When I was younger, my parents told us about a movie they saw called El Norte. The film tells the story of two Guatemalan teens who flee their homeland in search of a better life in America. I remember we watched this movie so many times that we practically knew it by heart. My parents wanted us to watch it because it was in a way their story on how they came to America to make a better life for themselves and their children. Since then I have seen many films of immigrants coming to America to live that “American Dream”. Minari, In America, An American Tail, and Avalon are some good examples. 

The Brutalist is in the same vein as El Norte but this story revolves around László Tóth (Adrien Brody). In my opinion, the movie starts with one of the best reenactments of an immigrant coming to America. László is woken up by a voice that they are arriving and to hurry to get to the front of the line. Waking up in a haze, he frantically searches for his luggage and rushes through a maze of people and corridors to get to the hull of the ship. Once there his companion and he start hugging and smiling and we see the iconic image of the Statue of Liberty. They have made it to America!

László stays with his wife’s cousin, Attila (Alessandro Nivola), who owns a furniture store. They give him a room to stay and a job. László is a certified architect and assists Attila in creating a library for a client, Harry Lee, (Joe Alwyn). The library is supposed to be a secret for the client’s dad, Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. (Guy Pearce). The father comes home early and an incident occurs between Harrison, Attila, and László. The men leave and this causes a rift between Attila and László.  

After the incident, we see that László is living in a shelter and has befriended Gordon (Isaach De Bankolé) and his son. Sadly we also see that he has picked up a habit that was introduced to him on the boat ride to America. While this habit somewhat hinders his thinking, László does not go overboard with it like you see in movies of people who develop drug habits. While working at a construction site he is visited by Mr. Van Buren Sr who has done some investigating on László’s past. 

Like most immigrants who came to America at this time, there were legal restrictions and barriers for them to continue working in their profession. Many immigrants had to become naturalized to even get a job in their profession once they came to America. In the case of László, by working for his family’s furniture store he has an advantage over other immigrants and this opens doors for him. The meeting with Harrison opens a door for László that might not have been opened otherwise.

The “American Dream” is what everyone who lives in this country dreams of. We all want to have some sort of success and leave a legacy for our families. The term “Legacy” is mentioned a lot in “Hamilton” and through his architecture, László is leaving a legacy in this new world of his. Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist tells the story of one man who through luck, determination, and skill, proves that anything can be accomplished but even though doors are opened for you, you still need to do the work.

Final Thoughts: The Brutalist is a 3-and-a-half-hour movie with a 15-minute intermission that does not feel like it is that long. The story of László is so intriguing that time seems to fly by. Seeing how through a series of events his life completely changes is the American Dream that many people wish for. The movie highlights what happens to those immigrants who were successful in their country and have to restart in a new world. The Brutalist is a fantastic look into the immigrant story and shows one story of millions of immigrants that have come to this country. 

Kid-Friendly: The theme of immigration is great for kids to see the experiences of those who came here. Some adult situations will not be suitable for kids under 17. The length of the movie may be a deterrent for younger kids but if they stick with it they will see a fantastic story of determination and success. 

Violence: Trigger warning for a sexual assault on one of the characters in the movie. This is the main act of violence in the movie. 

When a visionary architect and his wife flee post-war Europe in 1947 to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of modern United States, their lives are changed forever by a mysterious, wealthy client.