There is a good reason why The Brutalist is in contention for Best Picture at the Oscars this year. For one, it is raw, powerful, emotional, shocking, deeply moving, and perhaps more than anything else—hopeful. The story of a Hungarian Jew who emigrates to America following the horrors of the Holocaust; it has many of the classic aspects of an immigrant story.
The opening scene is masterful, as the camera moves somewhat chaotically as our main character, László (played masterfully by Adrien Brody), moves his way to the boat deck to catch a glimpse of that image of the American Dream: The Statue of Liberty in New York. And yet, viewers will immediately notice that the Statue is upside down: a clear message about how the American Dream, while being real and attainable, will always be peppered with difficulties, challenges, and awful realities that can easily derail the Dreamer from finding peace in his or her new country. It is up to the person—the individual Dreamer—to choose his or her dream, or not.
Another theme that the Academy Awards treasures in a nominee for Best Picture: is the complexity of humanity. A kind act can dramatically alter the course of a life, and likewise, a cruel act can also have equal effect. For our hero, László, he seems to be dogged by constant challenges to his American Dream journey: being a Jewish man with a strange accent in a largely Christian country, trying to heal his relationship with his estranged wife (Felicity Jones), and struggling to prove his expertise as an architect to the Americans with whom he is forced to work. Perhaps one of the most powerful moments is when László recounts his success as an architect before the Nazis took control of Europe—a reminder of the horrors of the Third Reich and the Holocaust and a reminder too of the need for freedom for all.
And finally, the theme of abuse is essential in this film, and the ugly effects of abuse upon another. This theme, admittedly, is the most difficult to swallow, but the film rightfully shows the awful results of abuse upon the human person. But if it shows the ugliness of abuse, it also greatly succeeds in showing the goodness of the person, and his or her ability to overcome suffering. We will not be surprised if The Brutalist takes home the Oscar for Best Picture, as it embodies everything that a typical Best Picture winner ought to have.
The Brutalist is currently in select theaters.