“The higher I go, the crookeder it becomes.”
Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” trilogy are woven in the same tapestry. As they have established two much alike epic characters, “Paul Atreides and Michael Corleone”.
Based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel “Dune”, both the movie explores the world of Arrakis, where we can find spice inside the desert, and rivalries between two royal houses “Harkannon and Atreides”. But the character of Paul is a fascinating one.
We see the growth of Paul from a very young age, where he used to get dreams of the future, A Holy War, will be led in the name of him and his father, so he was determined that he will avoid anything that will lead him up to that level.
But when his survival instincts kicked in he understood, in order to stay alive he needed people, and in order to make them do what he wanted he needed power. Slowly, rather than evolving as a responsible man, he became a cult leader, who announced war against everyone at the end of “Part Two”.
Something similar happened with “Michael Corleone” as well. Being a member of a Mafia family, from the very beginning Michael identified himself as not one of them .
But due to his father’s near death assassination he understood that whatever good he becomes the name “Corleone” will never leave him. So he takes up the responsibility of the Mafia family.
Following the course of events he slowly becomes something he has already dreaded, and in order to keep his family safe he separates from his wife. Later he killed his two brothers and became the Godfather.
Both these characters have such similar personal revenge saga that it is quite impossible to overlook, both the characters are taking revenge in the name of the family and father. Both became the leader which they never wanted to become.
And both waged wars.
With the great announcement of “Dune Messiah”, we will see the gradual downfall of Paul’s character. The book Dune Messiah gives this message of no matter how big the figure is, you should never trust a religious figure blindly. The book portrays Paul in the light of an antagonist, and establishes the fact that “he messed up a big time”.
As shown in the third movie of Godfather, the room which echoed with the cheering of people, and used to celebrate Vito’s birthday with the whole family at that very place Michael is dying, he has all the riches of the world but no family.
He died in uttar loneliness.