Clubhouse Conversations — The Brutalist

In this episode, cinematographer Lol Crawley, BSC is joined by interviewer Patrick Cady, ASC to discuss his work on The Brutalist — the epic drama from director Brady Corbet that follows the fraught and fascinating life of a Hungarian immigrant who desperately pursues the American dream in 1940s Philadelphia.

The Brutalist examines the passions, dreams and struggles of László Tóth — a prodigious architect who, after surviving the horrors of the Holocaust, seeks a brighter future in Philadelphia, where he forms an unlikely partnership that brings about fortune and anguish in equal measure. The film marks the third collaboration between Crawley and Corbet, who first worked together on the acclaimed 2015 historical drama The Childhood of a Leader.

In this interview, Crawley discusses his use of VistaVision and large-format cinematography to capture both expansive and intimate imagery; experimenting with underexposure and push processing to create a painterly, period-appropriate aesthetic; the task of shooting on location in hazardous marble quarries; how he and the crew achieved a cohesive look across multiple film formats; how his use of 35mm film stock helped complement the film’s nuanced light and texture, and more.

Lol Crawley, BSC is a cinematographer whose credits include the features Four Lions, 45 Years, The Childhood of a Leader, Vox Lux, The Secret Garden and White Noise.

Patrick Cady, ASC made his feature-cinematography debut with Karyn Kusama’s award-winning drama Girlfight. His credits include the series Bosch, Rectify, Betrayal and Insecure, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination.

You’ll find all episodes in our ASC Clubhouse Conversations discussion series here.