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A nearly four-hour-long film is causing a stir at the Venice Film Festival. Many people are calling it a “masterpiece” similar to The Godfather.
After screenings of the dark Jude Law filmThe Order and a biopic about the soprano Maria Callas with Angelina Jolie, The Brutalist The premiere took place on Sunday (September 1) and was celebrated with 13 minutes of thunderous standing ovation – by far the longest performance of the festival so far.
Directed by Brady Corbet, the film, which takes place over 30 years, explores the life of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-born Jewish architect who survived the Holocaust and, after emigrating to the United States with his wife (Felicity Jones), meets the mysterious Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce), who changes the course of his life.
Corbet, who previously produced cult films The childhood of a leader And VoxLuxspent seven years producing the 215-minute epic, which was shot in 70mm to “reflect the widescreen experience of its 1950s setting” and features a 15-minute intermission. He co-wrote the film with The coming world Director Mona Fastvold.
After its premiere, critics were short of superlatives for the film, which received unanimous praise and is compared to some of the most acclaimed Hollywood films of all time.
Journalist Diego Andaluz said the film was “on the level” of Francis Ford Coppola’s The GodfatherSergio Leone’s Once upon a time in America and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Blood will flowand called it “a visionary, era-defining American epic.” Film discussionYasmin Kandil, lead critic of The Movie, wrote: “A stunning cinematic achievement, the likes of which are rarely seen in this day and age.”
Critic Ben Rolph called The Brutalist “Almost a masterpiece that transcends modern cinema,” adding: “The opening scene alone is unbelievably magnificent and takes you into the troubled but brilliant mind of Tóth László.”
Stu speaks Host Stu Wilson echoed Rolph’s comment about the opening scene, calling it “one of the most immediately astonishing things I’ve ever seen in cinema.” He described the film as “monumental,” and Beyond Fest added: “The Brutalist is a film that is outstanding and will endure; it is the one that deserves to be called a ‘masterpiece.'”
They added: “Corbet is moving in thin air, having created an American epic that Blood will flow And The Godfather.”
In a five-star review, The times said it could be “the film to beat” at next year’s Oscars.
At a press conference for the film, Corbet said of criticism of the film’s long running time: “Because this film does everything we’re not allowed to do. I think it’s pretty silly to talk about the running time because that’s like criticizing a book that’s 700 pages instead of 100. I’ve read great novellas and longer masterpieces.”
In addition to his work as a screenwriter and director, Corbet also appeared as an actor in films, including Thirteen, melancholy and Michael Haneke’s Funny games New edition.
The Brutalistwhich also stars Joe Alwyn, Stacy Martin and Alessando Nivola, does not yet have a release date.
