László Tóth is a Hungarian Jew who escapes Budapest in 1947 to come to America. A brilliant architect, he is invited by his brother to stay with him and work in his furniture store. A chance encounter with a wealthy businessman grants László the opportunity to live his dream, but at what cost?
The Brutalist is an epic period piece about the American dream, capitalism, immigration, religious/cultural freedom, artistic genius, love, exorcising the past in the future and many other things. Director/cowriter Brady Corbet packs so much in, so organically, it’s breathtaking to watch him balance it all. Everything leads to, and from, everything else.
Like most movies that have the word “epic” applied to them, The Brutalist is long (209 minutes, minus the end credits, but including a fifteen-minute intermission at the halfway point). However, it is so captivating, so focused on telling this specific story, with everything it says about this moment, all moments and America, that it definitely does not feel anywhere near its length. The premise sounds simple, but this is a very cinematic auteur’s picture. It is remarkable.
Corbet’s shot-composition is incredible. For example, there is an early shot that sets the tone for what is to come. László is on a crowded boat, full of anxious passengers. They begin celebrating and then the camera scans up to see the Statue of Liberty. This symbol of freedom isn’t shown the way it normally is. It is upside down, at an angle. It is a skewed version of the promise of America. It is a message: while the promise exists, it may not be the fantasy newcomers have been led to expect. Corbet doesn’t hammer these allusions down his audience’s throat, but they are there. Every bit of this has been designed to mean something. It isn’t pretentious because of how well-crafted it is. Nothing sticks out awkwardly. It is all of a piece.
Corbet gets some tremendous work from his cast, especially Adrien Brody, who gives what may be a career best performance as László. Brody is in nearly every scene, playing every side of this complex, passionate, frustrating, wounded man. László is a very intelligent man, yet his arrogance starts to come out when he is challenged, whether it’s by his brother, his employer or coworkers with differing opinions. He can be cruel. However, as a Jewish immigrant to the US in the 1950s, he is also constantly aware that people do not want him there. Even when he is shown respect, it is always in his mind that it is fleeting.
First and foremost, he carries with him what he left behind, namely the wife he wasn’t sure had survived. That is Erzsébet, played by Felicity Jones as a woman in love with a man who is filled with a pain he doesn’t know how to handle. Has he always been like this? Or is this a consequence of the war? Erzsébet is sick due to the conditions she lived under, a fact László has trouble dealing with. Their relationship is fascinating because there is real love there, even if László is sometimes too self-absorbed to properly be there for her.
This is, in part, the fault of László’s benefactor, a man named Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. Guy Pearce commands the role like a man who knows what he wants and respects people, so long as they are useful to him. After an initial misunderstanding, he realizes László’s gift and seeks to use him. He gives László a place to live, a paycheck, helps him get his wife and niece to the states and, in exchange, he requires commitment. His kindness seems to come with ulterior motives. Though maybe he really is just intrigued by this confident architect and wants to lend a hand?
With The Brutalist, Brady Corbet has a story to tell and he doesn’t stop until he’s done. It is a story of a man, a time, a country, a people. This feels like a throwback in many ways, to when studios trusted filmmakers and let them make bold statements. It is art over commerce. It is a reminder of what the cinema can be. It is absolutely must-see.
4½ out of 5
Cast:
Adrien Brody as László Tóth
Felicity Jones as Erzsébet Tóth
Guy Pearce as Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.
Raffey Cassidy as Zsófia
Joe Alwyn as Harry Lee
Stacy Martin as Maggie Lee
Isaach De Bankolé as Gordon
Alessandro Nivola as Attila
Directed by Brady Corbet
Written by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
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