Actor Guy Pearce of ‘The Brutalist has addressed concerns that the Indian Censor Board‘s censorship of the film “might affect” its intended message.
The period drama, directed by Brady Corbet, has reportedly been trimmed for its Indian release, with nearly a minute of footage removed. These edits for the ‘A’ rated movie, primarily involve nudity and sexual content.
‘The Brutalist’, is getting its Indian cinematic release on February 28, over two months after it was released in the USA on December 20, 2024. It is one of the most anticipated films of the year, considering that it has already generated significant Oscars buzz and is tipped to win for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor for Adrien Brody, Best Supporting Actor for Guy Pearce and Best Supporting Actress for Felicity Jones.Ahead of the release, the CBFC’s Certificate Detail which lists down the ‘Insertions/Excisions/Modifications carried out by the applicant to comply with the law in force’ was released online. The document states that the Indian theatrical version of the film has undergone significant cuts which include the removal of explicit visuals from an intimate scene involving Brody’s character and a prostitute, deliberate blurring of nudity in the background, and the complete removal of a black-white pornographic film clip featured in one sequence. It also deleted the visuals of genitals in the intimate scene.
In an exclusive interview with ETimes, Pearce, who plays the character of Harrison Lee Van Buren, admitted he struggles to understand the motive of censoring films. He said, “I never really understand censorship,” prompting his co-star Jones to add, “I wasn’t aware of censorship, I didn’t realise that was the situation.”
When asked if the edited explicit content could impact the film’s message and narrative, Pearce acknowledged the possibility. “Well, it might affect it… yes,” he said, adding, “It’s hard to say, to be honest. Different cultures, regions, and countries all have different rules about what’s allowed to be seen and what’s not. I guess people will try and find it somehow on the internet later if they can’t get into a cinema to see it straight away.”
Despite the cuts, the film remains largely intact, with a final Indian runtime of 214 minutes compared to the original 215 minutes. However, the necessity of these edits for a film already carrying an ‘A’ (Adults Only) certification has raised eyebrows.
Director Brady Corbet spoke about the themes of The Brutalist, and said, “The film explores how the American Dream ultimately fails Laszlo and Erzsebet Toth.” The film follows a Holocaust survivor who relocates to the U.S., only to become entangled in the pursuit of the American Dream after meeting a shrewd businessman.
