How Kodak film and VistaVision shaped the distinctive Oscar-winning look of 'The Brutalist'

The Brutalist, the latest film from director Brady Corbet, last night won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, solidifying its reputation as one of the most visually striking and narratively powerful films of the year.

While its ambitious storytelling and performances have captivated audiences, the film’s cinematography, directed by DP Lol Crawley BSC, truly sets it apart. Shot primarily on Kodak 35mm film in the expansive VistaVision format, The Brutalist achieves a unique visual texture that evokes the past while maintaining an immersive and contemporary cinematic experience.

The film chronicles the journey of László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody, who also won Best Actor at last night's Oscars. László is a Hungarian-born Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor trying to build a new life in America. Spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s, the narrative demands a visual style that not only captures the grandeur of brutalist architecture but also conveys the emotional and historical weight of László’s experience.

In an in-depth look featured on Kodak's website, Crawley and Corbet discussed their desire for an "archival quality" to the imagery, aiming for a period-authentic look that feels both timeless and tactile. Inspired by photographers such as Saul Leiter and painters like Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper, Crawley’s cinematography embraces contrast, muted tones, and a sense of isolation within grand architectural spaces.

A key factor in achieving this look was the decision to shoot the majority of the film in VistaVision, a format that runs 35mm film horizontally through the camera, creating an 8-perf wide frame with higher resolution and finer grain than standard 35mm. Originally developed in the 1950s and famously used in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, VistaVision was chosen to enhance the epic scale of The Brutalist.

Initially, VistaVision was intended for large-scale exterior shots, however, Crawley and Corbet were so impressed with the results that they used the format extensively, even for close-ups and intimate interior scenes. This decision contributed to the film’s immersive depth and painterly quality.

Crawley was committed to shooting on film and shot The Brutalist with Kodak VISION3 250D (5207) and 500T (5219) color negative stocks, which were selected for their grain structure and ability to handle a wide range of lighting conditions. "These are my go-to film stocks," Crawley explained. "They have grain, and I like the feeling of texture in the image."

The cameras used by Crawley in production varied across formats, including VistaVision cameras, Arricam ST and LT 35mm cameras, Arriflex 235 35mm, Arriflex 416 16mm cameras, and a Dunton Cine-modified Arriflex 435. The lenses also varied depending on the format, including Leica-S lenses for VistaVision and Cooke S4 optics for standard 35mm shots, further contributing to the film’s rich visual language.

For Corbet and Crawley, shooting on film was essential, not just for aesthetic reasons, but for the way it affects the audience’s perception of time and memory. "Digital often reveals too much," Crawley states. "Film obfuscates the image in a way that creates an impression of a time rather than a literal representation."

This philosophy aligns perfectly with The Brutalist’s themes of history, loss, and ambition. The imperfections of film grain, the softness of highlights, and the organic color rendition all contribute to a sense of nostalgia and emotional depth that digital simply cannot replicate.

With its use of VistaVision, Kodak film stocks, and an array of meticulously chosen lenses, The Brutalist achieves a striking visual aesthetic that enhances its epic storytelling. Crawley’s cinematography, recognized with Oscar and BAFTA wins, serves as a testament to the enduring power of film in an era dominated by digital production.

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