History NightmareFuel / Dune2021

-->'''Gaius Helen Mohiam''': ''[[ItIsDehumanizing The thing must leave]].''
-->'''Piter De Vries''': You can speak without fear. Our pet doesn't understand your language.
-->'''Gaius Helen Mohiam''': '''''[[CompellingVoice Get out.]]''''' ''(beat, as the "pet" crawls away)'' [[ItCanThink It understands.]]

-->'''Deaf Harkonnen''': Let's feed the kid to the worms and give her a long goodbye.
-->'''Paul''': Don't you ''dare'' touch my mother.
-->'''Harkonnen Soldier''': ''(smacks Paul HARD across the face)''
-->'''Deaf Harkonnen''': Don't talk!

* In this adaptation, Duke Leto wisely puts on his shield before going to check on the injured woman (soon found to be Shadout Mapes) when he senses something wrong in the middle of the night and gets shot in the back by Dr. Yueh. The shield manages to stop the paralytic dart from striking his skin, for a few seconds, leaving him a few extra moments of agony as he tries frantically to grab the dart before it finishes penetrating the shield. The dart's trajectory landed right where he was unable to reach it, leaving him futilely trying to save himself.

* The Baron is significantly thinner than how he is described in the novel, but where he lacks in morbid obesity he makes up for in looking ''absolutely terrifying,'' resembling a grotesque, hairless mix between [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor Palpatine]] and Creator/SydneyGreenstreet. His anti-gravity suspensors are no longer strapped to his body, but implanted in his ''spine'', with a distinctive bone cracking sound each time they are activated. His long robes make him appear more like a giant, moving shadow and his voice sounds like Creator/MarlonBrando with a throat full of gravel.

-->'''Baron Harkonnen:''' I said '''''[[ExactWords I]]''''' [[ExactWords would not harm them]] and I shall not. But Arrakis is Arrakis and the desert takes the weak. ''My'' desert. ''My'' Arrakis. '''''My [[TitleDrop Dune]].'''''

** Speaking of the "thing" above, it's possible that the creature is not an alien, but a mutated human. It has no features (eyes, mouth, nose, etc) but an oddly human-shaped head, and at the end of each limb is a humanoid hand. Considering how depraved the Harkonnen family is, it's not too far-fetched to assume that their "pet" is either: A) A genetically manipulated human clone, or B) [[FateWorseThanDeath A human who was turned into that thing]] (especially considering it understands human speech enough to be affected by Gaius Helen Mohiam's CompellingVoice).
*** In a later scene, Dr. Yueh says that the Harkonnen [[BodyHorror "took [his wife] apart like a doll."]] This might be what it looked like when they put her back together again.

** The overdubbing of the Sardaukar might be intentional -- Villeneuve ''wants'' the Sardaukar to be unnerving and uncanny, as in the book they are described as such even although Herbert never explains why. Here Villeneuve gives a good representation that makes the audience feel unnerved by the Sardaukar. Their BlackSpeech includes when they signal to each other in the cistern, sounding like Orcs or Ringwraiths more than humans.

* While the Baron and Rabban are speaking, you can hear screams in the backround. Presumably from Atreides personnel being tortured.

** The Sardaukar muezzin's chant is not subtitled, but only hearing it sends a chill down the spine. Not only due to the distorted, gastric overtones, or just the question or ''what'' might he be saying, but also to the sheer creepiness of the entire ceremony. The only hint the audience is given is that the opening words of the muezzin's chant are the thunderous and guttural first words of the film: "dreams are messages from the deep."

** Speaking of the "thing" above, it's possible that the creature is not an alien, but a mutated human. It has no features (eyes, mouth, nose, etc) but an oddly human-shaped head, and at the end of each limb is a humanoid hand. Considering how depraved the Harkonnen family is, it's not too far-fetched to assume that their "pet" is either: A) A genetically manipulated human clone, or B) [[AndIMustScream A human who was turned into that thing]] (especially considering it understands human speech enough to be affected by Gaius Helen Mohiam's CompellingVoice).

-->'''Gaius Helen Mohiam''': '''[[CompellingVoice GET OUT.]]''' ''(beat, as the "pet" crawls away)'' [[ItCanThink It understands.]]

* The Sardaukar are pretty unsettling. They're portrayed like a {{cult}} of {{Blood Knight}}s who practice HumanSacrifice (with a shot of the many people who get sacrificed) to mark their foreheads with blood before going to battle. They also have a BlackSpeech as language, which is made creepier due to the actors actually speaking the lines given in English (read their lips) while being overdubbed, creating an uncanny valley effect since their voices don't quite sync with their mouth movements.

* Our first true demonstration of the Bene Gesserit Voice, when the Reverend Mother orders Paul to come to her and kneel. He seems to just appear that way almost instantly, as though dragged on a leash, fully making clear how much it overrides your own will so you're not even aware of time passing until you've complied. [[TvTropesWillRuinYourLife Just like this website]].

'''Baron Harkonnen:''' Kill them all. ''(Submerges himself)''

'''Rabban:''' What does [Piter] mean?\\
'''Baron Harkonnen:''' [[TheChessmaster When is a gift not a gift?]]

** The depiction of Giedi Prime itself goes beyond stark and straight into terrifying. A completely industrialized world, every scrap of green and life has been chewed up and replaced by stone, concrete, and metal. Smoke and smog hangs over everything and while the palace of Caladan looks regal and stately, the gigantic ziggurats of the Harkonnen look like looming mausoleums.

* Paul's visions, while occasionally helpful and showing Paul's future love Chani, are just as often nightmarish. Special mention goes to his vision of the holy war that will be waged in his name--while nothing too explicitly violent is shown, the fact that it's enough to demolish Paul's [[NotSoStoic otherwise-impenetrable composure]] and leave him panicked, shaking and crying is certainly unnerving. One vision in particular shows Chani sauntering across the desert with a hand ''soaked in blood.''

** After seeing the Sardaukar easily slaughter Atreides elite soldiers, they find themselves narrowly outmatched by the Fremen, a small group of whom take out the majority of an entire unit, the remainder of whom barely defeat Duncan Idaho in a 20-to-1 fight with the remaining Imperial troops consumed offhandedly by Shai-Hulud almost before they realize they're in danger. Their only warning is when the vibrations of the worm's approach causes their legs to sink into the sand. Arrakis and its people are such an outrageously ruthless DeathWorld that even the Emperor's elite troops, who are deathworlders themselves, are helpless beyond the walls of the cities.

** The overdubbing of the Sardaukar might be intentional -- Villeneuve ''wants'' the Sardaukar to be unnerving and uncanny, as in the book they are described as such even although Herbert never explains why. Here Villeneuve gives a good representation that makes the audience feel unnerved by the Sardaukar. Their BlackSpeech includes when they signal to each other in the cistern, sounding like insects more than humans.

* In the Harkonnen throne room, there's an eight-legged black ... ''thing'' which looks like it escaped from one of Creator/HRGiger's nightmares, which seems to be kept as a pet by the Baron or Piter. The Harkonnen servants--who are all bald and eerily thin, with white skin, no fingernails and solid black eyes -- also look distinctly alien. Some wear strange gags over their mouths, and react twitchily and deferentially to the Harkonnens' actions, implying a history of brutal treatment from their superiors.

* The Baron is significantly thinner than how he is described in the novel, but where he lacks in morbid obesity he makes up for in looking ''absolutely terrifying,'' resembling a grotesque, hairless mix between [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor Palpatine]] and Creator/SydneyGreenstreet. His anti-gravity suspensors are no longer strapped to his body, but implanted in his ''spine'', with a distinctive bone cracking sound each time they are activated. His long robes make him appear more like a giant, moving shadow and his voice sounds like Creator/MarlonBrando with a throat full of gravel. Darth Vader has ''nothing'' on the Baron.
-->'''Baron Harkonnen:''' I said '''''[[ExactWords I]]''''' [[ExactWords would not harm them]] and I shall not. But Arrakis is Arrakis and the desert takes the weak. ''My'' desert. ''My'' Arrakis. '''''[[TitleDrop My Dune.]]'''''

* The Harkonnen army [[CurbStompBattle utterly demolishes]] the Atreides forces, with the help of a traitorous Doctor Yueh and three battalions of Sardaukar soldiers.

** After seeing the Sardaukar easily slaughter Atreides soldiers, find themselves narrowly outmatched by the Fremen, and barely defeat Duncan Idaho in a 20-to-1 fight, the remaining Imperial troops are consumed offhandedly by Shai-Hulud almost before they realize they're in danger. Their only warning is when the vibrations of the worm's approach causes their legs to sink into the sand. Arrakis is such an outrageously ruthless DeathWorld that even the Emperor's elite troops are helpless beyond the walls of the cities.

** Speaking of the “thing” above, it’s possible that the creature is not an alien, but a mutated human. It has no features (eyes, mouth, nose, etc) but an oddly human-shaped head, and at the end of each limb is a humanoid hand. Considering how depraved the Harkonnen family is, it’s not too far-fetched to assume that their “pet” is either: A) A genetically manipulated human clone, or B) [[AndIMustScream A human who was turned into that thing]] (especially considering it understands human speech enough to be affected by Gaius Helen Mohiam's CompellingVoice).

-->'''Glossu-Rabban:''' And the Fremen?
-->'''Baron Harkonnen:''' Kill them all. ''(Submerges himself)''

-->'''Baron Harkonnen:''' I said '''''[[ExactWords I]]''''' [[ExactWords would not harm them]] and I shall not. But Arrakis is Arrakis and the desert takes the weak. This is my desert. My Arrakis. '''[[TitleDrop My Dune.]]'''

-->'''Rabban:''' Uncle, how could you let this happen? How can the Emperor...[[SuddenlyShouting TAKE EVERYTHING WE HAVE BUILT AND GIVE IT TO THAT DUKE?!]] ''HOW?!''\\

'''Baron Harkonnen:''' [[{{Chessmaster}} When is a gift not a gift?]]

* The Sardaukar are pretty unsettling. They're portrayed like a {{cult}} of {{Blood Knight}}s who practice HumanSacrifice (with a shot of the many people who get sacrificed) to mark their foreheads with blood before going to battle. They also have a BlackSpeech as language, which is made creepier due to the actors actually speaking the lines given in English (read their lips) while being overdubbed.

-->'''Baron Harkonnen:''' [[{{KillEmAll}} Kill them all.]] ''(Submerges himself)''

* The Sardaukar are pretty unsettling. They're portrayed like a {{cult}} of {{Blood Knight}}s who practice HumanSacrifice (with a shot of the many people who get sacrificed) to mark their foreheads with blood before going to battle. They also have a BlackSpeech as language, which is made creepier due to the actors actually speaking the lines given in English (read their lips) while being overdubbed, creating an almost UncannyValley effect.

* The Baron is significantly thinner than how he is described in the novel, but where he lacks in morbid obesity he makes up for in looking ''absolutely terrifying,'' resembling a grotesque, hairless mix between [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor Palpatine]] and Creator/SydneyGreenstreet. His anti-gravity suspensors are no longer strapped to his body, but implanted in his ''spine'', with a distinctive bone cracking sound each time they are activated. His long robes make him appear more like a giant, moving shadow and his voice sounds like Marlon Brando with a throat full of gravel. Darth Vader has ''nothing'' on the Baron.
-->'''Baron Harkonnen:''' I will not harm them. But Arrakis is Arrakis and the desert takes the weak. My desert. My Arrakis. '''[[TitleDrop My Dune.]]'''

-->'''Rabban:''' Uncle, how could you let this happen? How can the Emperor...'''[[SuddenlyShouting TAKE]]''' EVERYTHING WE BUILT AND GIVE IT TO THAT DUKE?! ''HOW''?!\\

* We get a shot of a Harkonnen agent who was bricked up into a wall, just so that he could release a hunter-seeker drone in an attempt to kill Paul. Claustrophobia (a character states that the agent was cemented into the wall for ''six weeks'') and the ParanoiaFuel of a hidden attacker anywhere within a building, all in one package.

* The Harkonnen army utterly demolishes the Atreides forces, with the help of a traitorous Doctor Yueh and three battalions of Sardaukar soldiers.
* The depiction of laser weaponry, both during the Harkonnen/Sardaukar assault on Arrakeen, and later on during the attack on Liet-Kynes' ecology station. The beams look thin and not overly powerful, but they rapidly pierce through ''every'' substance they face and come very close to bisecting Paul, Jessica and Liet-Kynes when the trio try to elude the Sardaukar and escape the ecology station.

*** In a later scene, Dr. Yueh says that the Harkonnen [[BodyHorror "took [his wife] apart like a doll"]]. This might be what it looked like when they put her back together again.

-->'''Paul:''' It's coming. I see a holy war spreading across the universe like unquenchable fire. A warrior religion that waves the Atreides banner in my father’s name. ''Fanatical legions worshipping at the shrine of my father’s skull''. '''A WAR IN MY NAME!!''' ''Everyone shouting my name!!''

* Our first true demonstration of the Bene Gesserit Voice, when the Reverend Mother orders Paul to come to her and kneel. He seems to just appear that way almost instantly, as though dragged on a leash, fully making clear how much it overrides your own will so you're not even aware of time passing until you've complied.

* In this adaptation, Duke Leto wisely puts on his shield before going to check on the injured woman (soon found to be Shadout Mapes) when he senses something wrong in the middle of the night and gets shot in the back by Dr. Yueh. The shield manages to stop the paralytic dart from striking his skin, for a few seconds, leaving him a few extra moments of agony as he tries frantically to grab the dart before it finishes penetrating the shields. The dart's trajectory landed right where he was unable to reach it, leaving him futilely trying to save himself.
* In the Harkonnen throne room, there's an eight-legged black ... ''thing'' which looks like it escaped from one of Creator/HRGiger's nightmares, which seems to be kept as a pet by the Baron or Piter. The Harkonnen servants--who are all bald and eerily thin, with white skin, no fingernails and solid black eyes -- also look distinctly alien. Some wear strange gags over their mouths, and react twitchily and deferentially to the Harkonnens' actions, implying a history of brutal treatment from their superiors.
** Speaking of the “thing” above, it’s possible that the creature is not an alien, but a mutated human. It has no features (eyes, mouth, nose, etc) but an oddly human-shaped head, and at the end of each limb is a humanoid hand. Considering how depraved the Harkonnen family is, it’s not too far-fetched to assume that their “pet” is either: A) A genetically manipulated human clone, or B) [[AndIMustScream A human who was turned into that thing]] (especially considering it understands human speech enough to be affected by Gaius Helen Mohiam's CompellingVoice).
*** In a later scene, Dr. Yueh says that the Harkonnen [[BodyHorror "took [his wife] apart like a doll"]]. This might be what it looked like when they put her back together again.
** The depiction of Giedi Prime itself goes beyond stark and straight into terrifying. A completely industrialized world, every scrap of green and life has been chewed up and replaced by stone, concrete, and metal. Smoke and smog hangs over everything and while the palace of Caladan looks regal and stately, the gigantic ziggurats of the Harkonnen look like looming mausoleums.

** The Sardaukar muezzin's chant is not subtitled, but only hearing it sends a chill down the spine. Not only due to the distorted, gastric overtones, or just the question or ''what'' might he be saying, but also to the sheer creepiness of the entire ceremony. The only hint the audience is given is that the opening words of the muezzin's chant are the thunderous and guttural first words of the film: "Dreams are messages from the deep."
** The overdubbing of the Sardaukar might be intentional -- Villeneuve ''wants'' the Sardaukar to be unnerving and uncanny as in the book they are described as such - but Herbert never explains why. Here Villeneuve gives a good representation that makes the audience feel unnerved by the Sardaukar. Their BlackSpeech includes when they signal to each other in the cistern, sounding like insects more than humans.

* The Baron is significantly thinner than how he is described in the novel, but where he lacks in morbid obesity he makes up for in looking ''absolutely terrifying,'' resembling a grotesque, hairless mix between [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor Palpatine]] and Creator/SydneyGreenstreet. His anti-gravity suspensors are no longer strapped to his body, but implanted in his ''spine'', with a distinctive bone cracking sound each time they are activated. His long robes make him appear more like a giant, moving shadow and his voice sounds like Marlon Brando with a throat full of gravel. Darth Vader has ''nothing'' on the Baron.
-->'''Baron Harkonnen:''' I will not harm them. But Arrakis is Arrakis and the desert takes the weak. My desert. My Arrakis. '''[[TitleDrop My Dune.]]'''

** The Sardaukar muezzin's chant is not subtitled, but only hearing it sends a chill down the spine. Not only due to the distorted, gastric overtones, or just the question or ''what'' might he be saying, but also to the sheer creepiness of the entire ceremony. The only hint the audience is given is that the opening words of the murzzin's chant are the thunderous and guttural first words of the film: "Dreams are messages from the deep."

* To celebrate his victory, Baron Harkonnen [[NauseaFuel noisily stuffs his face]] at a dining table with the Duke's naked body at the opposite end, who is [[AndIMustScream just lucid enough]] to realize how utterly screwed he is. Considering the circumstances and his...[[DepravedHomosexual predilections]] in the novel, the Baron's intentions with Leto [[DudeShesLikeInAComa are probably best left to the imagination.]]

* Paul's visions, while occasionally helpful and showing Paul's future love Chani, are just as often nightmarish. Special mention goes to his vision of the holy war that will be waged in his name--while nothing too explicitly violent is shown, the fact that it's enough to demolish Paul's [[NotSoStoic otherwise-impenetrable composure]] and leave him panicked, shaking and crying is certainly unnerving.
-->'''Paul:''' It's coming. I see a holy war spreading across the universe like unquenchable fire. A warrior religion that waves the Atreides banner in my father’s name. ''Fanatical legions worshipping at the shrine of my father’s skull''. '''A WAR IN MY NAME'''!! ''Everyone shouting my name''!

* The effects of the DeadlyGas in Duke Leto's fake tooth are portrayed as much more graphic than in earlier adaptations. Not only does the gas suffocate its victims, it also corrodes their skin and eats away their eyeballs (WeHardlyKnewYe, Piter). It's implied that Baron Harkonnen had to go through extensive surgical reconstruction after barely surviving the incident.

* The Baron is significantly thinner than how he is described in the novel, but where he lacks in morbid obesity he makes up for in looking ''absolutely terrifying,'' resembling a grotesque, hairless mix between [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor Palpatine]] and Creator/SydneyGreenstreet. His anti-gravity suspensors are no longer strapped to his body, but implanted in his ''spine'', his long robes make him appear more like a giant, moving shadow and his voice sounds like Marlon Brando with a throat full of gravel. Darth Vader has ''nothing'' on the Baron.

*** In an earlier scene, Dr. Yueh says that the Harkonnen [[BodyHorror "took [his wife] apart like a doll"]]. This might be what it looked like when they put her back together again.

-->'''Baron Harkonnen:''' I will not harm them. But Arrakis is Arrakis and the desert takes the weak. My desert. My Arrakis. '''My Dune.'''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dunc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{ItCanThink}} "It understands."]]]]''