The Brutalist

Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor László Toth arrives in America in 1947 with nothing but his name. Navigating the poverty and degradation of a new life, his sole beacon of hope is the letters he exchanges with his wife, who remains stranded in Europe. But he soon crosses paths with a wealthy magnate who can potentially change his fortunes and offer him a path to the American Dream. Corbet’s portrait of Toth is a compelling excavation into the immigrant experience, and a potent rumination on the dark connections between capitalism, power, trauma and art. Corbet acts, directs, produces and writes (with Mona Fastvold) and viewing the film on 70mm further emphasises the dazzling grandeur and overwhelming majesty of his masterpiece, justifying its status as an instant classic.