Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Brutalist!

Raffey Cᴀssidy’s performance as Zsófia has been one of the most critically acclaimed parts of The Brutalist ever since the 2024 film was released, and here’s why the character doesn’t speak for the majority of the film. While every other character in The Brutalist speaks, the choice to not have Zsófia speak is an interesting one, with it making Cᴀssidy’s performance even more impressing. However, there is a story reason for why Zsófia remains silent for the vast majority of The Brutalist, and here is what it is.

The Brutalist is one of the frontrunners heading into awards season, with Brady Corbet’s 2024 film already being nominated for several Oscars and winning multiple other awards. The Brutalist tells the story of Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody, as he emigrates to the United States and begins working on a major architectural project for Guy Pearce’s Harrison Lee Van Buren. Eventually, László’s wife Erzsébet and his niece Zsófia join him in the United States. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the backstory of László’s family, including why Zsófia isn’t able or willing to speak.

Zsofia Takes A Vow Of Silence After Surviving The Holocaust & Her Mother’s Death

& She Keeps It Until The Very End

Due to the time period and setting of The Brutalist, the Holocaust is a major part of the backstory of the main trio of The Brutalist‘s cast. All three of the characters are Holocaust survivors, although László was able to make it to the United States a long time before the rest of his family did. Upon her arrival, Zsófia doesn’t speak, but it isn’t later until it is revealed why. As it turns out, Zsófia’s decision not to speak is directly linked to her time surviving the Holocaust.

As it turns out, Zsófia intentionally took a vow of silence after surviving the Holocaust. The trauma of what she survived as well as her mother’s death led Zsófia to take a vow of silence. Although she does speak by the end of the film, Zsófia spends the majority of the film silent. While the audience is clued in on why Zsófia remains silent, it isn’t something that every The Brutalist character is made aware of.

Why Lazslo Doesn’t Explain To Zsofia’s Silence To Harry & The Van Burens

They Never Find Out The Truth

Despite spending a lot of time with them, Harry and the Van Burens have no idea why Zsófia doesn’t speak in The Brutalist. László never explains Zsófia’s backstory to the wealthy family, with them remaining in the dark. By the time that Zsófia and Erzsébet arrived in the United States, tensions had already begun to rise between László and the Van Burens. This makes László more hesitant to give them any information about his family, as the Van Burens seem to see Erzsébet and Zsófia as threats to László’s loyalty to their family.

It isn’t long before László’s relationship with the Van Buren’s is completely destroyed. Eventually, the fallout of their relationship leads Erzsébet to confront Harry, causing him to disappear. This is the last of Harry that is seen in The Brutalist, with him disappearing before he can ever learn about Zsófia’s backstory and vow of silence.

Why Zsofia Only Speaks Near The End Of The Brutalist

Only After The Time Jump

The Brutalist ends with a mᴀssive time jump, with the final moments taking place in the year 1980. This epilogue focuses on a much older László as well as an adult Zsófia. While they are the same characters, there is one major difference when it comes to Zsófia: she is now speaking. The choice to have Zsófia speak at the end of The Brutalist was a shocking one for many viewers, as her character change is never fully explained. On top of that, Zsófia is not only speaking, but giving a speech at a presentation about László’s architecture.

There are two possible readings of this. The first is that László’s artistic legacy allowed Zsófia to come to terms with her trauma and leave her silent phase. The other option is a more cynical one, with a potential reading being that the culture of the United States has corrupted the main characters, with Zsófia’s now promoting László’s work and putting her words in his mouth. The ending of The Brutalist leave a lot of thematic questions unaswered, with Zsófia’s final speech being at the center of much of the conversation surrounding the film.