The Brutalist Director’s ‘Final Cut Tiebreak’ Golden Globes Speech Explained

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On Sunday, Brady Corbet, a 36-year-old American director, won the Golden Globe for best dramatic film with his movie, The Brutalist. In his impromptu speech, he touched upon the topic of creative liberty.

Corbet made a point to share an idea with everyone present, emphasizing that in the event of a tie using Final-cut software, the decision should go to the director. He delivered this statement during his second speech of the night, having already been awarded best director earlier in the evening. He expressed that this concept, although somewhat contentious, should not be. In fact, it shouldn’t even be a matter of debate.

The concept of ‘final cut’ is about who gets the ultimate say in creative decisions during filmmaking when there’s a dispute between the director and the financier. This decision usually lies with the director, a privilege often held by prominent directors like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. However, many filmmakers, particularly those based in the U.S., don’t have this luxury.

Corbet’s comments echo fundamental themes found within the narrative of “The Brutalist,” a story where Adrien Brody portrays an architect, who collaborates with an oppressive tycoon, played by Guy Pearce. Interestingly, Brody was awarded a Golden Globe last night for his exceptional performance in this movie.

In his speech at the Globes, Corbet discussed how his film, “The Brutalist,” a self-funded production costing less than $10 million and distributed by A24 in the U.S. on Dec 20, managed to withstand challenges to its creative vision. He recalled being told that the movie was undistributable by skeptics during pre-production. “They said no one would watch it, they said it wouldn’t succeed,” he shared from the stage. “They didn’t want a three-and-a-half hour film about a midcentury designer in 70mm format. But it works. So, I ask you all, just consider that possibility.

Director Corbet, known for helming movies like “Vox Lux” (2018) and “The Childhood of a Leader” (2015), hinted at instances in his career where he felt constrained creatively. During the recording of THR’s directors roundtable in November, Corbet shared stories about similar struggles he and his wife, Norwegian filmmaker Mona Fastvold, his co-writer on “The Brutalist”, faced during their past projects. He explained that “[The Brutalist] was written as a form of exorcism and reaction to many of the challenges my wife and I experienced.” Corbet added that he doesn’t have issues with financial constraints, but he dislikes being told how to use his creative freedom. Essentially, he can make a movie with minimal resources, but he wants the freedom to decide where to move the proverbial sand without interference on the budget.

In 2021, an initial attempt to produce the film “The Brutalist” was made with a cast featuring Joel Edgerton, Mark Rylance, and Marion Cotillard. However, this effort collapsed due to the high costs of implementing new COVID-19 safety measures. By spring 2023, when Corbet finally shot the film in Hungary and Italy, the cast had changed to include Jamie Bell (Brody) and Guy Pearce, with Felicity Jones also joining. Despite his passionate remarks, Corbet has stated that he had a favorable experience working with the producers of “The Brutalist,” which include Brookstreet Pictures, Kaplan Morrison, ALP, Proton Cinema (based in Budapest), and Intake Films.

During our film production, my colleagues were remarkably helpful and there was no one causing problems,” he mentioned during our chat. “Though our budget wasn’t large, we were rich in belief.

The Golden Globe Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is co-owned by Penske Media Eldridge – a partnership between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge, and they also own The Hollywood Reporter.

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2025-01-08 01:25