The Brutalist is a Must-See Masterpiece
Or is it self-indulgent, exploitative,
Hollywood agitprop?
I have never witnessed the avalanche of
acclaim for a new release such as I've seen for the 2024 film The Brutalist.
The Brutalist is the biopic of a fictional character. Adrien Brody plays
Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who is commissioned to build a Doylestown,
Pennsylvania community center in the Brutalist architectural style. A man of
intense artistic dedication and integrity, he overcomes roadblocks, and realizes
his dream.
Why is a movie about a Hungarian
immigrant in Doylestown, PA advancing like a tornado through a wheat field, toppling
critics into adoring prostration? Filmmaker Brady Corbet doesn't understand. "If
something is really radical, people initially don't like it … people are
connecting with The Brutalist … I'm completely confused."
Below, a review of reaction to the film, a summary of the film, and then my own take on The Brutalist.
