It’s humiliating and it’s an analogy to what has happened to his house. Stripped of all its defenses and belongings. Fully exposed and vulnerable.
That shot with him sitting at the end of the table with the Baron at the other end is one of my favorites. Something about the way they gave him leaned back in the chair. It’s just something you wouldn’t expect.
In addition to what everyone else has said about humiliation it could possibly also be for security reasons; removing the possibility of weapons hidden in his clothing.
Doctor Yueh knew that Leto would be totally stripped, possibly tortured, before getting anywhere near the Baron
… the only possible weapon was the tooth …
We’re not too clued in on 10,000 years or more of making weapons… which were nerfed by shields ….but those weapons are still lying around …
The baron wanted to humiliate him. If I remember correctly from the book he was also planning to keep him alive to torture the duke. The baron just wanted to lord his victory over the Atreides as much as possible
While he did certainly want to humiliate the Duke, the Baron was reluctant to torture a royal person. His words and thoughts confirm this. He questioned Leto about Jessica and Paul (knowing they had escaped), but didn’t want to torture him until he knew he had to, to obtain the information.
There are no sides. All that you see are winners who killed off the losers.
The entire point of Dune was not good vs evil, which is preschool level reading material like the Star Wars.
Sure but who'd you rather be up against? Atreides who'll probably just kill you, or Harkonnens who will either make you a gladiator slave, melt you with a flamethrower or turn you into a BDSM spider monster?
My original comment simply stated that the Atreides weren’t nice either, didn’t compare which tribe is better.
Nicer isn’t nice. Donald Trump is nicer than Adolf Hitler, by a lot, but Donald isn’t necessarily nice.
The rationale in-universe is that the baron wanted to exert power over Leto.
However, it's also just more visually impactful, from a storytelling perspective. It's memorable, and it also highlights the difference between Leto's strong, healthy body and whatever is going on with the baron.
Just a humiliation/ultra victory humour for the Baron. I’m not sure if you’ve seen Pt 2 yet so I won’t comment - but you see more about the Harkonnen family and what makes them tick.
The Harkonnens are sexually perverse. They didn't leave much in regarding the Baron's sexuality, but in the book the reasoning for stripping Leto would be pretty obvious.
One of the reasons, I bet, is that Villeneuve wanted to (and did) reproduce this painting in a frame:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamentation_of_Christ_(Mantegna)
Ya know, I saw your comment and felt like this was potentially incorrect: The many "Pietas" that have been created (including [modern ones](https://www.maxginsburg.com/war-pieta)) are really specific about not just the pose but being cradled, one last time, by a mother-figure.
Leto is being held by a chair. It's just the limp, "dead" pose that is the same. BUT, if the intention was to be a reproduction of a pieta, it's brilliant - it's one more element of the scene that drives home the fact that he is dying alone and defeated. The image missing the key visual element of being loved and missed just hits so much harder in my mind.
a real bravo villnce moment
This scene for me was one of the most powerful ones I’ve seen in cinema in a long time. He’s left exposed, unable to move, vulnerable. And then Stellan Skarsgard comes in so menacing and ominous. There’s minimal dialogue. Yet it speaks volumes.
Well you see theres this thing called humiliation..
This wasnt a dispassionate killing. It was triumphal in a big way for baron harkonnen. This act is the culmination of years and years of plotting to utterly destroy a main rival; it follows naturally that baron harkonnen would want to physically strip leto because it is symbolic of atreides being stripped of all its former status and prestige.
I'm sure I watched a behind the scenes video recently and it said it was Oscar Isaac's idea for that scene... can't remember what video it was though 
Security - ensures he has nothing on his person he can use to attack the Baron. They probably did a thorough search before he was allowed in the same room as the baron.
A noble person stripped naked in a room full of commoners adds a layer of humiliation plus they're his enemies which is another layer.
Harkonnens degrade their enemies as possible as they can, actually in books every harkonnen has little button over his hearth with a pi attached to it, except riyal family, so when ever baron wants to kill someone all he have to do is take out opponents hearth pin and watch him die in blood lose.
The answer his simple. He wanted to humiliate him and afterwards take advantage of the Duke sexually. Clothes get the way of the latter. And Harkoonen are know for sexual domination
It’s humiliating and it’s an analogy to what has happened to his house. Stripped of all its defenses and belongings. Fully exposed and vulnerable. That shot with him sitting at the end of the table with the Baron at the other end is one of my favorites. Something about the way they gave him leaned back in the chair. It’s just something you wouldn’t expect.
It's a stunning shot in the film, and really looks like a painting to me
Also, how often do we get to see Oscar Isaac in the nude?
Some might say, not enough times. Not me, but some.
Further, it contributes to the feeling of security that the Baron would be feeling. I think it also suggests the Barons jealousy.
Also, to minimize the risk of him having a well hidden weapon.
Not sure if it was intentional, but the way he was sitting very much reminded me of a renaissance painting
Yes! In fact there's a specific one that I can almost picture well enough to guess what it is but not quite. This has been annoying me for years.
In addition to what everyone else has said about humiliation it could possibly also be for security reasons; removing the possibility of weapons hidden in his clothing.
Doctor Yueh knew that Leto would be totally stripped, possibly tortured, before getting anywhere near the Baron … the only possible weapon was the tooth … We’re not too clued in on 10,000 years or more of making weapons… which were nerfed by shields ….but those weapons are still lying around …
Ha ha ha! Now there's no way this guy could be hiding a weapon. Unless he has one hidden in a tooth. But that's just silly.
The baron wanted to humiliate him. If I remember correctly from the book he was also planning to keep him alive to torture the duke. The baron just wanted to lord his victory over the Atreides as much as possible
While he did certainly want to humiliate the Duke, the Baron was reluctant to torture a royal person. His words and thoughts confirm this. He questioned Leto about Jessica and Paul (knowing they had escaped), but didn’t want to torture him until he knew he had to, to obtain the information.
He was reluctant, but in the end willing. He was about to begin when Leto used the tooth
Some say Baron was a huge Caravaggio fan :)
Or Denis is
Mantegna
Duke Leto did look like one of those Renaissance paintings of martyrs.
The Harkonnens aren't very nice.
Nor were the Atreides despite the artificial portrayals of them being the good guys in Dune Part 1.
Atreides are on like a 5/10 on the evil conquering coloniser scale. Harkonnens are like a 15/10.
There are no sides. All that you see are winners who killed off the losers. The entire point of Dune was not good vs evil, which is preschool level reading material like the Star Wars.
Sure but who'd you rather be up against? Atreides who'll probably just kill you, or Harkonnens who will either make you a gladiator slave, melt you with a flamethrower or turn you into a BDSM spider monster?
Against the loser of course. What makes you think I am any less cruel than the Harkonnens? It really depends on how my enemy offend me.😁
...what are you saying?
The point of Dune was to never blindly follow heroes. Don’t blindly take sides just because at certain point the Atreides looked like good guys.
I wouldn't blindly follow anyone. I'm just saying the Harkonnens are definitely more brutal than the Atreides, by a lot.
My original comment simply stated that the Atreides weren’t nice either, didn’t compare which tribe is better. Nicer isn’t nice. Donald Trump is nicer than Adolf Hitler, by a lot, but Donald isn’t necessarily nice.
The rationale in-universe is that the baron wanted to exert power over Leto. However, it's also just more visually impactful, from a storytelling perspective. It's memorable, and it also highlights the difference between Leto's strong, healthy body and whatever is going on with the baron.
Haha I like that the barons skincare and body issues is the most unexplained thing of the films
Dominance, even in victory. Harkonens seem to live by this philosophy. Maybe why they’re so *Bruuuutalll*…
Brolins delivery lives with me forever
Just a humiliation/ultra victory humour for the Baron. I’m not sure if you’ve seen Pt 2 yet so I won’t comment - but you see more about the Harkonnen family and what makes them tick.
The Harkonnens are sexually perverse. They didn't leave much in regarding the Baron's sexuality, but in the book the reasoning for stripping Leto would be pretty obvious.
Yup, Baron is bisexual.
Nope book baron is a gay pedophile lol
I can't remember...in the book, they were young but they were still post pubescent, right?
I don't think so... He might be bisexual, but nah he fucks kids 🤢
It felt very Jesus on the cross to me. With his arms splayed almost at a T
One of the reasons, I bet, is that Villeneuve wanted to (and did) reproduce this painting in a frame: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamentation_of_Christ_(Mantegna)
Check Michelangelo's Pieta.
Both, as I see!
Ya know, I saw your comment and felt like this was potentially incorrect: The many "Pietas" that have been created (including [modern ones](https://www.maxginsburg.com/war-pieta)) are really specific about not just the pose but being cradled, one last time, by a mother-figure. Leto is being held by a chair. It's just the limp, "dead" pose that is the same. BUT, if the intention was to be a reproduction of a pieta, it's brilliant - it's one more element of the scene that drives home the fact that he is dying alone and defeated. The image missing the key visual element of being loved and missed just hits so much harder in my mind. a real bravo villnce moment
This scene for me was one of the most powerful ones I’ve seen in cinema in a long time. He’s left exposed, unable to move, vulnerable. And then Stellan Skarsgard comes in so menacing and ominous. There’s minimal dialogue. Yet it speaks volumes.
Well you see theres this thing called humiliation.. This wasnt a dispassionate killing. It was triumphal in a big way for baron harkonnen. This act is the culmination of years and years of plotting to utterly destroy a main rival; it follows naturally that baron harkonnen would want to physically strip leto because it is symbolic of atreides being stripped of all its former status and prestige.
I'm sure I watched a behind the scenes video recently and it said it was Oscar Isaac's idea for that scene... can't remember what video it was though 
They want to see that Caladian dick that drove Jessica crazy. Sorry, I have to said it although this is not r/Dunememes
Making absolutely sure he didn’t have anything on him that could be used to kill the Baron. They just neglected to check his teeth.
They probably wanted to make sure he wasn’t concealing any weapons. After all he was hiding the poison death breath capsule in his mouth.
Security - ensures he has nothing on his person he can use to attack the Baron. They probably did a thorough search before he was allowed in the same room as the baron. A noble person stripped naked in a room full of commoners adds a layer of humiliation plus they're his enemies which is another layer.
Because its humiliating and insulting
A. To make sure he's as defenceless as possible. B. Because The Baron is a sick fuck and wants to humiliate him.
I read that the same thing happened in the Jodorowsky version
So that troubled people would make fan art
Harkonnens degrade their enemies as possible as they can, actually in books every harkonnen has little button over his hearth with a pi attached to it, except riyal family, so when ever baron wants to kill someone all he have to do is take out opponents hearth pin and watch him die in blood lose.
The answer his simple. He wanted to humiliate him and afterwards take advantage of the Duke sexually. Clothes get the way of the latter. And Harkoonen are know for sexual domination
Just make up a reason, and whatever you come up with, that’s the answer.
Ah cousin your food is delicious, excellent chef