42/31
Between March 16 and May 5, 2023
Chronology
When visionary architect László Toth and his wife Erzsébet flee post-war Europe in 1947 to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of modern America, a mysterious, wealthy client changes their lives forever. Filming took place over a total of 34 days. It was filmed in Budapest, Hungary and Carrara, Italy. Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.: When dogs get sick, they often bite the hand that feeds them until someone mercifully puts them down. Aired on The 7PM Project: Episode December 10, 2024 (2024). Rough and bold, "Brutalism" was the name for a style of modern architecture that flourished in the 1950s and 1960s.
Liberty hopes to start over
Its sharp angles were formed from humble materials such as rebar and concrete. Light and shadows dance dramatically through its transparent walls and bold windows. In a sense, “The Brutalist”—nominated for multiple Golden Globes, including best drama—is also a work of architecture. If you can get past the title and its three-and-a-half-hour running time, it offers epic visions of immigrant aspirations and the American dream (pros and cons) through a highly stylized lens. Best Actor nominee Adrien Brody gives a penetrating, fearless performance as László Toth, a brilliant Hungarian Jewish architect who survives the carnage of his homeland during World War II and arrives at the Statue of Liberty’s feet. Lady Liberty is upside down on the poster because that’s how she first appears to immigrants emerging from the cockpits of steamboats.
László’s odyssey leads to boundless optimism
War Philadelphia. His wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones, another Globe nominee) is followed several years later by his niece Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy). Meanwhile, the creator, famous in his own country, is relegated to a life of penury in his new homeland. Eating in soup kitchens, sleeping in shelters, shoveling coal for a living. His paths cross with the extremely wealthy businessman Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. Changing the fates of both men, Guy Pierce earns the film’s third Globe nomination for Best Actor with perhaps the best performance of his career.
and then back again
Urban and handsome, the ultimate WASP patriot, Harrison’s hearty voice and carefully chosen words form a striking contrast to László’s still awkward stranger. Although their first encounter is disastrous, Van Buren soon admits not only his admiration but also his envy. of the immigrant’s genius, hiring him to build a monumental cultural center and a memorial to his late mother. The project brings them together for years as the monolithic structure slowly rises to the top of the Van Buren estate hill. They are a union of opposites, each man with a strong will and an indomitable ego. Their relationship and that of their family also evolves from master and hired help, through the bonds of collaborators to the closeness of brothers…
The film’s soundtrack is also a work of art in its own right
Director/writer Brady Corbet seems to share his character’s great confidence in his own abilities. At 36, his evolution from actor to A-list filmmaker invites comparisons with a young Orson Welles’ arrival in Hollywood with the groundbreaking “Citizen Kane.” Considering that “The Brutalist” had a budget of less than $10 million, its sheer scale and scope, not to mention its unique sense of style, are jaw-dropping wonders. Alongside Lol Crawley’s dazzling cinematography, Brady works with period historical and industrial materials for the production design. It features perfectly curated tracks in a montage of historical radio broadcasts, advertisements and ambient noise. The price of genius – and its rewards – is explored on an even deeper level as "The Brutalist" shows the price of assimilation.
