20 key differences between Denis Villeneuve's Dune Universe and Frank Herbert's novels 

10) The Spice’s Cultural Importance

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In the book, spice has profound hallucinogenic and spiritual significance, deeply integrated into Fremen rituals and their connection to Arrakis. The films focus more on its economic and geopolitical value, underplaying its cultural and religious roles. By doing so, the adaptations lose the mysticism tied to spice and its impact on Paul’s transformation. This change simplifies the narrative but reduces the richness of Herbert’s ecological and spiritual allegory, which uses spice as a metaphor for power, addiction, and the interconnectedness of life on Arrakis.

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