Curious about the controversy surrounding The Brutalist and its connection to AI? The film, celebrated for its artistic depth, has sparked heated discussions over its use of technology, leaving audiences questioning the boundaries of creativity in filmmaking.
Let’s discover how AI shaped The Brutalist, why it’s sparking controversy, and what the filmmakers have revealed about its use.
Where did The Brutalist use AI?
The Brutalist’s editor Dávid Jancsó revealed that the filmmakers used AI for two main purposes: refining Hungarian dialogue and creating visual elements for a key sequence.
The production employed Respeecher, a deep learning tool, to perfect the Hungarian pronunciation of actors Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones. According to Jancsó, this was necessary because Hungarian is “one of the most difficult languages to learn to pronounce,” even for Brody, whose mother is a Hungarian refugee. (via Red Shark News)
The Venice Biennale sequence used AI to generate architectural drawings and building visuals for the fictional architect László Tóth. Jancsó said, “We use AI to create these tiny little details that we didn’t have the money or the time to shoot.” The team tried ADR and voice replacement with other actors but could not achieve the desired results.
The Brutalist’s AI usage backlash explained
The controversy began after Jancsó’s interview went viral, with critics accusing the film of undermining artistic integrity.
Many argued that using AI for accent refinement and visuals detracts from the actors’ craft. Critics also claim it reduces job opportunities for artists and voice specialists. These concerns mirror broader issues raised during the 2023 Hollywood strikes, where fears of AI replacing creative professionals were prominent.
People criticized The Brutalist for allegedly using AI to avoid paying visual artists and manipulating actors’ accents. Some described this as undermining “a fundamental aspect of… acting.” One social media user commented, “The Brutalist using generative AI is like so hilarious cause like A) It’s being touted as a miracle production on a less than 10m budget B) It’s a movie about the life sacrifice and devotion to an artform and its preservation.”
Director Brady Corbet clarified the backlash, explaining that they used AI only to refine dialogue and visual details. He emphasized that the team preserved the actors’ performances.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on ComingSoon.
