Following its world premiere at the 81st Venice Film Festival, where director Brady Corbet won the Silver Lion for Best Director, A24 has now unveiled the official trailer for the historical epic film, set for release this December. Shot on 70mm film with a budget of under $10M, the film follows a visionary architect as he aims to rebuild his legacy in 1947 America.
In addition to the Venice Film Festival, The Brutalist was also screened at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival, the 12th Beyond Fest, and the 62nd New York Film Festival. The film is also set to screen next at the 60th Chicago Film Festival, the 11th Miami Film Festival GEMS, and the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival.
The Brutalist stars Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach De Bankolé, and Alessandro Nivola.
Release Date
Directed by Brady Corbet, The Brutalist opens in select US theaters on December 20, 2024.
Synopsis
Escaping post-war Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent for building. But power and legacy come at a heavy cost…
“I grew up working in a used and rare bookshop called Glenwood Books in my hometown in Colorado. And when I discovered Sebald as a teenager in 2005 or 2006 — several years after he died — it was like something cracked wide open for me. V.S. Naipaul was another influence,” said Corbet about his inspirations for the story in a Hollywood Reporter interview. “Naipaul, like Sebard, explored conflicts in the Congo by representing Africa by means of a fictional character set in a very specific place and period. As a filmmaker, I think that that is just a more honest contract with the viewer than doing a straight-up biopic, because, instead of everyone constantly wondering how much you made up, they know from the outset that this is a fictional film, but one that is closely related to many real people. So, it’s a way that the viewer can access the past but let go of the fact checker inside of themselves.”
Reviews
Peter Bradshaw in a Guardian review gave the film a perfect score of 5/5, writing, “It is an electrifying piece of work, stunningly shot by cinematographer Lol Crawley and superbly designed by Judy Becker. I emerged from this movie light-headed and euphoric, dizzy with rubbernecking at its monumental vastness.”
David Fear from Rolling Stone also gave the film a glowing review, writing, “It’s not just that they don’t make movies like this anymore — of course they don’t! — so much as no one bothers to tell these types of sprawling narratives with this level of storytelling, chops, nerve, and verve. If it’s not a new Great American Masterpiece™, the kind that takes advantage of what the medium has to offer, it’s as close to one as we’re likely to get in 2024.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for The Brutalist.