A fictional story depicting the challenges faced by a Holocaust survivor in the US is a top contender for the best picture Academy Award. The film's accuracy is being analyzed by historians, experts, the movie's lead actor, and director.
In the opening scene of Brady Corbet's film "The Brutalist," László Toth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect who lived through the Holocaust, arrives in the US in 1947 and is struck by the Statue of Liberty appearing upside down from his perspective. This visual twist serves as a warning that the movie is not a typical American success story.
Corbet explains that he was inspired by the connection between post-war psychology and architecture, leading him to focus on Brutalism. He aimed to honor the legacy of the Bauhaus school and its influence on Brutalist architecture via the character of Toth.
"The Brutalist" draws on the experiences of Jewish artists associated with Brutalism, who left Europe before World War II, like Louis Kahn and Marcel Breuer. Despite the lack of direct Holocaust survivors in the movement, the film is praised for its historical depth by experts such as Michael Berkowitz.
Berkowitz emphasizes the societal barriers faced by minorities and immigrants in professions like architecture, shedding light on the challenges depicted in the film. The struggle for acceptance, success, and identity portrayed in "The Brutalist" resonates with the personal experiences of Adrien Brody, whose family history mirrors themes explored in the movie.
The film captures the harsh realities and hopes of immigrants seeking to rebuild their lives after tragedy, a narrative that reflects the untold struggles faced by many first-generation Holocaust survivors. Through poignant storytelling, "The Brutalist" sheds light on the complexities and injustices immigrants often encountered in post-war America.