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The Brutalist – Film Review

Cast: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankolé, Alessandro Nivola

Director: Brady Corbet

Synopsis: A talented architect escapes post-World War II Europe and emigrates to the US to start a new life in pursuit of the American dream…

Review: An arduous boat journey, followed by a walk down a gangway, to mark the start of a new life in a country that offers so much potential and opportunities for success. This is the core principle of the American Dream, a concept popularized by US writer James Truslow Adams during the Great Depression. It has been ingrained in the ideals of the nation for decades. No matter who you are or where you come from, you can achieve your dreams in the United States of America. This promise has inspired millions of immigrants to move to the country and lies at the heart of this ambitious and powerful film by Brady Corbet.

In post-World War II Europe, Hungarian-Jewish architect László Toth (Brody) emigrates to the United States after surviving the Holocaust. Unfortunately, he has been separated from his wife, Erzsébet (Jones), who remains in Europe with their niece, Zsófia (Cassidy). After disembarking from the boat and catching an upside-down glimpse of Lady Liberty in all her glory, László makes his way to Pennsylvania to stay with his cousin, Attila (Nivola), and Attila’s wife, Audrey (Laird). Attila offers László the chance to work in his furniture business. One fateful day, they receive an offer from Harry Lee Van Buren (Alwyn), who wants to hire them for a job to renovate the library at his father Harrison’s (Pearce) home. Initially, Harrison, a wealthy industrialist, strongly disapproves of the renovations and dismisses László from his home without paying him for the work. However, after László’s designs for the library receive glowing praise from the architectural community, Harrison returns to offer László the opportunity to design his magnum opus: a community centre that will house a gymnasium, chapel, and reading room in honour of Harrison’s late mother.

In such times when the subject of immigration is at the centre of hateful and bigoted rhetoric emanating from certain world leaders, the arrival of such an expansive and grand film in terms of its scope and themes couldn’t be more timely. Like a vast and tall structure built to last for generations to come, Corbet and Mona Fastvold’s weighty screenplay tackles a plethora of meaningful and potent subjects including the Jewish identity, the unremitting horrors the Holocaust inflicted on the Jewish people, the joys and hardships that go along with looking to fulfil the promise of the American dream as an immigrant, and the desire to make or construct something which will ensure you leave a lasting legacy on the world. Yet that ambition comes with a cost, because as Laszlo finds out, to what extent will you drive yourself into the ground in pursuit of perfection when the path to get there is littered with seemingly mountainous obstacles too heavy to move?

To leave everything you have known behind to pursue a brand new life on an entirely new continent is a journey that millions have embarked upon across generations. For Adrien Brody, whose mother and grandparents fled their native Hungary to emigrate to the US, it is evident how much of a personal role it is for him. He channels this into his incredible performance as we can see Laszlo is a man driven by his passion for his craft, and his determination to make a better life for himself so that one day Erzsébet and Zsofia will finally be able to join him in the US. Such is the lengthy process, it takes a while for Erzsébet and Zsofia to finally be reunited, but when she does finally arrive in the US, Jones more than makes her presence known with a powerful performance. As the wealthy benefactor who plays a central role in giving Laszlo a chance to realise his vision, Pearce is utterly compelling as Van Buren Sr. There is a warmth to him, a generosity where he recognises Laszlo’s talents. However, beneath that warm and embracing exterior, there is a hint of a darker side, a jealousy and bitterness that threatens to come to the surface as the film, and this hugely ambitious project progresses.

Whenever a film clocks in at a runtime exceeding three hours, discussions inevitably arise as to whether it justifies such a lengthy runtime. With a built-in intermission, the film’s structure keeps eyes firmly transfixed on the screen, be it the awe-inspiring production design, Lol Crawley’s breathtaking cinematography and the majestic score by Daniel Blumberg. Given the exorbitant budgets with which many films are made these days, how the film only cost $10m is astonishing and should serve as a lesson for filmmakers that exorbitant budgets aren’t always needed. However, even with the lengthy runtime, during which the audience has been taken on an immersive journey across several decades, the conclusion comes off as very abrupt and rushed. Like spending years on an exciting construction project, only to haphazardly complete the final stages in a comparatively short period. Even with such a lengthy runtime, the film would have benefitted from an extra 15 to 20 minutes to provide audiences with some necessary closure.

Despite some question marks about the film’s use of AI to enhance the Hungarian dialogue of László and Erzsébet, as well as for some of the former’s drawings, what Corbet has brought to the screen with only his third feature film is mightily impressive. With its pertinent exploration of the struggles of immigrants to fulfil the promise that the American dream sold to them, combined with its weighty themes of striving to establish yourself as a master in your craft, only to be held back due to a plethora of societal factors, including but not limited to the brutal (pun absolutely intended) nature of capitalist society. The wondrous filmmaking will only carry increased significance as time goes by.