DUNE Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down The Scene Where Paul Atreides is Challenged With a Test

Denis Velleneuve’s Dune is an incredible adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece. He pulled off something amazing and it was such an awesome movie-going experience. If you haven’t watched the film yet, you’ve got to check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Anyway, Vanity Fair has released a new "Notes on a Scene" video in which the director breaks down the scene where Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is challenged to a test, the Gom Jabbar, “to see if his humanity will overcome his animal impulses. A poisoned needle is held to his neck to incentivize him to complete the test.”

In the video, Villeneuve offers some great insight and explains how he built such a tense scene with the layering of an ancient aesthetic and visual effects. Check it out.