The Controversy Surrounding AI in *The Brutalist*: What It Means for Oscar Buzz
The film *The Brutalist*, a story inspired by the life of Holocaust survivor László Tóth—played by Adrien Brody—explores his turbulent journey as he emigrates to America, embraces architecture, and battles with addiction amidst the pressures of fame and financial uncertainty. Despite receiving favorable reviews, the film has struggled to recoup its budget at the box office but is still expected to make waves at the upcoming Academy Awards.
What sets *The Brutalist* apart is its creators’ candidness about the integration of artificial intelligence during production. Editor Dávid Jancsó informed RedShark News that AI played a vital role in refining Hungarian pronunciations for the dialogue. Attempts to utilize Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) fell short, prompting Jancsó to resort to AI to enhance the character’s speech and even assist in generating architectural designs—ultimately offering financial benefits for the project. Here’s a detailed account from Jancsó:
I am a native Hungarian speaker, and I understand how challenging it can be for non-Hungarians to pronounce the language correctly. Despite Adrien’s Hungarian heritage—his mother being a Hungarian refugee who immigrated to the U.S. in 1956—perfecting it was a complex task. We trained both Adrien and Felicity Jones, who performed excellently, but our goal was to ensure that not even locals could detect any discrepancies.
For individuals from the Anglo-Saxon world, certain phonetic sounds in Hungarian are exceptionally difficult to articulate. Initially, we attempted ADR with the actors to address these challenging elements but were not satisfied with the results. This led us to explore other avenues to refine the dialogue.
Most of the Hungarian dialogue includes aspects of my own voice, as we were careful to maintain the authenticity of the actors’ performances. It’s primarily about making minor adjustments; while such modifications could be executed in ProTools, the extensive Hungarian dialogue necessitated an expedited process to avoid delays in post-production.
Although discussing AI can be a contentious topic in the film industry, I believe it should be welcomed. We must have an open dialogue regarding the benefits AI can offer. Importantly, the use of AI in this film does not introduce any practices that haven’t been utilized in the past. It merely streamlines our workflow, allowing us to focus on intricate details that would be costly and time-consuming to capture on film.
Impact of AI Usage on the Reception of *The Brutalist*
Scrutiny Over Artistic Integrity
As the Oscars draw nearer and nominations begin to take shape, *The Brutalist* finds itself under scrutiny. The film’s premise revolves around artistic integrity, and its public acknowledgment of AI usage might not align well with the Academy’s values. Similar to the backlash faced by *Dune: Part Two* for reusing music, this film could encounter resistance from Oscar voters.
Public sentiment has been largely critical since the revelation of AI’s role in the film. Audiences have taken to social media platforms, such as Reddit and Twitter, voicing their displeasure over the reliance on AI, questioning its impact on the film’s authenticity and merit for Oscar consideration.
they used AI in the brutalist not only to avoid paying visual artists for their work but also to manipulate the actors’ accents, a fundamental aspect of acting. this is a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/BmjtoeNchT — lina ü (@onlyafortnight) January 19, 2025
User @onlyafortnight labeled the use of AI as a “disgrace,”arguing that it undermines essential elements of authentic acting.
Comment by u/Acrobatic-Resident10 from discussion in Letterboxd
User junglespycan acknowledged the voice alterations as a minor concern but criticized the use of AI-generated images as “deeply immoral.”
The Brutalist used AI? To fake Adrien Brody’s accent and building designs? You mean the soon-to-be Oscar-nominated film that shoves artistic integrity down your throat for 3.5hrs? pic.twitter.com/nhsVUqymMX — elizaheathen (@elizaheathen) January 19, 2025
User @elizaheathen criticized the film for promoting artistic integrity while simultaneously employing AI.
Comment by u/Acrobatic-Resident10 from discussion in Letterboxd
Reddit user RedGreenPepper2599 argues that any AI technology employed to substitute human workers in film productions should be prohibited and ineligible for Academy Awards consideration.
Hans Zimmer being disqualified from the Oscars because of using a bit of music from Dune 1 but Brody and *The Brutalist* are allowed to use AI to recreate a Hungarian accent IS CRAZY NEWS TO ME — Reggie –• (@moonyswonka) January 18, 2025
User @moonyswonka points out a perceived inconsistency in Oscar eligibility rules, contrasting Hans Zimmer’s disqualification with the acceptance of AI tools for *The Brutalist*.
Comment by u/Acrobatic-Resident10 from discussion in Letterboxd
Meanwhile, Reddit user infamousglizzyhands recognizes the limitations of a $6 million budget but still finds the implementation of AI usage disappointing and unacceptable.
Too many people (including critics) defending the use of AI in *The Brutalist*. If this was any other movie, they’d be against it. — Mina (@tea_chalamet) January 19, 2025
User @tea_chalamet suggests that critics’ defenses of *The Brutalist*’s AI usage reflect a double standard that would not apply to other films.
This bizarre thing happens to a small group of people when they hear AI was used in a movie: they forget how movies actually work. *The Brutalist* used some form of technology to help them tell a story you like. So what? Being mad because a movie used AI is like being mad because a—Cristóbal Valenzuela (@c_valenzuelab) January 19, 2025
In a divergence from other commenters, @c_valenzuelab defended the use of AI, asserting it is no different from employing practical or digital effects in filmmaking.
Final Thoughts on *The Brutalist*’s Use of AI
Integrity vs. Convenience
There’s no denying that AI technology is increasingly infiltrating various industries, prompting a complex conversation surrounding its ethical implications. The AI applications in *The Brutalist* may seem subtle, particularly with the editor’s voice incorporated into the dialogue. However, using AI for architectural visuals raises ethical questions that may contradict the film’s core thematic messages. The backlash appears closely tied to the film’s narrative focus, making the Oscars’ response to this controversy particularly interesting.
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