It shouldn't. I never read the book, Messiah, but I read that its dark. That could be the reason it was not as popular as Dune. I hope Dune Part 3 has a happy ending. Why should viewers leave the theater sad especially when the movie debuts close to Christmas?

[–] chaogomu@lemmy.world 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

No, there will be no happy ending. Paul has a narrative arc in the first three books (Dune, Messiah, and Children) that closely matches the Classic Greek Tragic Hero.

The Rise, The Fall, and I guess the Cameo?

The Hero rises, and then their own hubris causes their fall, and then they show up again, old and broken in someone else's story.

Classic Greek Tragedies also feature the heavy use of prophecy.

The exact story beats might be different between the book and movies, but the narrative arc is the same.

But fear not, if you go far enough into the series there's eventually a happy(ish) ending. A lot a tragedy and horror before that...

[–] panthera_@lemmy.today 1 points 8 hours ago

You're probably right but hopefully not. In the book, Chani just follows Paul but, in Dune Part 2 she leaves him. Perhaps Denis will bring the two back together in Dune Part 3.

[–] ZC3rr0r@piefed.ca 4 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Because life isn't only happiness? I want to see this movie to have the same tone as Messiah, I think society at large is due some injection of "beware of personality cults" reminders right now.

Also, the "downer" Empire Strikes Back is still considered by many to be the best of the original Star Wars trilogy, despite getting panned for being too much of a downer right around the Christmas season when that came out too. I remember one reviewer saying something to the tune of "like receiving a Christmas card from your bank" or something to describe the disappointment they felt with the entry when it came out.

[–] panthera_@lemmy.today 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

People already have a lesson from following personality cults in Adolf Hitler. No, life isn't all happiness. That's the reason movies should be an escape from unhappiness. Through Paul and Chani viewers can feel romantic love, a love which they perhaps do not have in real life.

But viewers knew that there would be a sequel to The Empire Strikes Back and the sequel, Return of the Jedi did have a happy ending. However, Dune Part 3 is the last of the trilogy. Note that the final Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man: No Way Home was sad. Why this love of dark endings?

[–] ZC3rr0r@piefed.ca 1 points 7 hours ago

Given that the majority of movies has a happy ending (which can often fell forced as a result of sticking to a formula) I personally feel that breaking with that tradition (outside of genres that often go for downer endings line horror) is refreshing and can make a movie a lot more memorable.

To each their own, of course, but I'll be happy if the movie sticks closer to the books. There's a powerful lesson and symbolism in there that I hope stays preserved on the big screen.