The Brutalist (Brady Corbet, 2024)

[senseabove]

You just missed the 70mm run at the Drafthouse New Mission, where it's been for 3-4 weeks. I think last night was (or possibly the 9PM show tonight is—it's in the main theater but does not list 70mm) the last show.

[Lowry_Sam]

I saw that it was playing there, but the 70mm page made it look like it was just a single screening event there. I've never been so I might just book a ticket anyway because it looks doubtful it's playing anywhere else in the SF/SJ area in 70mm.

[ellipsis7]

The 70 mm print which is running @ the Irish Film Institute in Dublin apparently weighs 18 stone & is approximately 5 miles in length...

[mfunk9786]

Even “based on” seems like an oversell … seems like a more precise description would be “inspired by, to some degree.”

This carries the same weight as lapsed folkies getting upset that Dave Van Ronk wasn't a jerk like Llewyn Davis.

I saw that this was initially screened in 70mm in LA & NY in December. Does anyone know if there are still any screenings in CA (and SF bay area in particular) or is there only 2 70mm prints that are now opening international screenings (from the 70mm webpage)? I think 70mm would be preferable to Imax.

I believe there are (at least) four 70mm prints of this, as those initial cities each had two 70mm venues going simultaneously. Would assume there are more than that globally, but can definitely account for four.

[ellipsis7]

“The Brutalist”: The 70mm Presentations

The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter presentations of “The Brutalist.” The Focus Features release was directed by Brady Corbet (“Vox Lux”) and stars Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones. The film was shot in VistaVision and presented in a pillarboxed 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The audio is Datasat. The 215-minute film includes a 15-minute on-screen intermission.

Screening/opening date YYYY-MM-DD … city — cinema (duration in weeks) [notes]

2024-09-01 … Venice, Italy — Palazzo del Cinema Sala Grande [Venice International Film Festival]
2024-09-06 … Toronto, ON, Canada — TIFF Bell Lightbox 5 [Toronto International Film Festival]
2024-09-10 … Toronto, ON, Canada — TIFF Bell Lightbox 5 [Toronto International Film Festival]
2024-09-12 … Toronto, ON, Canada — TIFF Bell Lightbox 5 [Toronto International Film Festival]
2024-10-06 … Santa Monica, CA, USA — Aero [Beyond Fest w/ Brady Corbet Q&A]
2024-10-12 … New York, NY, USA — Lincoln Center [New York Film Festival]
2024-10-23 … Vienna, Austria — Gartenbau [OV w/ German subtitles] (Vienna International Film Festival)
2024-10-26 … Vienna, Austria — Gartenbau [OV w/ German subtitles] (Vienna International Film Festival)
2024-11-04 … Somerville, MA, USA — Somerville 3 [Independent Film Festival Boston]
2024-11-10 … London, England, UK — Picturehouse Central 7 [w/ cast/crew Q&A]
2024-11-11 … London, England, UK — Picturehouse Central 7 [w/ cast/crew Q&A]
2024-11-24 … Santa Monica, CA, USA — Aero [advance screening]
2024-11-25 … Innsbruck, Austria — Leokino [OV w/ German subtitles] (Jewish Film Days)
2024-11-30 … Universal City, CA, USA — AMC Universal Citywalk 19 [advance screening]
2024-12-03 … San Francisco, CA, USA — Alamo Drafthouse New Mission 5 [private event]
2024-12-14 … Silver Spring, MD, USA — AFI Silver [AFI European Union Film Showcase]
2024-12-16 … Toronto, ON, Canada — TIFF Bell Lightbox 5 [advance screening]
2024-12-19 … Los Angeles, CA, USA — Vista (5)
2024-12-19 … New York, NY, USA — AMC Lincoln Square 13 (1+)
2024-12-19 … New York, NY, USA — Angelika Village East 7 (1+)
2024-12-25 … Burbank, CA, USA — AMC Burbank 16 (1+)
2024-12-25 … Toronto, ON, Canada — TIFF Bell Lightbox 5 (1+) [selected screenings]

2025-01-08 … London, England, UK — BFI Southbank 3 [sneak preview]
2025-01-09 … Portland, OR, USA — Hollywood 3 (2)
2025-01-09 … San Francisco, CA, USA — Alamo Drafthouse New Mission 5 (3)
2025-01-09 … Silver Spring, MD, USA — AFI Silver (4)
2025-01-10 … Brookline, MA, USA — Coolidge Corner 6 (4)
2025-01-10 … Chicago, IL, USA — Music Box (4)
2025-01-10 … Somerville, MA, USA — Somerville 3 (4)
2025-01-10 … Vancouver, BC, Canada — Cineplex Park (1+)
2025-01-11 … Sydney, Australia — Ritz Cinema [advance screening]
2025-01-12 … Sydney, Australia — Ritz Cinema [advance screening]
2025-01-16 … Milwaukee, WI, USA — Oriental 3 (1+)
2025-01-17 … Barcelona, Spain — Phenomena Experience (1+)
2025-01-17 … Montreal, QC, Canada — Cineplex Scotiabank 13 (1+)
2025-01-17 … Zaragoza, Spain — Cines Palafox 11 (1+)
2025-01-18 … Dublin, Ireland — Irish Film Institute [advance screening]
2025-01-18 … London, England, UK — Picturehouse Central 7 [sneak preview]
2025-01-19 … Dublin, Ireland — Irish Film Institute [advance screening]
2025-01-19 … London, England, UK — Picturehouse Central 7 [sneak preview]
2025-01-21 … Dublin, Ireland — Irish Film Institute [advance screening]
2025-01-21 … London, England, UK — Picturehouse Central 7 [sneak preview]
2025-01-23 … Bologna, Italy — Lumiere Sala Mastroianni (1+)
2025-01-23 … Dublin, Ireland — Irish Film Institute [advance screening]
2025-01-23 … Melzo, Italy — Arcadia (1+) [selected screenings dubbed]
2025-01-23 … Rome, Italy — Quatro Fontane (1+)
2025-01-23 … Sydney, Australia — Ritz Cinema (1+)
2025-01-24 … Dublin, Ireland — Irish Film Institute (1+)
2025-01-24 … London, England, UK — BFI Southbank 3 (1+)
2025-01-24 … London, England, UK — Picturehouse Central 7 (1+)
2025-01-26 … Berlin, Germany — Delphi [sneak preview]
2025-01-26 … Berlin, Germany — Zoo Palast [sneak preview]
2025-01-27 … Berlin, Germany — Delphi [sneak preview]
2025-01-27 … Berlin, Germany — Zoo Palast [sneak preview]
2025-01-28 … Berlin, Germany — Delphi [sneak preview]
2025-01-28 … Berlin, Germany — Zoo Palast [sneak preview]
2025-01-29 … Berlin, Germany — Delphi [sneak preview]
2025-01-29 … Berlin, Germany — Zoo Palast [sneak preview]
2025-01-30 … Berlin, Germany — Zoo Palast (1+)
2025-01-31 … Berlin, Germany — Delphi (1+)
2025-02-05 … Hamburg, Germany — Savoy (6 days)
2025-02-05 … Portland, OR, USA — Hollywood 3
2025-02-06 … Amsterdam, Holland — Eye Filmmuseum (2)
2025-02-06 … Portland, OR, USA — Hollywood 3
2025-02-07 … Vienna, Austria — Gartenbau* (1+)
2025-02-10 … Rotterdam, Holland — Kino (1+)
2025-02-27 … Gentofte, Denmark — Kino (1+)
2025-02-27 … Karlsruhe, Germany — Schauburg (1+)

[nicolas]

The film’s upcoming German 4K UHD release by Universal has Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio and according to an Irish rating report, the intermission was cut down to one minute for home video. No bonus features are included and the film will be placed on one disc. A 4K will also be released in the UK by Universal and as so often these should be identical discs across Europe.

[hearthesilence]

Speaking with Marc Maron on his podcast WTF, Brady Corbet says he has earned no income from making The Brutalist.

“I just directed three advertisements in Portugal,” said Corbet. “It's the first time that I had made any money in years.” He and Mona Fastvold, his wife and co-writer, “made zero dollars on the last two films that we made.” When a surprised Maron clarified that the film has netted Corbet no income, Corbet responded, “Yes. Actually, zero. We had to just sort of live off of a paycheck from three years ago.” Noting that filmmakers are “not paid to be promoting a film,” he added, “if you look at certain films that premiered in Cannes, that was almost a year ago ... I mean, our film premiered in September. So I've been doing this for six months. And had zero income because I don't have any time to go to work.”

[The Curious Sofa]

This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows anything about the business side of the movie business. However, most people think that anyone who has made or starred in a number of high-profile movies is automatically a multi-millionaire, even if these films are indies and low budget. This is why those directors end up working on MCU movies; the alternative to making money is to make commercials. Some, like Corby, find it preferable because it doesn't take years out of their lives, and maybe also because it doesn't tarnish their reputation as an auteur.

The Brutalist hit streaming today.

[The Curious Sofa]

While I admire what Corbet has done with a relatively small budget and at times found the movie enjoyable as an audiovisual experience, the execution of his themes is thuddingly on the nose.

I often roll my eyes when members of a particular profession come out of the woodwork to complain about how a movie or TV series misrepresents their field, but here I have to agree with the complaints. I think it is part of a larger problem with the film that it so crassly literalizes its arguments. The early shot of the Statue of Liberty askew should have been a warning, but by the time the

SpoilerShow

rape sequence came around, I lost all the goodwill I had for it till then. Did the movie really need to illustrate its capitalist power dynamic by the evil industrialist buggering the oppressed protagonist? Equating political evil with sexual deviancy is something Visconti liked to do around the time of The Damned, and even then it was laughable, but at least in the 60s it would have been considered daring. And then the film can't leave it at that, it doubles down on the moment with a ridiculous scene where Erzsébet confronts Van Buren during what appears to be an important business dinner, in an anachronistic #metoo moment.

I agree with the criticism that the misunderstood genius tropes are tiresome and that the film doesn't understand architecture. László throwing tantrums when his vision is compromised and giving up his fee is such a stupid move that I lost sympathy for him. The building itself turns out to be a hackneyed metaphor for trauma, perpetuating the cliché that Brutalism is the architecture of violence. When the niece spells this out in the epilogue, it is yet another metaphor that falls flat on its face.

In the end, the movie doesn't add anything to the themes of immigration, the trauma of the Holocaust, or the burden of genius that I haven't seen done better in many other movies.

The acting is the best part, and I really hope Brody wins. I wish I could say that I'm glad that such ambitious films are still being made, but in the end this feels like a Paul Tomas Anderson film that has forgotten the virtues of ambiguity and instead tiresomely spells everything out.

[jazzo]

This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows anything about the business side of the movie business. However, most people think that anyone who has made or starred in a number of high-profile movies is automatically a multi-millionaire, even if these films are indies and low budget. This is why those directors end up working on MCU movies; the alternative to making money is to make commercials. Some, like Corby, find it preferable because it doesn't take years out of their lives, and maybe also because it doesn't tarnish their reputation as an auteur.

The Brutalist hit streaming today.

Off topic, but back in 1999, there was a brief 7 month period where I was developing a feature script with a mid-size advertising agency in Toronto, all being funnelled through the Canadian Film Centre. One Friday morning, the agency - normally a beehive of activity - was completely empty, and it was just my producer (who was one of the partners) and I working in a dark corner. I asked what was going on and he told me they had to clear everything out because Quentin Tarantino was arriving tomorrow to shoot an ad for them. He, then, told me Mr. Tarantino’s day rate was $375,000 US, with 2 days preproduction, 3 days shooting, 2 days of post guaranteed in the contract. And thems were 1999 rates!

I also remember reading Mike Mills has a similar strategy. He and Miranda July don’t live very extravagantly. She has her own income coming in from her films and installations, and his doing a couple of commercials a year allows him the freedom to take three or four years to develop his own scripts until they’re reading to shoot.

And at that level, I suppose why not? It’s pretty much anonymous, with more freedoms than most advertising directors, and probably fun muscle-stretching if you haven’t done it first a few years.

[The Curious Sofa]

I directed and animated a few stop-motion commercials in the 90s and then worked as a CG animator on many of them for the rest of my career. I always preferred working in commercials to features and TV series because they were over and done within a few weeks and you could have fun with different styles. I never had a reputation to worry about though.

[jazzo]

While I admire what Corbet has done with a relatively small budget and at times found the movie enjoyable as an audiovisual experience, the execution of his themes is thuddingly on the nose.

I often roll my eyes when members of a particular profession come out of the woodwork to complain about how a movie or TV series misrepresents their field, but here I have to agree with the complaints. I think it is part of a larger problem with the film that it so crassly literalizes its arguments. The early shot of the Statue of Liberty askew should have been a warning, but by the time the

SpoilerShow

rape sequence came around, I lost all the goodwill I had for it till then. Did the movie really need to illustrate its capitalist power dynamic by the evil industrialist buggering the oppressed protagonist? Equating political evil with sexual deviancy is something Visconti liked to do around the time of The Damned, and even then it was laughable, but at least in the 60s it would have been considered daring. And then the film can't leave it at that, it doubles down on the moment with a ridiculous scene where Erzsébet confronts Van Buren during what appears to be an important business dinner, in an anachronistic #metoo moment.

I agree with the criticism that the misunderstood genius tropes are tiresome and that the film doesn't understand architecture. László throwing tantrums when his vision is compromised and giving up his fee is such a stupid move that I lost sympathy for him. The building itself turns out to be a hackneyed metaphor for trauma, perpetuating the cliché that Brutalism is the architecture of violence. When the niece spells this out in the epilogue, it is yet another metaphor that falls flat on its face.

In the end, the movie doesn't add anything to the themes of immigration, the trauma of the Holocaust, or the burden of genius that I haven't seen done better in many other movies.

The acting is the best part, and I really hope Brody wins. I wish I could say that I'm glad that such ambitious films are still being made, but in the end this feels like a Paul Tomas Anderson film that has forgotten the virtues of ambiguity and instead tiresomely spells everything out.

These are very close to my own feelings about the film, CS. So much of The Brutalist’s ambition and craft was admirable, I almost feel guilty for not being over the moon with it, but unfortunately, I’m not. I think I was fairly plugged in with the film right up until the second half. I even remember being totally jazzed that the 15 minute still image over the intermission’s music was a clever character reveal that still moves the larger story forward.

And then, somehow, somewhere along the way in that second half, things began falling apart for me.

Nothing too specific. It just becomes more blunt, and the characters begin behaving and speaking in broader theatrical strokes rather than interacting with each other, so they go from having texture and depth in the first half to caricatures in the second. And the actual turning point, to me, was indeed, that spoilerific sequence you noted above. The film was never completely subtle, striking though some of the imagery could be, but anything in it that was implicit immediately becomes too explicit after that, and The Brutalist became more about the metaphor than the story. It almost feels like the writing of a young theatre student, it's so on the nose.

It’s final sequence, to me, was also a severe misstep.

SpoilerShow

There's a playfulness to that last ten minutes that seems, oddly, unearned and out of synch with the rest of the picture. There is some humour in the rest of the film, but it's certainly few and far between, and it clashes uncomfortably here. The aesthetic changes, too. What was controlled and stately becomes oddly messy and flashy as he tries to incorporate the 80s music video style into the coda, sometimes confusingly switching between third and first person point of views and film/early video textures for no real reason other than he thought he should.

I also found that, instead of pulling me deeper into the story and characters, it distanced me more and more from them. I had no emotional catharsis, which is something that I wanted after 3 hours of living with these people. Instead, it seemed to exist in some fantasy universe of Corbet's, where justice is served (from a distance), reputations are restored, trauma is not this debilitating thing, but processed and used as a tool to make one stronger (though we never actually see that happen), and all wrongs are righted. Which is fine. I just didn't believe it.

Interestingly enough, it made me think of the time jump final episodes of Eastbound and Down or Parks and Recreation. Maybe it's an unfair comparison, because both of those shows had the benefit of an audience living with those characters for multiple seasons over many years, but in both cases, those time jumps made sense and provided real emotional catharsis. In The Brutalist, it felt like shorthand to closure, and remained, to me, elusive and unsatisfying.

In either case, I'm glad I saw it in theatres, and I admire a great deal about the film. It was made by artists dedicated to each of their crafts, and I would absolutely like more films like this to come out of mainstream western cinema. Performances, as pretty much everyone has noted, are terrific, and it looks like a hundred million dollar picture, not ten million. And while the influences of The Master and There Will be Blood on this film can clearly be felt, certainly, too, Barry Levinson's beautiful Avalon must have had a hand in its construction. But that film not only ends on a deeply emotional moment, it also provides a gorgeous conclusion to Levinson's whole Baltimore trilogy (before it became a quadrilogy with Liberty Heights), making its impact even more powerful.

And I just wasn't swept away with The Brutalist like I was with all three of those earlier films. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that, though it has very striking sequences, nothing in the film moved me as much as the elliptical images that played over Daniel Blumberg's incredible music in its exquisitely cut trailer.

[The Curious Sofa]

Having been quite harsh on the film, I too was generally on board with it for more than the first half and then it took one wrong turn after another in the last hour. On a production and acting level there is much to admire, which made it all the more disappointing when it eventually comes off the rails.

[bearcuborg]

"No matter what the others try and sell you, it is the memorabilia, not the journey."

[domino harvey]

If only the director could afford to buy one…

[beamish14]

"No matter what the others try and sell you, it is the memorabilia, not the journey."

Yeah, I bought two

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

Have to admit that A24’s commitment to merchandising all their films amuses me. Have to respect the game.

[domino harvey]

Already sold out. Brutalistists are the new Swifties

[bearcuborg]

I considered it, but if you can't see the upside down cross, what's the point? Well, that and the resale value.