"The Brutalist" now in theaters A cinematic monument for eternity
Carlotta Henggeler
30.1.2025
The epic post-war drama "The Brutalist" is about a Jewish architect who experiences the American Dream and its darker side. blue News met director Brady Corbet and the acting duo Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce for an interview.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- "The Brutalist" tells the story of Jewish architect László Tóth, who flees Hungary for the USA, where he is commissioned by an influential tycoon to work on a gigantic construction project.
- The post-war drama feels epic on all levels and features an excellent ensemble cast including Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce.
- In an interview with blue News, visionary filmmaker Brady Corbet and acting duo Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce give us an insight into the making of this monumental work.
With his outstanding new film "The Brutalist", US director Brady creates epic cinema without resorting to countless computer-generated effects.
His bold work feels impressive and overwhelming on all levels, starting with the extensive storytelling.
"The Brutalist" tells the story of Jewish architect László Tóth, who is separated from his wife during the Holocaust and flees Hungary for the USA. In Pennsylvania, he meets the influential entrepreneur Harrison Lee Van Buren. He is impressed by László's talent when he familiarizes himself with his architecture. He accommodates him on his estate and commissions him with a gigantic building project. László is to build a huge community center in memory of Van Buren's deceased mother. Meanwhile, László is desperately trying to pave the way for his wife Erzsébet to move to the USA.
Impressive concrete buildings and a gloomy atmosphere
In addition to the exciting, rich narrative, the visual realization and the background music are also magnificent. László's art plays a key role here.
The brutalist buildings are not necessarily known for their beauty, but with their exposed concrete and massive geometric shapes, they look impressive.
Overall, the film creates a gloomy atmosphere, but there are always sparks of hope. This is also expressed in the music, which sounds epochal and inspiring.
With "The Brutalist", Brady Corbet has created ground-breaking cinema. The visionary filmmaker is known for his penchant for the experimental. He has already proven this with his previous works "The Childhood of a Leader" and "Vox Lux".
His new film also has highly unconventional features and he takes a playful approach to his audience, for example by incorporating an "INTERMISSION" or surprising them with a completely unexpected epilogue.
In an interview with blue News, the talented director explains why Adrien Brody is perfect for the lead role of László Tóth and how art always reflects the character of its creator. Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce give an insight into the acting challenges.
"The Brutalist" is now showing in cinemas in German-speaking Switzerland.