“The Brutalist” (2024) is a mammoth work of art. Director Brady Corbet’s new film runs over three hours, including a 15-minute intermission. The movie was shot using VistaVision, a practically defunct process of filming that uses 35mm film stock to capture the images. The movie is an artistic undertaking comparable to the intricate Brutalist structures designed by the film’s main character, László Tóth (Adrien Brody).
The film follows Tóth, a Hungarian immigrant who escaped Europe during World War II and navigates life in the United States. Shortly after arriving, Tóth meets Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce), a wealthy benefactor who commissions him to build a large-scale community center.
“The Brutalist” explores themes of artistry, the immigrant experience in the United States and how wealth functions within those straining systems. It’s a difficult task to adequately address those heavy themes while still producing an entertaining film, yet Corbet does so deftly. He balances the heavy material with subtle humor — often making fun of Van Buren’s lack of intelligence — while maintaining seriousness and high artistry throughout.
At times, it feels that “The Brutalist” is just as much about Corbet as it is about Tóth. Tóth is a tortured artist who strives to create a building whose legacy will last far beyond his lifetime. However, to ensure his immortality through art, Tóth has to sacrifice much of his humanity. Though Van Buren facilitates Tóth’s goals, he is also a malicious presence in the architect’s life. Throughout the film, Van Buren manipulates and, at times, subjugates Tóth. Van Buren uses his power to exploit Tóth, knowing that the architect is dependent on him to create a successful life in America.
The film also reads as an allegory for the relationship between filmmakers and production studios who finance their art. On one hand, art would be almost impossible to make without wealthy benefactors. On the other hand, these benefactors can use their monetary influence to exploit the artist and get in the way of a filmmaker’s vision. It’s not hard to imagine that Corbet, who argued in a speech at the Golden Globes earlier this month that more directors should have the final cut, sees himself in Tóth.
With “The Brutalist,” Corbet, like Tóth, strives to create a work of art that is bigger than himself. In doing so, he nods to other great American epics throughout the movie. One of the film’s opening shots shows Tóth’s upside-down view of the Statue of Liberty as he arrives in New York. The shot references the iconic statue shot when Vito Corleone arrives at Ellis Island in “The Godfather Part II” (1974). By overtly referencing other legendary films throughout “The Brutalist,” Corbet clearly states his desire to create a work that belongs in the pantheon of film history.
That ambition is commendable — and “The Brutalist” reaches those heights quite often — but, due to the film’s clear allegory and references to previous movies, it can’t help but feel that Corbet is, at times, trying too hard to create a film that will be revered and studied for generations. I would, of course, always prefer to watch a movie aiming for such high achievements, but “The Brutalist” spends a lot of its runtime telling you what it's trying to do.
While its themes and goals can at times be overt, “The Brutalist” is still a remarkable accomplishment. The film is incredibly well-paced — its two-part structure and scene-to-scene movement make the three-and-a-half-hour runtime fly by. While shooting the movie in VistaVision is an extravagant risk, it pays off profoundly. The film is beautifully shot, capturing wide vistas in stunning detail while also portraying more intimate scenes with incredible care.
In both the film’s text and its production, “The Brutalist” focuses on artists’ desires to solidify their immortality through art. Despite the massive undertaking and his seemingly extreme goals, Corbet is often much more successful than not. Only time will tell if Corbet’s work will transcend generations and be remembered as he wants it to, but for now, “The Brutalist” should be celebrated as a massive accomplishment.
