Dune: Part Two: Why is the Harkonnen planet pictured in black and white? Explained 

Dune: Part Two is finally out, and is being hailed by fans and critics as Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi masterpiece. Following Timothee Chalamet's Paul Atreides as he joins the Fremen to seek revenge on the Harkonnens for destroying his family, the film is a visual feast that fully utilizes all of its IMAX features and large worldbuilding.

However, one of the most striking scenes in Dune: Part Two was the black-and-white monochromatic sequence that took place on the Harkonnen planet, Giedi Prime. Fans in particular are highly impressed by this scene, and while you might think the only reason it was shot in black and white was to deliver a visual fair, there is actually a deeper meaning behind it.

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Denis Villeneuve reveals why Dune: Part Two's Giedi Prime was shot in black and white

While Dune: Part One did feature Giedi Prime, we were only treated to scenes that took place indoors on the planet. Dune: Part Two, however, goes one step further and showcases the outdoors as well by placing the big and sinister introduction of Austin Butler's Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in a battle pit.

It's here where we get to see that the outdoors of the planet are completely in black and white. This is due to the natural lighting of Giedi Prime's sun creating this effect, but director Denis Villeneuve revealed a much deeper and symbolic reasoning behind it.

In an interview with Letterboxd, Villeneuve revealed that he wanted to focus on the fascist and totalitarian nature of the planet in Dune: Part Two. Since Giedi Prime was heavily disconnected from nature, Villeneuve thought a monochromatic color scheme would help signify this very well. Here's what he said:

"Giedi Prime is a plastic world, an artificial world cut from nature, a totalitarian environment where the ruler is fascist. And I thought that this idea to subtract color from their world will say something about their way of thinking. And I came with this idea that the sunlight will be monochromatic black and white."

With the Harkonnens being also displayed as these pale and vampiric creatures, it certainly does help signify the essence behind the brutality of the planet's people.

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Cinematographer Greig Fraser used infrared to shoot these sequences

While the concept of Giedi Prime is interesting, the way it was shot will leave you even more impressed. To showcase the monochromatic color scheme, director Denis Villeneuve revealed that Greig Fraser loved the idea and decided to use infrared cameras to shoot the sequences.

Fraser himself hasn't been a stranger to using infrared technology because he used it on Zero Dark Thirty and Rogue One as well, but this was a true test of his capabilities to showcase how the planet's lighting exactly works.

Revealing to Variety, the Oscar-winning cinematographer stated that the cameras used for the film utilized the same light that security cameras use, and he was intrigued by them because "our eyes can’t see it (the light), but the camera can." Talking to ARRI Rental, Fraser said:

“We’d been on this planet for night interiors in part one, but we’d never been outside, so we were discussing what it would look like. I did a test for Denis where the inhabitants have very pale white skin, based on the notion that there’s no visible light from the sun on Giedi Prime, only infrared light. When the characters go from inside to outside, they effectively go from normal light to infrared light.”

Dune: Part Two is playing in cinemas right now.