»dune reference«

anyone else like the sweet reference to dune. in dune (or actually the follow up books) paul atreides (the main guy) eventually gets blinded by his enemies, but can still see. he is also a messianic character who gives his life for the eventual freedom of humanity. eeeew. i get chills thinking about this. what do ya guys think? anyother similarities, or anyone got other stuff to add?

Its been a while since I have read the Dune books, but I did think of the "blind messiah" when I was watching Revolutions.

The dune series is a commentary on religion, and specifically christianity...

I wonder if there are other parellels....?

Yes, I spotted that, especially as I'd seen the "Children of Dune" mini-series not long before seeing #3.

Of course both Neo and Paul are messiah figures. Maybe his being able to wipe sentinels was another reference, but say to maybe sandworms?

The two stories are very similar.

[Dune spoilers]

Paul, who has been bred to be the Kwisatz Haderach (the superbeing) by the Bene Gesserit, drinks the Water of Life, goes into a coma, and wakes up changed; he has precognitive abilities. He's also physically blind, but can "see" by looking into the very near future.

Neo, who has been (in some unclear way) designed by the machines, touches the Source, goes into a coma, and wakes up changed ("We were reading something but I couldn't tell what it was."). Shortly thereafter he's physically blinded, but gains substitute sight, apparently through some kind of connection to the Source.

the Dune history also provides us with an Earth over-run by machines with humans as slaves (pre-Butlerian Jihad).

Quote:

“The Oracle: You have the sight now, Neo. You are looking at the world without time. Neo: Then why can't I see what happens to her? The Oracle: We can never see past the choices we don't understand.”

I think this can also be read as a reference to the Dune, because Paul Atreides is also able to see the future (somewhere at the end, it is a long time since I read this book), but not past some crucial choises.

In the Dune world, there are also the ship navigators, addicted to the spice and thus able to see the future and navigate the interstellar ships. But the problem is they do not see past the moment when Paul and the army of Fremens rule the whole planet Arrakis and also stop the production of spice.

Everything is aimed at the last moment when Paul, from the house of Atreides, fight some son of Harkonnen (I don't remember his name) to decide what the future will be alike. This takes place after the fremen attack and Emperor and all others just watch. There is also a child of Paul and his wife, which have some very special abilities like seeing the future and speeking few days after her birth.

So, all in all, there is a lot of similarities to the matrix:
- seeing/not seeing past the choises - the speech with Oracle
- long time plans of Oracle to change the matrix are similar to the genetical crossbreeding of Bene Geserit in order to have the One (but finally Paul turns against the plans of Bene Geserit unlike the Oracle & Neo)
- final fight of Neo vs. Smith is like duel of Paul Atreides and Harkonen
- the child reminds me somehow Sati
- uncomprehending Emperor reminds me Deus ex Machina, which also seems to be somehow confused by the appearance of Neo and his demands
- and of course, there is the whole biblical story of messiah

But on the other hand there are also lot of things differing:
- Paul gets to the Emperor and his suit and to the final fight AFTER a succesful war (he is like general and the fremens are his soldiers, but he also causes a storm - he is somehow very powerful)
- the setting of the story (place, history ...) are completely different
- no allusion about matrix, alternate reality, computers and such stuff (but, you have to consider the year the book was written)

But generally, I think there is a lot of inspiration for the plot line of Revolutions.

So, if there is someone who knows more about Dune, he can freely correct me or add some facts I have forgotten.

Lysander wrote:

Paul, who has been bred to be the Kwisatz Haderach (the superbeing) by the Bene Gesserit, drinks the Water of Life, goes into a coma, and wakes up changed

actually, Paul Maud'Dib was a generation early. they wanted him to be a daughter, and then she would be married off to a Harkonnen and THEN the Kwisatz Haderach would be born. he had the power though...but i don't think he had the full potential.

Leto II? he had it all. righteous.