Is 'The Brutalist' Monumental or Artificial?

13/01/2025 1h 40min

Listen "Is 'The Brutalist' Monumental or Artificial?"

Episode Synopsis

Kelsi and Trey dive into Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, a sprawling, visually stunning epic that explores the intersection of art, legacy, and the immigrant experience. We unpack its breathtaking opening sequence, the haunting score by Daniel Blumberg, and its ambitious narrative following László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Holocaust survivor and architect navigating postwar America under the oppressive control of a manipulative patron (Guy Pearce). While we admire Corbet’s big filmmaking choices and meticulous design, we critique the film’s reliance on archetypes, tired tropes, blunt symbolism, and its reluctance to fully trust its audience. Is The Brutalist a modern cinematic masterpiece or a monument that struggles to stand out among giants?

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