The Brutalist makes a persuasive case for the scale and contradictions of the American Dream, but calling it a “great American masterpiece” is a critical judgment—not a settled consensus. Brady Corbet’s 2024 film follows a Hungarian Jewish architect trying to rebuild his life in postwar America. At the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, it received its North American premiere in a 70mm presentation and was listed at 215 minutes.
What is The Brutalist about?
The film follows László Toth, a Jewish Hungarian architect who escapes Europe after the Second World War and tries to begin again in the United States. A wealthy businessman and a monumental building project become central to his new life—and to its costs. The story uses architecture not just as a profession, but as a way to examine ambition, power, displacement and the promise of starting over.
Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold wrote the screenplay. Adrien Brody leads a principal cast that includes Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Isaach De Bankolé and Alessandro Nivola. TIFF’s 2024 programme identifies the film as a United Kingdom production directed by Corbet.
Why call it a great American film?
The case rests less on a claim that the film is simply celebratory than on its attention to the price of American possibility. László’s talent and work bring him into contact with wealth and influence, yet the building at the center of the story also makes visible the unequal terms on which opportunity can be offered. Its postwar immigrant perspective gives the American Dream both attraction and consequence.
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That scale is part of the argument. The Los Angeles Times’ TIFF roundup described monumentality and ambition as central to the film’s effect, while W Magazine framed it as an epic treatment of the American Dream and noted its upside-down Statue of Liberty image. Those are critics’ readings, not proof that “masterpiece” is an objective or unanimous verdict. Seventh Row’s TIFF discussion characterizes the film as ambitious but polarizing—a useful reminder that its reach may be as divisive as it is impressive.
How long is The Brutalist, and what does its structure ask of viewers?
TIFF’s official 2024 programme lists a running time of 215 minutes—three hours and 35 minutes. The Los Angeles Times describes an overture and intermission; W Magazine reports a 15-minute intermission. Those accounts indicate that the film’s length is treated as part of its presentation rather than an incidental detail. For viewers, it means planning for an unusually long cinema visit and allowing the story room to unfold at an epic scale.
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Was The Brutalist shown in 70mm at TIFF?
Yes. TIFF’s programme lists the presentation as Colour/70mm and states that the film was presented in 70mm at the festival. In a TIFF interview, Corbet discusses both VistaVision capture and 70mm projection. These terms refer to different parts of the film’s image-making and exhibition; the programme confirms the 70mm festival presentation, while the interview is the source for the VistaVision discussion. TIFF selected the film for its 2024 North American premiere.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does “masterpiece” fit?
As a headline argument, it is defensible: the film joins an expansive historical story to architecture, immigration and the American Dream, and its formal ambition attracted strong attention at TIFF. But its scale and deliberateness will not persuade every viewer, and contemporary responses include reservations as well as praise. The more precise claim is that The Brutalist is a major, ambitious American story told by a United Kingdom production—and a film whose stature remains a matter of judgment, not a festival fact.
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A24’s catalogue lists The Brutalist as a 2024 title. The TIFF premiere and 70mm presentation describe its festival history, not current screening or streaming availability.
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