As we write this, the 2025 Oscar ceremony has not taken place yet. However, we can safely assume that the cast and crew of The Brutalist will not go home empty-handed. For those who have not seen this epic period drama, here is a recap without spoilers.
The story follows Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody, who immigrates to the United States after surviving the Holocaust. America represents a land of hope for Tóth as he strives to rebuild his life and career and leave behind the horrors of the past. After taking on small jobs, Tóth finally meets a wealthy patron, played by Guy Pearce, who commissions him to design a grand building—a community center dedicated to the patron’s mother. Through this monumental work, Tóth can finally express his visionary approach, deeply influenced by Brutalism. However, his work is raw and uncompromising, making it difficult for others to fully understand.
Shot in expansive VistaVision, the movie features visually breathtaking moments that made us reassess the impact of Brutalist aesthetics—both in fiction and real life.
The key tenets of the movement are exposed raw concrete, imposing geometric shapes, and facades stripped of embellishment. Functionality must always outweigh aesthetics. Brutalism also has an important societal aspect, as its architecture and urban planning were originally meant to serve and facilitate community life. In movies, Brutalist ideas are often translated into fortress-like, ominous buildings of totalitarian states—almost every dystopian film features a Brutalist backdrop. However, in real life, Brutalism is undergoing a resurgence, with newfound appreciation for its sculptural aesthetic and urban significance. Consider landmark buildings such as La Cité Radieuse by Le Corbusier, completed in 1952 in Marseille, or the Whitney Museum by Marcel Breuer—heavily criticized when it opened in 1966 and described as “somber, heavy, and brutal.” Interestingly, the legacy of Brutalism subtly influences contemporary architects and designers who favor the honesty of raw materials and the elegance of simple lines.
Whether on the big screen or in the streets of our cities, Brutalism continues to provoke, inspire, and divide. Ultimately, great architecture—like great art—does not always seek to please, but to challenge and endure.
