Rent The Brutalist on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
Directed by: Brady Corbet
Starring: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A visionary architect flees post-war Europe in 1947 for a brighter future in the United States and finds his life forever changed by a wealthy client.
Verdict
The artist and immigrant's journey represented by Tóth. The complexity of his character is rivaled by the simplicity of design in his building, yet they're nowhere near simple to build. While it seems initially like a stereotypical American dream immigrant story, this is anything but. It's a movie about coping and reinvention. Tóth copes with leaving his family and country behind. He copes with leaving his occupation behind. His buildings are a physical manifestation of processing the traumas of his past. It's a good movie, ambitious, but I enjoyed it more for the spectacle and achievement than the story itself. Then again, it's a movie that begs for a rewatch.
It depends.
Review
Brutalist architecture emphasizes geometric shapes, minimalist designs, and focuses on materials and structural elements of a building instead of decorative details. Corbet also directed Vox Lux.
In the 1940s, László Tóth (Adrien Brody) immigrates to America, having to leave his family behind. He arrives in New York, trying to find his footing and staying with his cousin who has already assimilated. They get a job designing a library for Harrison (Guy Pearce) where Tóth can exercise his talent. He creates a beautiful space, though the job ends in a confrontation. There has to be a parallel. Tóth creates this space while living in a storage room. Despite the care he takes in the library project, he's rejected. He was ejected out of his country, his cousin kicks him out, and the truth never seems to matter.
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| Stacy Martin, Adrien Brody play Maggie Van Buren, László Tóth |
Harrison later comes back searching for Tóth after his library has appeared in several magazines. He wants to pay Tóth and make things right. Harrison wasn't impressed until he researched Tóth's work. He apologizes for the past, wanting Tóth to build something great. While Tóth's design is criticized for being too modern and plain, Harrison likes his style and that's why he was hired.
Tóth becomes nearly obsessive with the construction. He clashes with consultants and contractors. Tóth even promises to waive part of his fee to get the design just right. Tóth may think that he can fix everything wrong with his life if he can just get this building right, but a lot is going wrong. When a train car derailment stops a material shipment Harrison finally stops the project.
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| Guy Pearce, Adrien Brody play Harrison Van Buren, László Tóth |
Tóth fled to America due to persecution, starting from scratch despite his skill and esteem. He faces the hurdles of an artist; people not seeing his vision and not wanting to pay for it. He slowly gains back acclaim, but he's uneasy of all the attention. He's trapped in a foreign country, looking for an escape. He's an artist, and pours everything into his vision. He'll go to any length despite the setbacks. The underlying issue is that he feels unwanted. He's justified in feeling that way. He's a man without a home, and despite his achievements he's reminded of that.
An epilogue decades later occurs at an architecture exhibit featuring the works of Tóth. It's the recognition he never got during his career. This exhibit portrays his work, but it doesn't cover his pain and struggle getting those designs built. He attends, now confined to a wheelchair. There's a distinct divide, seeing his work at its best while Tóth is well into his decline. It comes when it's too late to really matter.
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