The Brutalist - Review: An Ambitious Deconstruction of the American Dream

The Brutalist

An Ambitious Deconstruction of the American Dream

★★★½☆

An intriguing yet uneven spectacle that aims for the grand scale of Hollywood’s past.

Directed by Brady Corbet, The Brutalist is an intriguing yet uneven cinematic spectacle. It aims to deliver the large, epic mature storytelling of big Hollywood films of the past, even featuring an Overture, an intermission, and the VistaVision widescreen format. The actual story is an ambitious deconstruction of the American Dream told through the character study of László Toth (Adrien Brody), a broken yet talented architect struggling to exist in a post-WWII society.

"The film like its protagonist is disjointed and uncomfortable. Which is by design and often challenges the audience with presenting fleshed out characters who are messily, flawed and unabashedly human."

— Ray Manukay

🎬 Epic Credentials

• Director: Brady Corbet
• Starring: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce
• Format: 70mm VistaVision
• Runtime: 3 hours 35 minutes (with Intermission)

A Monumental Scale

Director Brady Corbet effectively juxtaposes the beauty of nature with the turmoil and brutality of society. Some of the imagery and visual set pieces are truly awe-inspiring. However, as admirable as it is to present realistic and fully dimensional characters, the film lacks a powerful narrative driving force to ascend the storytelling to the next level. It results in a fascinating but not exactly engaging experience that falls just short of greatness.

💡 Cinephile Fun Facts

• VistaVision Revival: This is the first film in decades to utilize the high-fidelity VistaVision format for its entire production.
• Award Pedigree: Adrien Brody has been widely praised for this "career-best" performance, marking a significant return to leading man status in prestige cinema.
• Venice Success: The film received a 12-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.

✅ Pros

• Jaw-dropping visual set pieces and technical ambition.
• Fleshed out, messily human characters that feel uncompromisingly "adult."
• A massive, epic tone reminiscent of Hollywood's golden age.

❌ Cons

• Lacks a powerful narrative emotional through-line.
• Disjointed and uncomfortable pacing may alienate some viewers.
• Ambition doesn't always translate into a rewarding experience.

The Full Analysis

Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist is an intriguing, yet uneven cinematic spectacle that aims to deliver the large, epic, and mature storytelling of big Hollywood films from the past. The production goes to great lengths to evoke a classic era, featuring an overture, an intermission, an epic running time, and the expansive VistaVision widescreen format. As for the actual story, it serves as an ambitious deconstruction of the American Dream told through the character study of a broken, yet talented architect.

László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody, is a man who stumbles through life, unable to find his footing after surviving the traumatic events of World War II. His driving goal is to leave a lasting piece of architectural art in the world, something that will stand the test of time and persevere in a society where he constantly struggles to exist. The film, much like its protagonist, is deliberately disjointed and uncomfortable. This is clearly by design, as it challenges the audience by presenting fleshed out characters who are messily flawed and unabashedly human.

These unpolished characters can be viewed as a significant strength of the film, particularly if a viewer is looking for something complex and non-traditional. This explains why many viewers describe the film as "adult" or uncompromising. However, the ultimate result is that the plot feels like a fascinating, but not exactly engaging, story. Director Brady Corbet effectively juxtaposes the beauty of nature with the turmoil and brutality of society, creating some imagery and visual set pieces that are truly awe-inspiring, and even jaw-dropping.

As admirable as it is to present realistic, broken, and fully dimensional characters, The Brutalist lacks a powerful narrative driving force to ascend the movie to that next level of storytelling. It all adds up to a good film that falls short of greatness by lacking an emotional through line to hook the audience, as well as an inspiring story to match the epic tone of the work. There is a lot to like in this film, but unfortunately, there is not much to love. Audiences may certainly appreciate the ambition, but the reality is that some might find the experience itself ultimately unrewarding.

🏆 Final Verdict

There is a lot to like in The Brutalist, but unfortunately not much to love. While its technical mastery is undeniable, the lack of an inspiring story to match the epic tone makes it an experience more to be admired than enjoyed.

View original review on Letterboxd