One of the most stunning sequences in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi spectacle “Dune: Part Two” wasn’t achieved through visual effects, but by a mere camera trick. Albeit one that Oscar-winning cinematographer Greig Fraser had been toying with for years.
While the majority of the franchise takes place on the desert planet Arrakis, “Dune: Part Two” makes a detour to the home planet of House Harkonnen to introduce Austin Butler’s twisted villain Feyd-Rautha in a violent, striking arena fight. Right off the bat, everything looks alien – the color is washed out, and the black-and-white visuals are deep and disturbing. Fraser, who won an Oscar for his work on the first “Dune,” achieved the unique look by using infrared technology – something he put to striking use on “Zero Dark Thirty” and the “Star Wars” prequel “Rogue One.”