Adrien Brody shines in The Brutalist, a 3h35 cinematic masterpiece revisiting the American Dream and its hidden flaws.
After The Pianist, Adrien Brody delivers one of the most defining performances of his career in The Brutalist. This monumental 3h35 film revisits the American Dream, its promises, and its failures through the journey of a Holocaust survivor turned architect.
Since its debut in competition at the Venice Film Festival, the movie, set to hit theaters this Wednesday, has earned numerous prestigious nominations and awards. It has already won three Golden Globes, including Best Drama, and received ten Oscar nominations.
Beyond its dark take on the American Dream, reminiscent of The Godfather, The Brutalist delves deeper into the lingering effects of the Holocaust, both on survivors and their communities, as well as on the art and legacies they create.
This role fits Adrien Brody perfectly, who won an Oscar 20 years ago for his performance in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist. Here, Brody picks up the thread of Western history almost where he left off—at the end of World War II.
In The Brutalist, Brody plays László Toth, a Hungarian Bauhaus architect who emigrates to the United States shortly after the war. To perfect his character's Hungarian accent, the production used AI software, sparking some controversy.
After falling into poverty and drug addiction, László meets a millionaire (played by Guy Pearce) who commissions him to design an ambitious building. But as he dreams of reuniting his family from Europe, the American Dream begins to unravel, corroded by xenophobia and latent antisemitism.
- 3h35 with an Intermission -
The film, which uses architecture as a metaphor for human institutions, stands apart from anything else. Shot in 70mm, it spans 3h35, including a 15-minute intermission, and continually surprises viewers with its narrative choices.
Brady Corbet, known as an actor (Mysterious Skin, Funny Games), directed the film and explained at Venice: "There are so many Bauhaus architects whose work we never got to see. This film pays tribute to them." After seven years of effort, Corbet dedicates the movie "to those artists who never realized their vision."
Despite its demanding themes, The Brutalist is deeply human, driven by its characters. For Adrien Brody, the role is profoundly personal: "My mother, a Hungarian immigrant, started over in the U.S. This character connects deeply to her story."
With AFP
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