The Baron Harkonnen: The Plan (part 1 of 14)

Ian McNeice as the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
"Frank Herbert's Dune". 2000
"By the time the traitor is fully revealed, the fate of Atreides will already be sealed."

[@silversnail1413]

I still think this is the best version of the Baron. Lynch's version was too grotesque and Villeneuve's version was too bizarre and alien. McNeice really managed to capture the scheming and intelligent side of the character while rendering his aberrant qualities in a more subtle way. He's like a Roman Emperor drunk with power, Tiberius in the year 10,000.

[@PERSEUS-NIOR]

well put stellan was amazing but a bit too sinister and creepy mcmillan was good but way too unhinged and disgusting McNeice is the perfect one as one might think McNeice is to Baron as Jeremy Brett is to Sherlock ie the definitive one

[@barbiquearea]

Ian McNeice did an excellent job playing Baron Harkonnen.

[@MrRedcarpet02]

barbiquearea his best performance in my view

[@dkupke]

I recall reading an interview where he talked about it and he said for the most part he enjoyed the role; the decision to have the Baron speak in rhyme was an improvisational of his because it reminded him of his Shakespearean background. But he found it physically difficult because the device they used for the floating effect involved basically sitting on a bicycle seat for hours on end.

[@patgogan7324]

Shame we never got to see his portrayal of illyrio on game of thrones

[@zannaifacedancer5915]

LOL he had to suffer a litle, but you can tell he enjoyed it, and he makes me enjoy every time I watch his scenes.

[@VersusARCH]

@@MrRedcarpet02 Let's not forget his great performance as a news reporter in HBO's Rome. "... true Roman bread for true" Romans", "... has slaves for every budget"

[@MackeyDeez]

Now this is a more accurate portrayal of the Baron Harkonnen. Notice that he's not acting like a raving lunatic like the 84 movie version.

[@Herr.P]

He is a lunatic but the worst kind a clever one. And hes sons is even more evil.

[@Leto617]

@@Herr.P you do know he has no children because he is extremely gay, right?

[@Herr.P]

@@Leto617 whats your point?

[@Leto617]

@@Herr.P Feyd isn't his son, neither is Raban

[@Herr.P]

@@Leto617 and?

[@diehounderdoggenalt]

"Shut up, Rabban." -Motto of House Harkonnen

[@RFEM520]

1984’s Baron: might kill you Miniseries Baron: Will plot against you. 2021/24 Baron: Will kill you.

[@2chaskell]

This is the only version of the harkkonen trio that feel like an evil force and also still an actual family

[@thealexkirschproject]

This Baron is far more cunning than the 1984 version. Absolutely brilliant. I think he did the best job in the entire movie.

[@leonaquilla2547]

Ian McNeice is THE best Baron Harkonnen.

[@lorefox201]

"of course it is, I designed it" based.

[@user-ie3lx7uv1q]

The Baron of 1984 version is way too creepy, this one looks like a real mastermind.

[@mariopinoli8779]

By the time the traitor is fully revealed The fate of Atreides will already be sealed Great lines

[@byronlee8745]

Baron Harkonnen is one of my favorite villains in science fiction, I am currently reading Dune so that I can understand the story before the movie comes out. Ian Mcneice did a damn good job at portraying the character, let's hope Stellan Skarsgard can be as good... or even take it to the next level!

[@smnoy23]

Oh, I really like this portrayal of the Harkonnens

[@theosprey7111]

Overall, the Villeneuve 2021 movie is the best Dune. But McNeice’s portrayal of the Baron Harkonnen on the scifi channel version is the best portrayal of the Baron out of the three versions of Dune.

[@benjaminjames7417]

Precisely

[@SuperNovaJinckUFO]

Something needs to be said about the blocking of this scene. Every frame that the Baron's in, he's right in the center, the other characters being off to the side and far away, made to seems small by comparison. Not to mention that the Baron is usually the largest object in the shot. It drives home the message that this is about him, and it's his scene. You don't even have to understand what they're saying in order to know he's the antagonist. The scene opens and ends directly with his face. Let's compare that to the 1984 movie. The first character we're introduced to is Piter. Now, that could have been fine, if it was shown that he's intimidated, almost like a subtle buildup to the Baron's reveal, but Piter's not intimidated at all. Of course, this might have been hard to notice, considering how the Baron's disgusting appearance draws all the attention, but when we finally get to see the Baron, notice how he is low to the ground, and off to the side in the room, while Piter stands domineering over him. From the introduction we get with Piter, and just his placement in the scene, it feels like he's a much more important character, and so the audience is confused when he's killed halfway through the movie. Meanwhile, the Baron himself is reduced basically to just a spectacle. The audience isn't meant to look at him and say "Oh yeah, he's a threatening villain", they're supposed to look at him and so "Oh god, that's gross!" His dialog, meanwhile does nothing to help, not that you can even pay any attention to it. The Harkonnens may feel disgusting in this scene, but they don't feel threatening. In other words, the movie completely failed to establish the Baron's character, and instead just tried to go for pure spectacle.

[@dkupke]

One thing I find kind of funny; if I recall right, in the books Baron Harkonnen is described as having black hair. Yet the David Lynch movie made it look like red hair was a familial trait, and it seems that has carried over into Dune canon ever since.

[@zannaifacedancer5915]

I've always imagined him as having red hair.

[@benzo546]

Daniel Ryan i imagined bald

[@williameightyfour]

Hahaha. This version of Baron Harkonnen is far better than the 84's asylum patient Harkonnen.

[@BarterTom]

I much prefer this version of Vladimir Harkonnen, the evil, fat, floating, gay baron. He’s much more cerebral and sophisticated. And he’s played by the guy from Doc Martin!

[@TooLateForIeago]

Still may favorite take on the baron. The SyFy Dune series had no right to be as good as it was.

[@ProjectMathesar]

Laszlo Kish did a decent job as Rabban. But I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing how Batista plays him.

[@sectorgovernor]

Batista 's Rabban speaks less, but more creepy and scary.

[@patgogan7324]

I remember evil jack black in this lol

[@argoneons]

It's the year 2021 just checking in here, like : yeeaahh...

[@Xelpherpolis]

Know then that it is the year 10,191... and everyone has precisely *one* outfit.

[@TheSnowballEarth]

The Harkonnens are always filmed with Dutch angles in this. Anyone else notice?

[@snakeeyes20a]

What's a Dutch angle?

[@toomanyaccounts]

@@snakeeyes20a a tilted camera angle that subconsciously instills a sense of unease. its a well known and used film technique dating back to 1920 with "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" one film that uses Dutch angles is “Inglourious Basterds” to alert viewers when to keep their guard up since something is going to go down

[@TheSnowballEarth]

@@snakeeyes20a A drafting tool similar to a French curve. 😆

[@danbsc]

Needs more triangles.

[@tabturn]

Apparently cheap copier paper survives as a medium.

[@sectorgovernor]

0:39 looks like Rabban wants to go and punch Feyd lol

[@thealexkirschproject]

Who's ready for Stellan Skarsgard?

[@erikred8217]

he was pretty damn good

[@mikegallant811]

Is it just me or does Feyd's outfit look cool?

[@uapuat]

I think it's just you...

[@eamonndeane587]

You're not the only person who thinks that.

[@VersusARCH]

It is great for kiting :)

[@JW-do2wc]

Was Baron Harkonnen like this in the book? Or was he like the one in 84?

[@DCdabest]

Far more like this one. Ian McNeice nails it.

[@joshuabunting882]

Both versions capture a side of his personality to a degree

[@joshuawaldorf9559]

How long have the Harkonnen and Atraides been at war?

[@Batador59800]

It is not really explained in the original book, of why and when the feud (kanly) starts between the two. It is only briefly mentioned that it started after the battle of Corrin, when an Atreides accused an Harkonnen for cowardice wich results in his banishment (and humiliation ?) The battle was in 88 before the guild. The war of Arrakis happened in 10193 after the guild, so to answer your question (and if I didn't say to many bullshit) they were in war for almost 10 millennia and 3 centuries.

[@joshuawaldorf9559]

@@Batador59800 So basically in the 2000s.

[@erikred8217]

​@@Batador59800 what was going on on Arrakis just before the 80 years that the Harkonnens were there?.

[@erikred8217]

@@joshuawaldorf9559 ​ @Batador- istalk what was going on on Arrakis just before the 80 years that the Harkonnens were there?. did Frank mention anywhere if ya know?. thanks.

[@Batador59800]

@@erikred8217 I don't think Frank Herberts mention it, but I think Brian did in the prelude of dune serie, I saw something like it was house Richese ( the commercial rivals of the Ixians in Machines manufacture) who was ruling Arrakis, but it went bad so the emperor replace them by the Harkonnen. I haven't read this serie yet, I am on Metro 2033 actually, but it must be explained there :) You're welcome

[@CT-nb5lm]

CHRIS,9Vikus,,,can you make a video about the better & worse of the two Dune versions..... ~I like Lynch's Paul & Leto1,and Rev Mother & Emperor,Stillgar, Piter, Huey,Duncan,,The Comp But the 2000 mini series Channi,Pauls Mom,,Emperor,Princess,,Fayde, Baron, Guild Nav,,The Dark steampunk tone,,Count Fenring,, Thufir....

[@terranova1203]

Ian McNeice was the only good thing in the miniseries.

[@j_shelby_damnwird]

"Meanwhile...at Gayedi Prime..."

[@NuevoExistence]

"GIEDI" prime, pronounced "gidi" with an almost silent E. But you're so right since Frank Herbert was a full-on hater of gays😂 I separate the art from the artist, but Harkonnens were seemingly based on a powerful gay faction, that because he invisioned them as gay they are every bad thing under the sun 😂

[@lolwuttup420]

Lmao

[@losttribe]

this Baron doesn't drink blood

[@zannaifacedancer5915]

In the original book the Baron doesn't drink blood. He enjoy torturing people, but he doesn't drink blood. In my opinion it was totally out of place and had nothing to do with the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.

[@villainouschrisk]

don't know why they felt the need to change the pronunciation.

[@rhook88]

A pale comparison to the original 1984 original. This looks and feels like a school drama 😂😂😂😂😂

[@thearmchairjournalist566]

Is this the full show?

[@zannaifacedancer5915]

No, you can find it on KZbin, Dune 2000 miniseries.

[@TygerTyger24]

Nice rhymes

[@MisterTutor2010]

The Red Baron :)

[@myronchild349]

Nope. Not David Lynch that's for sure. Seems like a made for TV series. Just not Cinema level no matter how you slice it

[@codeoptimizationware2803]

Ian McNeice's portrayal of the Baron Harkonnen is about the sole, solitary good thing about the SyFy Channel's 2000 _Dune_ mini-series. Like Ian McDiarmid portraying Senator Palpatine/The Emperor is the only good and interesting thing in the awful _Star Wars_ prequels, so's Ian McNeice's Baron Harkonnen the only excellent thing in that terrible 2000 _Dune_ . He's so good, while everything and everyone else in that entire production is so not so good.

[@leonaquilla2547]

There are other good aspects to the Miniseries, but a lot of them do have to do with depicting off-Arrakis scenes that were in neither the Lynch version or (likely) the Villenueve follow-up.

[@markkittel44]

Formula for sci-fi - cast an Ian as your villain and at least one thing will go right even everything else is shit.

[@strikeforcealpha9343]

The production has become, (looks at Rabaan) inconsistant.

[@homelessjesse9453]

The special effects were terrible. And so was the acting. But at least this did stay more true to the books, compared to even the 2021 movie.

[@toomanyaccounts]

for a tv miniseries at the time it was high budget.

[@jbtechcon7434]

What was this silly shit about the Baron speaking in rhymes?

[@BizarreObscure]

Reminds me of Trump

[@zannaifacedancer5915]

Hhahahahaah yeah, but the baron is a funnier guy by far.

[@Bilboswaggins2077]

Lol the Baron is much smarter than trump

[@SapphireCrusader1988]

Vladimir Harkonnen would eat Trump alive.

[@diehounderdoggenalt]

@@SapphireCrusader1988 Literally. Just to prove a point.

[@codeoptimizationware2803]

@BizarreObscure : Nah, your witless jokes aren't repetitive and annoying, no, of course not, no way. Did you know that funny jokes are only funny the _first_ ten-thousand times you tell it? Haha of course, you didn't! **giggle giggle** Reminds me of Trump **giggle giggle giggle** Hey ya know what: Everything and everybody reminds you of Trump.

[@andrewbatts7678]

I disagree, this looks like some generic and cheap sci-fi series that TBS would have ran for 1 and 1/4 seasons in the early 90s