While it may not be a “Caddyshack” style laugh riot, the recently released “One of Them Days,” Brady Corbet’s award-winning “The Brutalist” indirectly offers its own kind of twisted humor. Following a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor as he rebuilds his life in the United States after World War II film carries dark undertones throughout as his efforts to practice his craft are often thwarted by his cruel, bigoted benefactor, played by Guy Pearce. In a recent interview with The New York TimesPearce acknowledged the seriousness of the subject, while noting how some scenes can’t help but illicit laughter from the audience.
“It’s funny how powerful money is and how much people will accept because they think a couple of bones can be thrown their way,” Pearce said. “But I feel the interesting thing about Van Buren is something Brady said: ‘He must be sophisticated enough to recognize good art. He’s not a typical bull in a china shop, he’s got to have some sensitivity.’ That in itself is a good sort of dichotomy. You have someone saying, ‘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.’”
On his face, Van Buren may seem like an intimidating character, but the more time you spend with him, the more you begin to realize just how small of a man he really is. Realizing this, Pearce shared that the character’s seriousness is exactly what makes some people find him funny.
“I’ve seen the movie three times and there are a lot of laughs with my character,” he told the NYT. “Laughs are an interesting thing in film because they can often come from pure comedy or from something unpleasant, but I actually feel that if a character is particularly serious about the way they live, it can seem quite funny at times as well. I understand that Van Buren is so serious in his control of the world that it’s kind of ridiculous in a way.”
Just as the film serves as a metaphor for what it feels like to be an artist in the service of whoever funds the arts, Pearce also registered a similarity to how actors are treated when they are first “discovered” and the ownership that certain individuals want over them.
“One of the things someone said to me early on was, ‘As much as there are young actors who want to be discovered in Hollywood, there are just as many people who want to be the one who discovered them,'” Pearce said. “It really stuck. to me, that someone will actually say, “Please let me show you off to people.” Fantastic, fantastic. As long as you don’t try to (pronounce) me.”
Whether eliciting laughs or dread, Pearce’s performance has continued to be praised this awards season with Best Supporting Actor nominations from multiple voting bodies, including the Critics Choice Movie Awards, Golden Globesand the Gotham Awards.
“The Brutalist” is currently in cinemas from A24.
