The Brutalist has sparked debate over its portrayal of architects, with critics questioning whether it captures the profession’s reality or leans on outdated myths
Adrien Brody has won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of architect László Tóth in The Brutalist.
Directed by Brady Corbet, the film follows Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor, as he rebuilds his career in postwar America under the patronage of a wealthy industrialist.
The Brutalist has been one of the most talked-about films of the year, centred on its portrayal of architecture and the creative struggles of its protagonist. The character of László Tóth is partly inspired by real-life architect Marcel Breuer, a Hungarian-born designer and Bauhaus alumnus who emigrated to the United States.
In the film, Tóth is portrayed as a successful architect in prewar Hungary and a graduate of the Bauhaus. However, when he arrives in early postwar America, he is penniless and alone. Forced to rebuild his life and career, he develops a complex, abusive, and dependent relationship with his client, a wealthy industrialist played by Guy Pearce.
Architects have long been a presence in cinema, often portrayed as solitary visionaries or enigmatic figures. The Fountainhead (1949) presented Gary Cooper’s Howard Roark as an uncompromising genius battling against convention, while High-Rise (2015) depicted Jeremy Irons’ Anthony Royal as a detached creator watching his utopian vision unravel. More recently, Where’d You Go, Bernadette (2019) followed Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of a reclusive, once-brilliant architect struggling to reconnect with her craft.
Beyond its success at the Oscars, The Brutalist has sparked debate within the architectural community. Discussions have centred on whether The Brutalist accurately represents the architectural profession.
Some critics have taken issue with its reliance on the trope of the lone genius. The Washington Post’s Philip Kennicott described the film’s depiction of architecture as “painfully dated, based on a handful of 20th-century messianic figures who sought not just to make buildings, but to remake the world.”
BD’s reviewer, Sarah Simpkin, noted that The Brutalist is less about architecture itself and more about broader themes of power, trauma, and artistic integrity. While some architects have criticised its inaccuracies, she observed that “the depiction of the architects’ lot is credible enough for its narrative purpose,” highlighting the film’s dramatic treatment of real-world concerns such as value engineering, fee negotiations, and the struggle for creative control.
>> Also read: Film review: The Brutalist – It isn’t really about brutalism…
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