Dhaka, March 24 -- After watchingDune: Part Two, one of my friends said that the whole story, like so many typical American films, served the propaganda of the 'white saviour'. But I disagree. Though many of the beats and ideas line up on the surface, something different lurks underneath.

The colonialist aspects and ideas inDuneare obvious. After all, the Fremen see protagonist Paul Atreides take up the mantle of the Lisan al Gaib, a prophesied messiah who will lead them to paradise. And Paul does step into the role of their leader, taking on a nearly mythic role in the narrative. However, at the end of the film, I would argue that Paul doesn't become a saviour, but rather a power-hungry monarch.

From the perspective of the Fremen, Paul...