What did the cinematographer think of "The Brutalist"? A discussion between cinematographers Kosuke Yamada, Misaki Hikosaka and Shuhei Yamamoto [CINEMORE ACADEMY Vol.37]

The film "Brutalist" was nominated for 10 awards at the 97th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. This epic story of the 30 years of light and darkness of an architect who survived the Holocaust and traveled to America has been a hot topic for its overwhelming cinematic experience. One of the secrets to creating such a spectacular visual is the use of VistaVision* for filming.

We asked three cinematographers active in Japan, Kosuke Yamada ( Godzilla Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World, 2016), Misaki Hikosaka ( Ribbon , 2022), and Shuhei Yamamoto ( Rohan Kishibe Goes to the Louvre , 2023), to watch this film, which was shot with such care, in IMAX and talk about the filmmaking process in The Brutalist. What did the cinematographers think of The Brutalist?

*VistaVision: A method (camera) developed in the 1950s for shooting 35mm film horizontally, which allows for a much higher resolution (image quality) than that achieved with 35mm film shot in the normal vertical position.

"Brutalist" Synopsis

Talented Hungarian-Jewish architect Laszlo Tod (Adrien Brody) survived the Holocaust during World War II, but was forced to be separated from his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) and niece Zofia (Raffey Cassidy). Laszlo emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA to start a new life with his family, where he met wealthy and prominent businessman Harrison (Guy Pearce). Harrison, who learned of architect Laszlo Tod's brilliant track record in Hungary, recognized Laszlo's talent and commissioned him to design and build a chapel with all the necessary facilities in exchange for Laszlo's family's early immigration to America. However, many obstacles stand in the way of design work in America, where the culture and rules are different from his home country. Contrary to the American Hidden Figures that Laszlo had hoped for, what awaited him were great difficulties and high costs.

Index

• The main character doesn't look like a fictional character!
• Distance Focus
• Thoughts on film photography
• The importance of understanding the script
• The significance of photographing buildings with VistaVision

The main character doesn't look like a fictional character!

Q: You just saw it in IMAX. What are your thoughts?

Yamada: It was interesting. The main character was fictional, but I felt like I was reading the biography of a real person. There were parts that connected to the problems Israel faces today, and I felt like I got a glimpse of the beginnings of them.

Hikosaka: I was pretty scared when I heard it was more than three hours long (laughs), but it went by in a flash. I was excited when the VistaVision logo first appeared. It reminded me of Hitchcock's " Vertigo " (58), which was also shot with VistaVision.

At the beginning, it starts in pitch black where you don't know where you are, but when you go outside and the sky suddenly opens up, the sense of openness and density was amazing. That alone made me think, "This must be an amazing movie." The first cut is really important. Also, there were a lot of close-ups of faces throughout the film, and Adrien Brody's face was shot with incredible density, which made it seem like the film was complete with just that. I also thought that Laszlo looked like a real person.

Yamada: There was something about Adrien Brody's expression that made me think something like this had actually happened in the past. It was amazing.

Yamamoto: I had done some preparation beforehand by watching an interview video with the director, but the three and a half hours went by so quickly that I completely forgot about it.

“Brutalist” © DOYLESTOWN DESIGNS LIMITED 2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © Universal Pictures.

Q: This film was shot using cameras in various formats, including VistaVision. What was your impression of the high image quality of VistaVision?

Yamamoto: I think VistaVision was used for the quarry scenes, which really made me feel like I was there, and I could feel the coldness and atmosphere of being surrounded by stone.

Hikosaka: It's the same with landscapes, but I really felt that I could get so close to people when I shot them. Digitally shot images can be processed as if they were shot on film, but this time I felt something more organic, warm and rounded. The furniture store scene in the first half was reddish and warm-toned, right? It's quite difficult to express red digitally, so it becomes a bit electric.

Yamada: It had a nostalgic reddish hue, like film.

Hikosaka: There was a nice warmth to it.

Yamada: In most of your works, you erase all the *parallel marks and make them look neat, but this time it seemed like you left them as they were. That may have been your intention.

* Para: Dust or scratches on the film

Distance Focus