Leaving one picture on the screen throughoutThe Brutalist’sentire intermission is incredibly meaningful for the story of the film. The story ofThe Brutalistfollows László Tóth, an architect and Holocaust survivor who immigrates to America after World War II. After settling in Pennsylvania and beginning work on an ambitious project for a wealthy businessman, László attempts to get his wife, Erzsébet, and his niece, Zsófia, to America as well.Reviews forThe Brutalisthave been incredible, and have noted that the film both beautifully and tragically depicts the immigrant experience.
Throughout awards season,The Brutalisthas become one of the frontrunners towin Best Picture at the 2025 Academy Awards.The Brutalisthas stood out among other 2024 movies because of how unique its structure is.The Brutalisthas a long runtime of 3 hours and 35 minutes. Since the beginning to theend ofThe Brutalistis an incredibly long journey, director Brady Corbet decided to include an intermission in the film.The picture that is shown onscreen duringThe Brutalist’sintermission provides a sense of hopeand is the perfect image to ingrain into the audience’s minds.
The Brutalist’s Intermission Is A Picture Of László & Erzsébet’s Wedding
Erzsébet Finally Arrives In America Halfway Through The Brutalist
After being separated from Erzsébet during the Holocaust, László is relieved to learn that his wife is still alive upon his arrival in America. However, getting her and Zsófia to America proves to be difficult. Throughout the first half ofThe Brutalist,László spends years building a life in America without his wife and niece. After he starts working with Harrison, the Pennsylvania businessman’s lawyer offers to help László.
Erzsébet is actually not seen in the first half ofThe Brutalist, so including a picture of her and László’s wedding day is a clever way of introducing her to the audience.
Therefore, after spending the entire first half of the movie only communicating through letters, Erzsébet and Zsófia finally get approved to come to America for the second half.Erzsébet is actually not seen in the first half ofThe Brutalist, so including a picture of her and László’s wedding day is a clever way of introducing her to the audience. László and Erzsébet’s wedding picture is also a great image to examine throughout the intermission before the dramatic second half ofThe Brutalist.
The Brutalist’s Intermission Picture Helps Bring Erzsébet & Zsófia To America
László & Erzsébet’s Wedding Picture Is Important To The Brutalist’s Story
Including László and Erzsébet’s wedding picture onscreen duringThe Brutalist’sintermission is not completely random. In fact,the picture is extremely important forThe Brutalist’splot since it helps bring Erzsébet and Zsófia to America. The specific picture shown duringThe Brutalist’sintermission is used as proof that Erzsébet and Zsófia are related to László. Therefore, after spending years apart after the horrific events of the Holocaust, seeing the wedding picture onscreen during the intermission provides a sense of hope to audience members.
Why The Brutalist’s Runtime Is So Long & Has An Intermission
The Brutalist features two acts, an epilogue & an intermission, and director Brady Corbet had several reasons for adding the intermission after Act 1.
The Brutalist’sfirst half ends right as László and Erzsébet are going to reunite. This was actually a very clever decision by Corbet since it makes the audience wait for their eventual reunion. By doing this, the audience gets to put themselves in László’s shoes since he waited years to see his wife. Of course, László has to wait way longer than audience members to see Erzsébet, butinserting an intermission right before their reunion still allows the audience to relate to the character’s emotions.
The Brutalist’s Picture Is The Perfect Image For The Intermission
The Brutalist’s Intermission Picture Introduces New Characters To The Movie
Placing the intermission at this point in the story also works perfectly, asThe Brutalist’ssecond half is much different than the first half. While the first half of the movie focuses almost solely on László as he settles in America and creates a new life for himself,the second half ofThe Brutalistfocuses more on the drama that ensues when all the characters come together.
The Brutalist’stwo acts are both about 100 minutes long.
In the second half ofThe Brutalist, László has to confront his marital problems, his heroin addiction, and his problematic relationship with Harrison, all while becoming more obsessed with his building. Showing the wedding picture during the intermission proves that László is in a good place in his life at this point in the story. However,the second half of the movie reveals that the American dream is not what it is made out to be. Therefore, before taking a darker turn towards the end ofThe Brutalist, including the wedding picture at the halfway point was a genius decision.
