How Production Designer Judy Becker Achieved a Brutalist Aesthetic on a Budget

      Before connecting with director Brady Corbett on The Brutalist, production designer Judy Becker had long wished for the chance to collaborate with him.

      Becker, recognized for her contributions to Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, Todd Haynes’s Carol, and her Oscar-nominated work on David O. Russell’s American Hustle, has always had a strong admiration for Brutalist architecture, which the film is named after. This architectural style emerged in postwar Britain and is marked by raw, unadorned concrete and an emphasis on structural design over decorative elements.

      “I would have worked on it for free if I could have managed it,” she shares.

      This mindset proved beneficial, given the film's limited budget. While The Brutalist’s trailer highlights the word “monumental,” a term many critics have used to describe it, Corbett produced the film on a modest budget of less than $10 million.

      However, the film's grand feel should not be attributed to special effects; rather, it stemmed from compromise.

      “The budget was deemed ‘low’ because Brady employed the best artisans who usually charge more,” Becker explains. “No one has endless resources. I’ve dealt with a range of budgets and there's always a desire for more funds, but I wouldn’t say the budget constricted us.”

      The Brutalist received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Production Design for Becker. Despite facing criticism regarding its AI utilization—for adjusting accents and a segment at the end—Corbett has emphasized that Becker's contributions did not involve AI.

      Judy Becker on Her Brutalist Inspirations

      The Brutalist follows the story of the fictitious Hungarian Jewish architect László Toth (played by Adrien Brody) who arrives in America with his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones). Toth aims to rebuild both his life and marriage after his release from a concentration camp.

      They settle in Pennsylvania, where affluent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) recognizes Toth's talent and commissions him to construct a Christian Institute. Toth personalizes the project by integrating design elements inspired by the concentration camp where he was imprisoned.

      “I devised overt and subtle symbols in Toth’s work, including the integration of concentration camp features,” Becker elaborates. “I examined the layouts of concentration camps and contemplated European architecture that László would have encountered growing up in Budapest.”

      Becker also drew from her childhood fascination with hidden symbolism. Attending services at a Jewish temple that, when viewed from above, formed a Star of David, she incorporated similar concepts into her design for the Institute.

      “When viewed from above, the Institute resembles a cross,” she states.

      She also took inspiration from the stark design of concentration camp barracks, which featured ceilings reaching 40 to 50 feet, along with small, high windows.

      “The tall windows in the concentration camps served a contrary purpose than you'd expect,” Becker remarks. “Brady informed me that they made it unbearably hot in summer and frigid in winter.”

      The Institute also has lofty ceilings and windows. However, in the film, the light from these windows casts a cross shape.

      “In the Institute, they symbolize hope, with light breaking through the darkness,” she notes.

      The DIY Ethos Behind The Brutalist

      Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones portray László and Erzsébet Toth in The Brutalist. A24

      Corbett’s team accepted lower salaries, motivated by their understanding of The Brutalist as his passion project, and soon shared his enthusiasm.

      The film’s experienced department heads, including cinematographer Lol Crawley, costume designer Kate Forbes, editor Dávid Jancsó, and Becker, embraced a highly independent approach to address challenges.

      “To tackle the types of issues we faced in creating this film, you needed experience,” Becker says. “You should have navigated difficulties with and without a budget previously.”

      She adds: “Brady, among all the directors I’ve collaborated with, is the most adept at devising alternative storytelling methods when there isn’t sufficient funding.”

      Except for a short shoot in New York City, The Brutalist was primarily filmed in Hungary. The department heads developed a strong bond while working together, starting from their location scouting adventures. These outings provided the first opportunity for the group to connect over the project.

      “Those scouting trips were crucial as you're in the van for hours, brainstorming ideas for the movie,” Becker explains.

      “If I wanted to suggest something, I’d do it in the van when it was relatively quiet. I had the director’s attention, along with the DP and others to discuss my ideas.”

      Once they established a sense of community in the van, “that connection seemed to persist, which was wonderful,” she shares.

      Becker soon realized that Hungary didn’t offer the same variety of materials that American production designers typically have access to.

      “I had to think like Brady and consider, 'What’s an alternative way to approach this