In a groundbreaking move that has drawn both intrigue and controversy, at least two major movie contenders have turned to voice-cloning technology to enhance actors' performances. "The Brutalist," a film starring Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, is at the center of this debate as it utilized artificial intelligence to create Hungarian dialogue with impeccable accents. The film's editor, Dávid Jancsó, employed AI software from Respeecher, a Ukraine-based company, to achieve this linguistic feat. While the technology aimed to ensure authenticity, it has ignited discussions about the role of AI in filmmaking and the authenticity of actors' performances.
Dávid Jancsó, who collaborated with a dialect coach to perfect the accents, found that coaching alone did not suffice. He fed the lead actors' voices into Respeecher's AI software to produce flawless Hungarian accents. His goal was to craft Hungarian dialogue so authentic that native speakers would not detect any discrepancies. Despite this careful approach, the use of AI in "The Brutalist" has sparked controversy within Hollywood circles.
“Most of their Hungarian dialogue has a part of me talking in there. We were very careful about keeping their performances. It’s mainly just replacing letters here and there … We had so much dialogue in Hungarian that we really needed to speed up the process otherwise we’d still be in post.” – Dávid Jancsó
The film's director, Brady Corbet, addressed the backlash by emphasizing that the AI technology was employed solely to refine specific vowels and letters for accuracy. He assured that Adrien Brody's and Felicity Jones's performances remained untouched by AI in their essence.
“Adrien and Felicity’s performances are completely their own,” – Brady Corbet
“They worked for months with dialect coach Tanera Marshall to perfect their accents. Innovative Respeecher technology was used in Hungarian language dialogue editing only, specifically to refine certain vowels and letters for accuracy. No English language was changed.” – Brady Corbet
The film's re-recording mixer, Cyril Holtz, highlighted the necessity of AI to expand Karla Sofía Gascón's vocal register. Respeecher played a crucial role in blending Gascón's singing with that of Camille, a French pop star who co-wrote the film's score.
The debate surrounding "The Brutalist" extends beyond voice-cloning technology. It touches on broader questions about the intersection of technology and creativity in filmmaking. Critics argue that such advancements could undermine the craft of acting by overshadowing performers' natural talents.
“People mistakenly think AI is a technological advance like [the] automobile when in fact it’s a virus driven by a hyperbolic curve.” – Schrader
In response, Corbet maintained that the AI technology was used with the utmost respect for acting and served only to preserve the authenticity of performances rather than replace them.
“This was a manual process, done by our sound team and Respeecher in post-production. The aim was to preserve the authenticity of Adrien and Felicity’s performances in another language, not to replace or alter them and done with the utmost respect for the craft.” – Brady Corbet
“No generative AI was used in the making of this film.” – Heretic