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.