Summary
- Sandworms are central to Dune, revered by the Fremen and linked to the planet’s survival through spice production.
- Riding a sandworm is a rite of passage, symbolizing a test of prophetic destiny and acceptance of one’s fate.
- Timothee Chalamet sees Paul’s sandworm ride as an intense, thrilling coming-of-age moment in the film.
One of the pivotal scenes in Dune 2 film is when we witness Paul Atreides finally find his way onto the back of an enormous sandworm. It is an epic showdown between the possible future savior and one of the most powerful creatures on Arrakis. Audiences watch the scene in hushed silence followed by cheers and gasps of surprise.
The scene has a variety of meanings and purposes in the plot and overall story, allowing people to take away from it what they want. However, one person, in fact, the one who plays Paul, has some thoughts of his own. Timothee Chalamet thinks he knows the real meaning behind Paul’s first ride.
The Importance of Sandworms in Dune
Dune: Part Two
4.5/5
- Release Date
- March 1, 2024
- Runtime
- 166 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
The first thing to know is the importance of the sandworms on Arrakis. These enormous creatures can grow to upwards of a mile in length and the native inhabitants of the planet, the Fremen, refer to them as Shai-Hulud. Sandworms travel under the surface of the planet’s immense oceans of sand and are considered to be sacred to the Fremen.
The sandworms are a massively destructive force and are sent into a frenzy when they sense certain vibrations in their territories. This is one of the reasons they are so dangerous to the planet’s inhabitants but even more so to the invading spice miners. Both the evil Harkonnen and their Atreides replacements use giant spice harvesting machines which pound the desert to extract “spice”. These vibrations attract the sandworms and often cause the worms to devour the harvester machines along with anyone unlucky enough to be stuck inside.
The Fremen know that the spice is produced by the sandworms, one of the reasons they worship them. In the second Dune film, we see a Fremen woman extract the “water of life”, a concentrated liquid form of spice, from a juvenile sandworm. This liquid puts Paul into a coma and gives him terrible visions of his own future. This liquid must be extracted from a juvenile sandworm after they have been suffocated in a pool of water. It is considered an extreme and important ritual for the Fremen and shows just how much they revere and understand these enigmatic creatures.
Riding Sandworms Is a Rite of Passage
The Fremen have a specific rite of passage that involves the sandworms. The first part is to learn how to walk across the dunes without being detected. This involves a balletic dance of non-repeating steps that are meant to simulate how smaller animals move across the dunes.
Once the individual has achieved this level of movement, they are sent out to a distant sand dune where they turn on a thumper, a small machine that creates a rhythmic pounding, thus summoning a sandworm. When the sandworm approaches, the young Fremen must use two grappling hooks to grab onto the sandworm’s segments, raise themselves to a standing position, and ride the sandworm through the desert, using the grappling hooks to keep the sandworm above ground. Doing this earns them their place among the honored Fremen.
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The sandworms can also be ridden by multiple people and are used in the second Dune film to transport hundreds of Fremen through the desert at high speeds and get them through an immense sandstorm that would have otherwise been unnavigable.
Chalamet’s Perspective on the Scene
This is how Timothee Chalamet described the scene of Paul finally riding a sandworm:
“Beyond being an exciting sequence in the movie, it represents a coming of age. It’s where Paul’s supposed prophecy would fall flat, and it would mean his death if he can’t rise to the occasion. So the stakes of that moment are huge, and the doing of it was thrilling. It was industrial fans blowing sand, and a slab of worm was built. It was an amazing experience.”
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This makes perfect sense. The entire purpose of these stories is that certain Fremen believe Paul to be the Lisan al Gaib. This means they see him as a prophet from another planet who is prophesied to bring water to their desert planet. Meanwhile, his mother believes him to be the Kwisatz Haderach. This figure has been born from decades of specific breeding by the Bene Gesserit to not only lead but prophesize the future and lead the universe into a new age. However, neither of these titles means anything if Paul is unable to complete the task of riding the sandworm.
If he were to die, having been unable to complete the task, both prophesies collapse. Without Paul showing that he is up for the challenge and proving to everyone that he can take on these monumental beasts, he has lost not only the belief of his people but, most assuredly, his life as well.
Chalamet understands the root of his character’s need to be both Lisan al Gaib and Kwisatz Haderach, even if Paul himself does not want these titles. He simply knows that he is destined for them, which, in itself, is part of the prophecies. When he rides the sandworm, one that even the trained Fremen see as far too large for a first-time rider, there is a joyous feeling followed by the determination in Paul’s demeanor that he has finally accepted his fate and is ready to take on the mantles that both the Fremen and the Benne Gesserit wish to bestow upon him. Stream Dune on Max and watch Dune 2 in theaters.
