“The Brutalist” is the newest A24 production to hit the big screen and is set up to be one of the most awarded and highly praised films ever put forth by the studio. 

The film is a decades sprawling epic that follows the tremendous Adrien Brody’s László Tóth, a gifted Jewish-Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor, who leaves Europe in the chaotic aftermath of World War II.  

The film opens with Tóth’s arrival on Ellis Island, amidst a distorted shot of the Statue of Liberty, symbolizing the complicated journey that he is set to embark upon as he struggles to find his way forward in a new world. 

“The Brutalist” is both an American saga and a period piece, attempting to tell a massive story with even bigger, universal ideas that can be found in many films about the immigrant experience. 

Tóth’s journey to America is not one of hope for a better life, but rather a last resort for a broken man who has had his entire life stolen from him. His wife is separated from him, feared dead and his life’s work, the buildings he has created, will likely never be seen again. . 

He arrives in Philadelphia to meet his cousin, Attila, and his new American wife Audrey. Attila has converted to catholicism and adopted a more appropriate name for his furniture store; Miller and Sons, because in his words; “The folks here love a family business.” 

Attila has assimilated into American society with relative ease, able to abandon all traces of his Jewish heritage, but Tóth is not so eager to abandon his identity. 

Tóth’s past as a highly respected architect is revealed gradually over the course of the film, fully revealed when interacting with Harrison Lee Van Buren, a wealthy industrialist, played by Guy Pearce in a career defining performance. 

Van Buren tasks Tóth with designing and building a new community center in their small town to serve as a memorial to his mother. 

The rest of the film sees Tóth struggle both professionally and personally as he struggles to adjust to his new life and his place in a new country that seemingly does not want him there. 

Brody truly anchors the film, appearing in almost every scene, capturing the despair, hope and anguish that Tóth experiences throughout his time in the states. 

Pearce is terrific as well, giving the film a monstrous representation of unchecked greed and the worst of American society in equal measure. 

The film is quite long, but a 15-minute intermission is built into the runtime, separating the film into two equal parts and the film benefits greatly from it. 

I greatly enjoyed it, but can understand how its appeal may be lost on those who cannot quite get into a period piece with heavy topics and lots of dialogue. 

All the same, I hope everyone sees it at least once, if for nothing else than to see what all the hype was about and come to their own conclusions. 

Categories: Arts & Entertainment