Even though she hardly has any lines in the film, László’s niece Zsófia is one of the most important characters in The Brutalist. László, his wife Erzsébet, and Zsófia are all Holocaust survivors in The Brutalist. However, they were separated during the Holocaust. In fact, László doesn’t even know his wife and niece are alive until he arrives in America after a long journey at the beginning of the film. Throughout the first half of The Brutalist, László builds a life for himself in America and eventually ends up working on an architectural project for Harrison, a wealthy businessman.
Since The Brutalist has a long runtime of 3 hours and 35 minutes, it is actually split into two parts and even includes an intermission. Since Zsófia becomes an extremely important character towards the end of The Brutalist, it is surprising that she is hardly featured in the first half of the film. Even when Erzsébet and Zsófia do arrive in America, it is revealed that Zsófia took a vow of silence, so her inner motivations are never really revealed. However, the character of Zsófia is closely connected to László and takes the spotlight at the end of The Brutalist.
László’s Niece Zsófia Is The Focus Of The Brutalist’s Opening & End Scene
The Ending Of The Brutalist Highlights How Far Zsófia Has Come
Even though she does not appear for the rest of the first half of The Brutalist, the film actually begins with Zsófia being questioned during the Holocaust. Not much is revealed about Zsófia during this scene, since she actually doesn’t talk at all. After the events of the Holocaust, Zsófia decides to take a vow of silence. Therefore, even after arriving in America and living with László and Erzsébet on the Van Buren’s property, Zsófia chooses not to speak for years.
While her uncle and aunt survived the Holocaust, Zsófia’s mother died before the events of The Brutalist, which is one of the reasons why she takes a vow of silence.
Towards the end of The Brutalist, long after László parted ways with the Van Buren’s, it is revealed that Zsófia has settled in America and even has a partner. While revealing that she and her partner are moving to Israel, Zsófia finally speaks. At the very end of the movie, a much older Zsófia also speaks, and gives a speech about László’s successful career as an architect. The final sH๏τ of The Brutalist is of the older Zsófia, during which she claims, “No matter what the others try and sell you, it is the destination, not the journey.“
This final sH๏τ then dissolves to also show the younger version of Zsófia that was seen at the very beginning of the movie when she was being questioned. Showing the older and younger version of Zsófia clearly shows how far the character has come since surviving the Holocaust. In many ways, László’s choices throughout The Brutalist lead to Zsófia living a happy life. Therefore, it makes sense that the beginning and ending of The Brutalist both choose to focus on Zsófia.
Zsófia Is Directly Connected To László’s Motivations In The Brutalist
László & Zsófia Both Deal With The Trauma Of The Holocaust In The Brutalist
Even though László is the main character in The Brutalist, he is closely connected to Zsófia not only because she is his niece, but also because they are both immigrants and Holocaust survivors. László and Zsófia’s shared trauma connect them in The Brutalist, whether this is clear during certain scenes in the movie or not. When László first arrives in America, he only wants to simply get by and does whatever he can to make a living. However, as he spends more time in his new country, his motivations shift.
At the end of the first half and throughout the second half of The Brutalist, László not only wants to get by, but also thrive in America. After receiving the opportunity to be the lead architect on Harrison’s project, László realizes that he can have the life he once had in Hungary. In The Brutalist, both László and Zsófia are trying to to pick up the pieces of their lives after the horrifying events of the Holocaust. Once they do, both characters want what is best for themselves and their family.
László’s Niece Is Important To Understanding The Brutalist’s Themes
The Brutalist Explores The Immigrant Experience & Surviving Trauma
It is clear that the events of the Holcaust define who László, Erzsébet, and Zsófia are as characters in The Brutalist. One of the main goals of The Brutalist is to present the reality of the immigrant experience. After arriving in America, László, Erzsébet, and Zsófia are forced to find their place in a brand-new country, while still processing the horrors that they experienced during the Holocaust. While hope is presented at certain points in The Brutalist, the film also highlights how dark and dire the immigrant experience can be.
At the end of The Brutalist, it is evident how far Zsófia has come since surviving the Holocaust and arriving in America as a vulnerable child.
While The Brutalist’s themes are explored through László, they are also presented through Zsófia. In addition to exploring the immigrant experience, The Brutalist also focuses on survival and carrying on after trauma. To cope with her trauma, Zsófia chooses to take a vow of silence. Even when she goes through traumatic experiences during The Brutalist, such as potentially being Sєxually ᴀssaulted by Harrison’s son, she remains silent and tries to carry on. At the end of The Brutalist, it is evident how far Zsófia has come since surviving the Holocaust and arriving in America as a vulnerable child.
Is The Brutalist Told From Zsófia’s Perspective?
All The Main Themes Of The Brutalist Are Reflected In Zsófia
Since The Brutalist begins and ends with sH๏τs of Zsófia, some have suggested that she is actually the narrator of the movie. Even though László is technically the main character, The Brutalist charts Zsófia’s journey from a silent child to an independent, seemingly successful woman with a voice. Therefore, it is not a stretch to claim that The Brutalist is actually mainly about Zsófia’s journey. While the first half of the movie solely focuses on László, it’s possible that The Brutalist is still told from Zsófia’s perspective and focuses on the events of her uncle’s life that she knows about.
While this is possible, it is probably a stretch to say that The Brutalist is told entirely from Zsófia’s perspective. While she is undoubtedly an important character in the movie, if it was her story, The Brutalist would have needed to include more details about her own life. Therefore, while she is still one of the main characters, The Brutalist leaves out too many details about Zsófia’s experiences to be considered a film that is told from her perspective.
