‘The Brutalist,’ a film by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold

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Director Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” is both intimate and epic. It is an intense exploration of one man’s complicated life during post–World War II in America. Corbet and his co-writer, Mona Fastvold, created the original screenplay, which they did not base on a real person or a novel, but crafted from their imaginations.

The film begins with a confusing, noisy scene in the near dark, where people are being herded to some unknown place. Suddenly, emerging from what turns out to be the hold of a ship, we see the open sky with the Statue of Liberty looming ominously above us. Although the crowd is ecstatic to be in the Land of the Free, the skewed symbol of freedom leaves us uneasy. Within moments, we are in the Great Hall on Ellis Island, filled with bewildered immigrants being told important information they can’t comprehend.

Welcome to László Tóth’s world, as he enters the chaos of the bowels of New York City before making his way to Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The evocative cinematography of Lol Crawley, and archival footage, create a visual portrait of the mid-century economic miracle of postwar Pennsylvania, anchoring the film in a specific time and place.

Adrien Brody portrays the Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor who arrives half-starved and injured in the U.S. after the war. In Doylestown, he reconnects with his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivola), the owner of a furniture store where he crafts everything by hand. One day, a self-confident young man, Harry Van Buren (Joe Alwyn), comes in with a commission to remodel his father’s old-fashioned study into a library at the family’s palatial country estate. We witness László’s artistic brilliance as he transforms the stale, dark room into a breathtaking, sleek, light-filled, modern space.

The style recalls Brutalist architecture, which the early 20th century Bauhaus school significantly influenced. This is, in fact, where László had studied before being persecuted by the Nazis for his work not being German enough. Unfortunately, Harry’s father, Harrison (Guy Pearce), an immensely wealthy and overly powerful capitalist with an outsize sense of entitlement, arrives home early. In an earsplitting rampage fueled by outrage at his son’s surprise, Harrison brutally abuses László, swearing he will stop payment.

Sometime later, however, Harrison seeks László out, having come to appreciate the brilliance of his design. Harrison woos László with a mammoth commission, tasking him with creating an enormous, visionary community center that will dominate the landscape in honor of his late mother. Harrison also arranges for his lawyer to try to reunite László with his wife and niece, who have been stranded in Europe since the war.

Harrison’s relationship with László, with his quick temper and perfectionism, becomes increasingly complex as the project progresses. So, too, does the rest of the story, which is filled with many characters and narrative twists and turns. The film has a dark, rough side that runs throughout, leaving us to wonder which brutality the film’s title refers to.

“The Brutalist” will be coming soon. For tickets and more information, visit mvfilmsociety.com/2024/12/the-brutalist