unexpected ways. It's the reason why there are a million crappy Christopher Walken impersonations out there.
But "Dune: Part Two" reminds us there's more to Christopher Walken than a weird voice.
Walken away with this movie
The Emperor was not seen in the first "Dune," but we learned there that he gave the O.K. for the villainous Harkonnens to attack and slaughter the Atreides briefly after giving the Atreides control of the desert planet Arrakis. "Dune: Part Two" eventually allows the Emperor to explain why he did what he did, but before it gets there, it gives us scenes of Walken sitting and contemplating while his worried, suspicious daughter (Florence Pugh) looks on. On the surface, there's not a whole lot going on in these scenes, and yet Walken brings with him so much weight as a performer that we're transfixed.
Walken gets a bigger moment during the huge, action-packed climax of the film, where he arrives on Arrakis after being summoned by Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), who has become the Fremen messiah/freedom fighter known as Muad'Dib. This gives Walken a chance to sit on a big throne and look threatening. Eventually, Paul infiltrates the Emperor's inner sanctum and confronts him about the betrayal that resulted in the death of Paul's father, Duke Leto Atreides (played by Oscar Isaac in the first film).
Walken, as the Emperor, tries to command respect, demanding Paul kneel before him — but Paul refuses. The Emperor looks weak and ineffectual in front of this young man, but Walken plays the scene just right by maintaining an air of entitled indignation. He's suddenly powerless but refuses to accept it. He cannot believe the insolence of this boy who dares to challenge him. "Your father was weak," Walken says in a harsh whisper. It's a chilling moment, and watching Walken command the scene is nothing short of remarkable. Timothée Chalamet is a good actor, but watching him act against Walken just underscores Walken's talents. He runs away with the scene.
Weapon of choice
Do we take Christopher Walken for granted as a performer? I think we might. Like Nicolas Cage, Walken can often be thought of as more of a walking meme than a talented actor. But his long, acclaimed career speaks to his strengths, be it his Oscar-winning work in "The Deer Hunter," his scene-stealing cameo in "Pulp Fiction," the threatening aura of his starring role in "King of New York," his memorable dancing in Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" music video (which has its own fun "Dune" connection), or his heartbreaking turn in Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me If You Can."
There's a reason we're fascinated with Christopher Walken: he makes choices other actors don't. Sure, sometimes that results in strange, over-the-top silliness in less-than-great movies, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't acknowledge his skills. His brief but memorable turn in "Dune: Part Two" is a reminder of what Walken can do, and do well. The film is loaded with spectacle and big mind-blowing special effects showcasing monstrous sandworms, but my favorite parts of the movie were the scenes where Christopher Walken got to show up and remind us he's still got it.
I spoke more about Walken and his "Dune: Part Two" performance on today's episode of the /Film Daily podcast, which you can listen to below:
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