The Brutalist (dir. Brady Corbet)
By: Adam Freed
Witnessing the complete and epic arc of a complex life unfold on screen is akin to witnessing the entirety of a rainbow as it crests beautifully across the horizon. Both events are such rarities because in order for them to occur, thousands of variables must unfold in perfect harmony. Any minor misstep or unforeseen environmental shift, and both experiences are rendered unremarkable. Film history is populated ever so sparsely with epic films in which execution falls in perfect alignment with grandiose ambition. This is certainly the case for the overwhelming experience of witnessing Brady Corbet’s A24 Studios film, The Brutalist, one of the most audacious, propulsive and fulfilling films in recent memory. Corbet’s inspired American epic employs a monumental scope, spanning multiple decades and features a superb script that artfully weaves long form narrative with a complex and evolving cast of memorable characters, all of which feel essential ingredients to the film’s magnificent alchemy.
Named after a bold minimalist form of mid-century architecture, The Brutalist paints the portrait of László Tóft, a Hungarian Jew who prior to the film’s opening credits courageously emerges from the grip of a Nazi concentration camp in the early 1940s. Tóft breathes new life as he first casts his gaze upon the Statue of Liberty, an immigrant to the new world. From the opening moments of the film, it is clear that there is far more to Tóft than the simplicity of his immigrant story. László is presented early as an interesting and ambitious character who not only has a wonderful sense of humor, but proves to be a gifted craftsman. From the film’s chaotic opening moments it becomes strikingly clear that Adrian Brody’s performance as Tóft falls into the category of absolute magnetism. The more The Brutalist reveals about its central figure, the more audiences will wish to consume. This rare feat is accomplished due to the impeccable nature of Adrian Brody’s performance as the film's flawed central character. While cynics may label the role as a career reclamation project for Brody, (The Pianist, The Grand Budapest Hotel) it is unequivocally certain that the gifted actor instantly becomes front runner in this year’s race for best actor.
There is an unmistakably ambitious fire that burns deep inside the chest of László Tóft, but as a stranger in a new world, this spark cannot spread until his path crosses with that of Harrison Lee Van Buren, a short-tempered wealthy aristocrat and presumed product of America’s Gilded Age. Van Buren, played exquisitely by Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential,) sees in Tóft an untapt wealth of potential and provides financial flexibility for the newly minted American to make his mark on the Pennsylvania countryside. The onscreen chemistry shared by Pearce and Brody is legendary, for despite the film’s 200 minute runtime and dramatic nature, it is also laugh out loud funny. The comedic sensibility between the two performances adds to the propulsive nature of Corbet’s film. Thematically, the relationship between the two men represents a poignant commentary on American social class dynamics without ever feeling overly preachy. Time evaporates as audiences witness Tóft and Van Buren painstakingly pursue their career-defining collaboration. Going along for the ride with deeply layered and three-dimensional characters makes the journey feel utterly enjoyable and never the slog that the film’s daunting length may threaten.
It may be impossible for film connoisseurs to take in The Brutalist and avoid some of its inextricable links to history’s greatest epics. Witnessing László Tóft’s ambitious ascent shares a specific DNA with There Will Be Blood (2009) protagonist Daniel Plainview. Like Daniel Day-Lewis’ Plainview, Adrian Brody taps into the battle between passion and obsession, allowing audiences to morally weigh the balance for themselves. Brady Corbet’s monumental film is also likely to evoke warm thematic comparison to Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941). This is not to suggest that The Brutalist already belongs atop the heap of American history’s greatest epics, but there is no denying that its massive scope and mesmerizing artistry should land Brady Corbet’s magnum opus squarely in the center of the conversation.
Target Score 10/10: Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist is grand, audacious, mesmerizing and rapturous. To walk away from the gigantic 200 minute experience is to feel that one has witnessed the entirety of a life unfold before their eyes.
The Brutalist is included in Movie Archer's coverage of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.