When an innovative modern architect flees post-war Europe, he is given the opportunity to rebuild his legacy. Set during the dawn of the modern United States (in Pennsylvania), his wife joins him, and their lives are forever changed by a demanding, wealthy patron.
Official poster for The Brutalist (2024). Image via IMP Awards. The Brutalist is a film about vision: what it means to see possibility in concrete, in a nation, in a person, and the cost of trying to realize it.It invites reflection, provokes conversation, and rewards return visits — not out of obligation, but because its structure, imagery, and emotional depth demand more than one encounter.
The characters in The Brutalist are all treated differently based on their abilities and social standings. As immigrants, Laszlo and Erzebet Toth are constantly treated as novelties who bring specific purposes to America but can never fully belong there. Conversely, Van Buren feels entitled because of his wealth and uses this to exploit those around him, following in his country’s footsteps. His abuse of Laszlo, both physical and psychological, is representative of a more general, traumatic immigrant experience that characterized America throughout the post-war generation.
