The journey of ‘The Brutalist’: A cinematic odyssey in 70mm

A director’s challenge: Delivering ‘The Brutalist’ to Venice

Brady Corbet, the visionary director behind The Brutalist, is navigating a unique logistical challenge. His latest film, an epic 215-minute narrative about a Holocaust survivor’s new life in America, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival. However, the film’s 70mm format means transporting 26 reels of film, weighing around 300 pounds, from Los Angeles to Italy.

“We may have to buy a couple of plane tickets,” Corbet muses, reflecting on the complexities of getting the film through customs and delivered on time.

Embracing celluloid in a digital age

Corbet’s commitment to celluloid is not new. His previous works, Vox Lux and The Childhood of a Leader, were also shot on film. In an industry increasingly dominated by digital technology, Corbet’s choice to use 70mm for The Brutalist is a bold statement. While big studio films like Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two have embraced 70mm, it’s a rarity for independent filmmakers.

When Corbet and his co-writer, Mona Fastvold, began planning the movie seven years ago, they felt that 70mm was the perfect medium for a story spanning from World War II to the 1980s. This era, marked by classic Hollywood productions like Vertigo and North By Northwest, was synonymous with widescreen formats like VistaVision and CinemaScope.

A labor of love: Filming in VistaVision

The Brutalist was shot in VistaVision, a format that pays homage to the golden age of Hollywood. The film even includes a 15-minute intermission, a nod to the era when movies often exceeded three hours. Corbet believes this break allows viewers to stretch their legs and reset, without missing crucial scenes.

“I like the idea of an intermission,” he says. “It gives everyone time to reset and no one has to stress about missing a scene to run to the bathroom.”

The economics of 70mm

Despite the challenges, Corbet’s producers supported his 70mm ambitions. By collaborating with companies like Kodak, they managed to economize without sacrificing quality. Finishing the movie on 70mm accounted for about 1% of the film’s budget, comparable to what most films allocate for cast perks.

“I really believe that the future of theatrical exhibition is large format,” Corbet asserts. “You need to event-ize moviegoing so it feels like a night out. You need to get something special, so it feels worth it to spend $20 or $25 on a movie ticket.”

The magic of 70mm

Corbet likens the difference between 70mm and digital photography to seeing Michelangelo’s David in marble versus a picture of the statue. “It feels grander and more accurate to the color that a director and colorist and all the engineers are working to achieve,” he explains. “It’s the most accurate representation of the film as a final product.”

A renaissance for 70mm

Once a niche interest, 70mm has gained popularity thanks to directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Villeneuve, and Nolan. Films like Dune: Part Two and Oppenheimer have seen 70mm screenings sell out quickly, with fans traveling across state lines to experience the directors’ preferred format.

“For a long time, producers argued that audiences couldn’t see the difference,” Corbet notes. “Well, audiences are a lot smarter than people give them credit for. They’re much more aware of the process than they were 50 years ago.”

The road ahead for ‘The Brutalist’

Venice programmers have worked with Corbet’s team to screen The Brutalist in 70mm, and Corbet hopes other festivals will follow suit. The film, starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce, has been generating buzz through select industry screenings. CAA will handle domestic theatrical distribution, aiming to show the film in the approximately 100 theaters capable of screening 70mm.

Transporting the massive prints of The Brutalist to their next destination may require more plane seats, but it’s a sacrifice Corbet is willing to make. “Bringing a movie to the screen is so profoundly difficult and painful,” he says. “There are more sleepless nights than you can count and so many possibilities for things to go wrong. But at the end of the journey, it’s nice to have something tangible to show for it. And there’s nothing more tangible than 300 pounds of footage.”

For more information and to watch the trailer, visit The Brutalist.

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