Sylvia Plachy, Adrien Brody's mother, was born in Budapest, and she was forced to flee the city as a young girl due to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Reflecting on this deep connection of his to Hungary, actor Adrien Brody said, “I saw The Brutalist as a story of quiet perseverance and the need to strive for excellence. Even when the ground has been ripped out from underneath you.”
The Brutalist unfolds the tale of Laszlo Toth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-Jewish architect who, after enduring the horrors of the Holocaust, seeks a fresh start in America. Separated from his wife, Erzsebet (Felicity Jones), who remains stranded in post-war Eastern Europe with their niece, Laszlo faces the daunting task of building a new life alone. His exceptional architectural talent catches the eye of Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce), a powerful industrialist in Pennsylvania, offering him a path to success. However, as Laszlo rises in prominence, he discovers that ambition, power, and legacy come at an immense personal cost.
The Brutalist is directed by Brady Corbet and written by Corbet and Mona Fastvold, his wife. The cast also includes Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Isaac Be Bankholé, and Alessandro Nivola. It has been nominated for many awards, with Adrien Brody winning the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture—Drama and the BAFTA for Lead Actor. Brady Corbet won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for Best Director. Moreover, The Brutalist won the award for Best Picture-Drama at the Golden Globes.
Brody added, “It’s wonderful to have a storytelling approach that allows enough time with a character to see and experience a life in total, which is what Brady and Mona have achieved in The Brutalist. Oftentimes you jump into the action and things happen in a story—but you don’t know the person you’re on the journey with. This film encompasses a 30-year span of one man’s life.”
The Brutalist is set to release in India on February 28, 2025.