The Brutalist Review: A Hollywood Epic

The Brutalist is the latest film from director Bradey Corbet, the man responsible for directing the divisive Vox Lux. Adrien Brody plays a man named Laszlo Toth, an architect and Holocaust survivor, who has visionary ideas that could bring rebirth to America. His entire worldview is changed when he is introduced to a wealthy client played by Guy Pearce. That is all the plot you should know getting into the film, because the twists and turns this movie takes are revelatory.

The Brutalist is a new Hollywood epic in the same vein of classics like Gone with the Wind and Lawrence of Arabia. Clocking in at over three and a half hours long, The Brutalist is a very long movie, but it is so engrossing that the runtime feels a lot faster than you would expect. Not a single moment is wasted in The Brutalist. The cinematography is sweeping, every frame in this movie is perfectly articulated. The score in the film adds such cinematic granger, it sounds amazing on the big screen. The movie's scale is super impressive. This story, in presentation, could have gotten a lot more uninspired approach under the wrong hands. However, Corbet understands how to add cinematic depth in every single moment. With the addition of an overture and a fifteen minute intermission, The Brutalist feels like a seismic event in the way very few movies do in this age. Movies like this are special and need to be embarrassed by the masses. By the opening shot, you know you are in capable hands with filmmakers who appreciate and love the craft.

Aside from the technical achievement this movie is, it also has an incredibly poignant and engaging story. Adrien Brody gives one of the best performances of his entire career and the single best performance of this year. He gives his heart and soul to the character Lazlo. I really felt his aspirations in a similar way I felt for George Bailey in the classic It’s a Wonderful Life. He’s an identifiable character because much like all of us, he wants to achieve the American Dream, despite the struggles he has faced in the past. Along with Brody’s performance, his wife played by Felicity Jones is also incredible in the movie and has a powerful scene towards the end of the film that will have your heart racing by how powerful she is. Guy Pearce also plays a great cunning spirit that will make your skin crawl. 

The story has an inspirational aspect to it, but this is juxtaposed with an incredibly dark grit. This film's portrayal of greed, grit and the human condition is similar to Paul Thomas Anderson’s opus There Will Be Blood. There are moments in this film that are so intense, riveting and disturbing that people actually gasped in the theater. There are also scenes that are tender and intimate, making these dark moments all the more horrifying in nature. The range of emotions displayed through this whole movie is pretty remarkable overall. This is all helped by an incredible screenplay that is worthy of winning the academy award. 

Overall, the central message of the movie is one I thought about for a long time. Is the journey worth the destination? It’s one that will be highly discussed and debated on for years to come. While the journey to get your vision is filled with pain, ultimately if you get the job done, at least there was something to show for it. I think that is what The Brutalist is all about, the sacrifice it takes to create your vision. Brady Corbet here has made his vision, which is a masterpiece and one of the single best movies of 2024.