Monday, February 10, 2025

Adrien Brody Defends ‘The Brutalist’ Amidst AI Controversy: ‘No Dialect Was Altered, Just Refinements for Authenticity’

Adrien Brody, the Academy Award-winning star of The Pianist, has recently returned to the spotlight with his leading role in Brady Corbet’s period drama, The Brutalist. The film, which has received ten Academy Award nominations, has faced a wave of backlash in recent weeks due to allegations concerning the use of AI in its production. While the actors’ accents were slightly tweaked by AI, Brody assures fans that no parts of the actual dialect were altered.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Brody was quick to address the controversy surrounding AI. He emphasized that nothing was changed in the final product, noting that only some lines in Hungarian underwent the AI algorithm’s refinement. He also acknowledged the hard work of dialect coach Tanera Marshall, whose credibility has been questioned amidst the allegations. “First of all, I’m the son of Hungarians and grew up with that language spoken in my home,” Brody stated. “I actually even integrated, within the Hungarian dialogue, curse words that weren’t in the script. I’m happy that Brady managed to clarify a lot in his remarks.” He made it clear that the post-production process involved only minor adjustments to a few lines, crediting the team’s dedicated effort in preserving the authenticity of their performances.

Brody’s remarks highlight an essential aspect of the film’s production, where he confidently stated, “Nothing of the dialect was altered; that’s all done through a lot of hard work with our wonderful dialect coach, Tanera Marshall. We all know the truth. The actor also mentioned director Corbet as a ‘very sensitive, thoughtful filmmaker’.” This speaks volumes about the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the importance of maintaining the integrity of performance amidst technological advancements.

Corbet further contributed to the discourse by confirming that AI was only used for refining Hungarian dialogue during editing, specifically to enhance certain vowels and letters for accuracy. He stated, “Adrien and Felicity’s performances are completely their own. They worked for months with dialect coach Tanera Marshall to perfect their accents. The aim was to preserve the authenticity of Adrien and Felicity’s performances in another language, not to replace or alter them, and it was done with the utmost respect for the craft.”

As awards season heats up, Brody stands as a favorite for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The Academy Awards ceremony is set for March 2, where he will be competing against other major Hollywood films like Conclave, Wicked, Emilia Pérez, and A Complete Unknown. Recently, Emilia Pérez faced potential setbacks when a journalist uncovered a series of racist and bigoted tweets posted by one of its lead actresses, Karla Sofía Gascón. Despite the controversy surrounding The Brutalist, it remains uncertain whether the AI allegations will substantially impact its Oscar prospects.

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Brody elaborated on the inspiration for his accent in the film but notably did not address the AI controversy, highlighting that this is a sensitive issue for several nominees this awards season. The Academy members, who will ultimately cast their votes for the year’s best films, may have differing opinions from the general audience. Brody expressed that his performance was deeply influenced by the experiences of his ancestors, particularly the hardships faced by his character, László Tóth, in The Brutalist. “I was searching for a source with a formality of speech from that era—the era my grandfather had immigrated. I found one who was a Holocaust survivor. I spent every day and night recounting his stories and listening to the nuances in the way that he spoke,” Brody explained. “That is just in me. It was both a real luxury to have this and also an opportunity to honor his hardships and their sacrifices.”

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