A Long, Powerful, Cathartic and Brutally Honest Epic

(022025) The Brutalist is a powerful epic melodrama that is favored by some critics to win an Oscar for Best Film. It reminds me a bit of The Power of the Dog because both films are extremely difficult and often tortuously painful to watch-but they are ultimately rewarding. Not every part of The Brutalist is top notch or completely absorbing, however it is a monumental achievement and remarkably effective most of the time. The film gets under your skin and resonates emotionally far more than most current films. Which is good because watching the film is something of a major commitment. At almost four hours long, when you include the Intermission (yes, it has one), previews and commercials, this is not a breezy afternoon at the cinema. It is a major artistic statement, and it contains some of the best scenes in recent memory. Clearly a labor of love, The Brutalist seeks to intellectually elevate the viewer, an effort that demands the audiences attention.

Named after the brutalist architecture style that the main character uses to design his buildings. Brutalist architecture employs minimalist constructions, and it utilizes bare building materials and spartan, unadorned decorative design. This style also commonly uses monochrome color palettes and angular shapes.

The structure of the story follows the old “self-made man” literature formula very reminiscent of the 1885 novel "The Rise of Silas Lapham" by William Dean Howell. Both are stories of flawed, ambitious, talented men who come from nothing and try to achieve the American dream but ultimately falls. In many ways 2023's Oppenheimer also follows this same basic structure.

Co-written and directed by promising Brody Corbet who has mostly but not exclusively known as an actor in art films. He had roles in Thirteen (2003), Mysterious Skin (2004), Melancholia (2011), and Clouds of Sils Maria (2014). Recently he has branched into directing and making The Childhood of a Leader (2015) and Vox Lox (2018). Based on his previous trajectory and work on this film, he could end up being an important film maker.

The film’s greatest aspect is its terrific performances. Both of the male leads: Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, have been underused and underappreciated by Hollywood. Here they are simply phenomenal turning in career defining performances. Brody has not been this impressive since his Oscar-winning role in The Pianist (2002), but this is probably the best film to date. Here he plays Laszlo, a Jewish Holocaust survivor from Hungary who comes to the US after WW II. Some of his most significant films include Thin Red Line (1998), and one of the latest good Woody Allen film, Midnight in Paris (2011). He has worked with Wes Anderson in many films including The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), French Dispatch (2021), and Asteroid City (2023).

It costars Guy Pearce as his rich employer/frenemy who is a fascinating multi-dimensional character. He was previously in LA Confidential (1997), Hurt Locker (2009), and Iron Man 3 (2013).This role is his best written and performed since 2000's Memento.

The female lead, Felicity Jones, is best known for playing Ruth Allen Ginsberg in On the Basis of Sex (2018), Here, she portrays Laszlo’s beloved wife, Erzsebet, and she is also terrific. Her character was so badly malnourished in the Nazi death camps that she can no longer move without a wheelchair. She is a complicated, smart woman who as soon as she comes to the United States gets work as a top journalist.

The Brutalist is about the life journey of Laslo (Brody) a brilliant architect from Hungary who lost most of what he had during the Holocaust. Most of his family was destroyed and he lost most of his friends and his home. He comes to America with few prospects, and little besides the clothes on his back and a heroin addiction which will cost him dearly. One other thing he has is immense creativity and talent, but he will not compromise because of his strong commitment to aesthetic beauty. First, he moves to Philadelphia crashing with his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivole) who owns a furniture store. Although Atilla is quite congenial his wife, who is a gentile (played by Emma Laird), is not as friendly or patient.

Eventually Laszlo finds his own path. He meets a multi-millionaire named Harrison Lee Van Buren (Pearce) who initially admires his accomplishments and artistic integrity. After many social interactions he tells Laszlo: “I find our conversations intellectually stimulating.” Soon Laszlo is staying in Van Buren’s guest house, and he is tasked by Van Buren to design a Doylestown community.

The building does not get built without some unforeseen complications. Several people die in the construction and the project goes way over budget. Laszlo refuses to compromise on his artistic vision by using cheaper materials, and he arranges to have the extra expenses taken out of his own fee. Lazlo does not know that even though the Van Buren family is congenial on the surface, they have contempt for him underneath, and they are just using him. This all leads to an unforgettable climax and confrontation that gives the film a great deal of its dramatic weight.

You might have to ask if the film had to be three hours and thirty-five minutes long and the answer is not really, there are some scenes in the first hour which help build up the characters and situations that could have been trimmed a bit. But it passes quicker than you might think and for me, it went by much faster than any Adam Sandler comedy or Madame Web (the fifteen-minute intermission helps). Much of the film is great, and it should especially please both serious film aficionados or lovers of arthouse films.