Bafta-winning director Brady Corbet has said making his awards favourite movie The Brutalist for under $10,000,000 (£7,939,721) was ‘not a great way to operate’.
His passion project, which was over seven years in the making, wowed upon its debut at Venice Film Festival and was even compared to last year’s garlanded movie Oppenheimer, the budget of which was around tenfold more.
Corbet’s film tied with Conclave and four wins as the most awarded movie at Sunday night’s Bafta Film Awards, picking up best director, as well as prizes for original score, cinematography and leading actor for star Adrien Brody.
However, the filmmaker lifted the lid on the reality behind trying to bring The Brutalist to the big screen, just as he wanted it.
Even at Venice, where he was visibly emotional while speaking at the press conference attended by Metro, Corbet has revealed the future of the film was still ‘extremely uncertain’.
‘For seven years, there was never a day that wasn’t painful in trying to bring it to life, which is just the reality of the reality of the situation. And so I’m just very grateful that it finally exists,’ the 36-year-old told Metro on the Baftas red carpet.
But reflecting on the pressure of such a tiny budget, Corbet shared: ‘I think that the sacrifices that we all had to make, to make it for that amount of money – that is not a great way to operate.’
‘It’s unfair on the crew [and] the department heads. It’s not fair – to work on such an intense and tight schedule is really hard on everyone,’ added Mona Fastvold, the movie’s co-writer and Corbet’s partner.
‘So, we did it because we had to. But it would have been nice to have a little bit more.’
Vox Lux filmmaker Corbet also described The Brutalist as ‘an imposition’ on everyone, considering its 215-minute runtime, which also squeezed the budget even further.
‘A movie that’s this long – it’s an imposition for everyone at every point of the process, because you’re mixing two films, you’re not mixing one, you’re grading two films, you’re not grading one. Everything just takes up more space, but we only had a budget that would support a two-hour movie, not a three-and-a-half-hour movie,’ he explained. ‘It was really tricky, but I’m so grateful to my team – and here’s also so many of them are based here in the UK, so tonight is kind of a special night for us [as] we get to celebrate with everybody.’
Corbet also had warm words for his star-studded cast, which also incudes Bafta nominees Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce, as well as Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy and Alessandro Nivola.
‘I really love everybody in the cast – like I actually love them,’ he said of their recognition too, adding: ‘It’s not always that way, and so I’m just really happy that everyone’s getting their flowers.’
In the press conference following his win for director, Corbet also said he hadn’t set out to make a statement in Hollywood about how films are made – and funded – today, with his ‘uncompromised’ vision.
‘I’m not trying to teach anyone a lesson or anything, but I do think it’s good for the ecosystem that a film like this, which is completely uncompromised – I don’t allow any other cooks in my kitchen ever – and for that to have made $30m (£23.8m) so far globally, is exciting,’ he told Metro and other press.
‘It’s like when a movie that’s shot in black and white does well. All of the things you’re basically told not to do, when those films are proven to be commercially viable, and that that’s actually what audiences are yearning for – they want provocative, daring, original movies – that makes me feel more optimistic than usual.’
Elsewhere, he also said he was looking forward to his first day off in years ahead of next month’s Oscars.
In The Brutalist, Brody’s László Tóth and his wife (Jones) flee post-war Europe in 1947 to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of modern United States, before their lives are changed forever by a mysterious, wealthy client.
Full list of Bafta 2025 winners
Film – Conclave
Leading actress – Mikey Madison, Anora
Leading actor – Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Director – Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
EE Rising star – David Jonsson, Alien: Romulus
Outstanding British film – Conclave
Make-up and hair – The Substance
Costume design – Wicked
Short animation – Wander To Wonder
Short film – Rock, Paper, Scissors
Documentary – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Supporting actor – Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Supporting actress – Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Cinematography – The Brutalist
Casting – Sean Baker and Samantha Quan, Anora
Editing – Conclave
Adapted screenplay – Conclave
Original screenplay – A Real Pain
Original score – The Brutalist
Sound – Dune: Part Two
Film not in the English language – Emilia Perez
Production design – Wicked
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director, and producer – Rich Peppiatt (Kneecap)
Children’s and family film – Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Special visual effects – Dune: Part Two
Animated film – Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Brutalist is in UK cinemas now.
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