‘Brutalist’ Director Praises Adrien Brody & Felicity Jones’ Unique Performances Amid AI Criticism

Despite using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their performances, the director of ‘The Brutalist’ claims that Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones’ performances were wholly original. The controversy started when Dávid Jancsó, editor of ‘The Brutalist’, disclosed in an interview with RedShark News that Respeecher, an AI-driven speech synthesis program, was utilised to correct their Hungarian dialogue in post-production. This led to a reaction against using such technology on social media.
The film’s director and co-writer, Brady Corbet, responded in a statement to PEOPLE, stressing that the changes were quite slight and meant to improve specific vowels and letters for linguistic accuracy rather than to replace or change the performers’ performances. Corbet emphasised how Brody and Jones spent months honing their accents with dialect coach Tanera Marshall, among other preparations. He emphasized that the film seeks to investigate human complexity and said the project was firmly anchored in human effort, creativity, and teamwork.
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In his interview, Jancsó, a native Hungarian speaker, stated that Respeecher incorporates parts of his own voice into some of the Hungarian lines in the movie. He clarified that the technology was being used to expedite the post-production procedure. Jancsó promoted candid conversations regarding artificial intelligence’s place in cinema, pointing out that although contentious, the technology’s application in ‘The Brutalist’ mirrors current methods in the business, albeit more effectively.
Respeecher, a Ukrainian firm that specializes in voice-replication, has worked on projects such as Disney+’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’, in which it replicated the voice of the late James Earl Jones, and ‘The Mandalorian’, which featured the voice of a youthful Mark Hamill. According to The Guardian, AI technology is being used in post-production more and more.
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According to re-recording mixer Cyril Holtz at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, for example, it was utilized in ‘Emilia Pérez’ to expand Karla Sofía Gascón’s vocal range, fusing her singing voice with composer Camille’s.
‘Emilia Pérez’ and ‘The Brutalist’ have both garnered praise from critics, garnering nominations for the forthcoming Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild Awards and winning prizes at the 2024 Golden Globes.
–Farheen Ali