The Brutalist

Directed & written by Joe Burden

2024

1950s Brutalist architecture emerged in the UK amid reconstruction projects of the post-war era and showcase a minimalist style without fancy decoration. And whilst the exposed unpainted concrete and plain geometric shapes of the movement may not seem an obvious focus for a film, Northampton writer-director Joe Burden has used it as a jumping off point in his new short The Brutalist.

The story sees Marcus (Ken Ogborn) as a somewhat arrogant aficionado of Leicester’s Brutalist landmarks, who looks into the world of the past as part of his love of photography.

As he shoots with his old-school camera in a park, he is joined by Diane (Paige Kimberley) who attempts to bond with him over their shared photography hobby.

But as she pulls out her camera phone, he accuses her of not being a professional, yet she gives as good as she gets in return. They then go their separate ways, neither convinced of the others’ argument about traditional film versus digital expression.

After a monologue about the Lee Circle car park – once the largest in Europe we are told – Marcus laments the lack of love and changing attitudes of this style over time.

The director sets up the first half in an artistic way shooting these building in a colour hue almost as monochrome as the stark constructions themselves. Shadows, sharply defined camera angles and many static shots convey a clear-cut comparison to these harsh buildings.

Yet for all his harsh facts, we see Marcus standing outside in the cold before noticing the woman from before as he looks through a pub window. But a coarse salutation sees Marcus being dismissed as quickly as he did with Diane.

The Brutalist is an interesting short with a very specific story to tell. A mix of discussion points about how the past and present are “structured” balances nicely with unconventional themes and there could even be a slight nod towards the ongoing debate about the film versus digital discourse in cinema.

For me, the ending lost its way and tone a little compared to what came before. Perhaps a moment of reconciliation may suggest that these two views can live side by side. No doubt the director wanted to show the lack of empathy from both sides, but it has unfortunately resulted in that negative tone being applied to both characters themselves.

As it is, both protagonists aren’t exactly the most likeable of souls, their feet stuck in concrete on their respective views. However, much like the ever-changing architectural attitudes over time, Burden mixes bleak beauty with a well-constructed short story suggesting that if we can’t build bridges with each other then the outcomes are brutal for all involved.

★★★½

Michael Sales

Find out more about the filmmaker at www.jbscripts.co.uk

And watch the full short on their YouTube channel below: