The Brutalist is a story of navigating the American Dream. Shortly after World War II, László Tóth (Adrien Brody) emigrates to America. Having escaped the Holocaust, he hopes his arrival in the United States will provide a new life. However, László soon discovers his status as a Jewish foreigner isn’t well received. He begins a series of various employments, primarily assisting his cousin with architectural projects. This leads László to meet Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce). Harrison is an incredibly wealthy, if not eccentric, industrialist. László comes under Harrison’s employ with the promise of getting his wife and niece—currently stranded in Budapest—to America as well. And as László’s relationship with Harrison evolves, it changes both of their lives.
What works in The Brutalist is Brody’s heart-wrenching performance and the movie’s epic quality. Writer/director Brady Corbet (Vox Lux) has crafted an enormous film filled with beauty and raw emotion. At the center is László, a flawed and sympathetic man. Corbet’s script puts Brody through a gauntlet of time and experience over three and half hours. And over these decades, Corbet keeps the audience engaged with a fascinating examination of the “Land of Opportunity.” Adding to the film’s grandeur is the majestic cinematography by Lol Crawley (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) and a haunting score by Daniel Blumberg (The World to Come). These ingredients come together for a memorable experience that will likely affect audiences deeply.
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People who are uncomfortable with various forms of physical, psychological, and emotional abuse may choose to avoid The Brutalist. During László’s journey he experiences or enables several atrocities including heavy drug use and sexual violence. These sequences never feel forced and directly contribute to the narrative, but nevertheless may make for some unpleasant scenes to sit through. Furthermore, The Brutalist is exhausting. As previously mentioned, the runtime is quite long and most of the proceedings focus on hardship. Gracefully, Corbet includes a minute-long intermission for a quick stretch break in between the film’s two acts.
The Brutalist is an impressive piece of work and a cinematic achievement. The sheer scope and scale of the film is something to be applauded and lauded. While it may be a bit too disturbing for some, Corbet’s work here propels him up to being one of the most interesting directors currently working. Recommended.
Recommended if you enjoyed: The Irishman, The Pianist, Far and Away
The Brutalist is available to see in theaters beginning on December 20th.
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