Golden Globe spotlight: Adrien Brody and Hungary shine in “The Brutalist”!
The 82nd Golden Globe Awards featured some remarkable moments for Hungarian culture and history this year. Central to the event was the film The Brutalist, which claimed the award for Best Drama as well as a Golden Globe for Best Director.
“The Brutalist” movie follows the life of László Tóth, who began his career as a student at the Bauhaus school but emigrated to America to escape the horrors of war. The film’s opening scene, in which Tóth gazes at the Statue of Liberty from a boat, uses particularly powerful visual elements to convey the protagonist’s state of mind: the camera shows the iconic statue upside down, emphasising the duality of life as an emigrant and the pain of missing home.
The character of Tóth is fictional, but elements of the stories of Marcell Breuer and László Moholy-Nagy can be seen in the character. The film’s protagonist is a symbol of talent and persecution, an artist of Jewish origin who fled the Nazi terror and tried to start a new life in America.
In the course of the story, an important line is uttered by the son of Tóth’s American patron: “We will tolerate you here”. This simple statement highlights the often complicated relationship between immigrants and American society, where talent is recognised but full acceptance is often lacking.
The movie’s star: Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody’s performance masterfully captured not only the drama of the character, but also his personal ties. Brody’s mother and grandparents left Hungary after the 1956 revolution, which gave him an emotional depth to play Tóth.
According to Magyar Nemzet, the actor spoke on Stephen Colbert’s show in the weeks leading up to the Golden Globes about how moved he was to see his Hungarian heritage so prominently featured in the film. He described Hungary as passionate, outspoken and full of dark humour, which he said often has a surprising effect on other cultures.
The film’s star, Adrien Brody, received the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, further highlighting the Hungarian aspect of the film. The film tells the story of László Tóth, a Hungarian-born architect who struggled to find his place in the United States after World War II.
Hungarian elements in the movie
The special significance of the film is enhanced by the fact that Adrien Brody speaks Hungarian in several scenes. In one scene, for example, he says “B…szd meg!” (which is the most common swear word in Hungarian, f**k) and other Hungarian phrases such as “Nem vicces!” (which means “Not funny”). The letters are also narrated in Hungarian, authenticating the roots of the story. Although Brody’s accent is convincing, it is likely that digital technology also helped to achieve the perfect pronunciation.
The Hungarian presence is evident not only in the use of the language, but also in the cast and locations. The film features several Hungarian actors, including Anna Mészöly, Benett Vilmányi and Levente Orbán. The film was shot almost entirely in Hungary, and viewers will recognise the Semmelweis University building, the synagogue on Bethlen Square and some rural castles. There is even a reference in one scene to the fact that one of the characters worked as a journalist for Magyar Nemzet before the war.
The movie’s message
This year’s Golden Globe will be remembered not only for the awards but also for the spotlight that Hungarian stories and places have received in the global spotlight. A similar feeling was perhaps last experienced thirty years ago, when the American film “Music Box” tackled a Hungarian theme with world stars and a big budget. “The Brutalist” continued this tradition and brought Hungarian culture to a new level of international attention.
“The Brutalist” is not only a sensitive portrayal of the dilemmas of emigration but also a tribute to Hungarian history. The central themes of the film are the difficulties of integration and the question of preserving identity, which transcend the Hungarian context and carry a universal message. The fact that the Hungarian language and culture have been given such a prominent role in an international production is a rare and remarkable moment.
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Great. A blockbuster movie about fleeing Hungary to achieve a better life. Does he flee to Russia? To China? No. He flees to America.