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While it may not be a laugh riot in the vein of “Caddyshack” the recently released “One of Them Days,” Brady Corbet’s awards-buzzy “The Brutalist” does indirectly offer its own kind of twisted humor. Following a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor as he rebuilds his life in post-WWII America, the film carries dark overtones throughout as his efforts to pursue his craft are often thwarted by his cruel, bigoted benefactor, played by Guy Pearce. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Pearce acknowledged the serious of the subject matter, while at the same time pointing out how certain scenes can’t help but illicit laughs from the audience.
“It’s funny how powerful money is and how much people will acquiesce because they think maybe a couple of bones might be thrown their way,” Pearce said. “But I feel like the interesting thing about Van Buren is something Brady said: ‘He needs to be sophisticated enough to recognize good art. He’s not a typical bull in a china shop, he needs to have some sensitivity.’ That in itself is a good sort of dichotomy. You’ve got somebody who goes, ‘I’m so moved by this art, I wish I could do this myself. But I can take control of it. I can either own it or I can stamp it out.'”
On his face, Van Buren may seem like an intimidating character, but the more time spent with him, the more one starts to realize how small a man he actually is. In recognizing this, Pearce shared that the character’s seriousness is exactly what makes some people find him funny.
“I’ve seen the film three times and there’s quite a few laughs with my character,” he said to the NYT. “Laughs are an interesting thing in film because often they can come from pure comedy or from something uncomfortable, but I actually feel like if a character is particularly earnest in their way of living, that can seem quite funny sometimes, too. I get the sense that Van Buren is so serious in his controlling of the world that it’s sort of ridiculous in a way.”
Just as the film serves as a metaphor for what it feels like to be an artist in service of whoever is funding the art, Pearce also registered a similarity with how actors are treated upon being “discovered” for the first time and the ownership certain individuals wish to have over them.
“One of the things somebody said to me early on was, ‘As much as there are young actors wanting to be discovered in Hollywood, there are just as many people who want to be the one to have discovered them,'” said Pearce. “That really stuck with me, that someone will actually go, ‘Please let me show you off to people.’ Great, fantastic. As long as you don’t try and [expletive] me.”
Whether garnering laughs or fear, Pearce’s performance has continued to be lauded throughout awards season with nominations for Best Supporting Actor from multiple voting bodies, including the Critics Choice Movie Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Gotham Awards.
“The Brutalist” is currently in theaters from A24.
English (US) ·