Felicity Jones has garnered an Academy Award nomination this year for her role in The Brutalist, a film that intricately weaves the themes of distance and emotional connections. Interestingly, her character only makes an appearance in the latter half of the lengthy 3-hour-35-minute film, which has sparked discussions about her nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category. Jones explains that her limited screen time is a narrative choice designed to enhance the audience’s emotional experience of the characters’ long-awaited reunion.
The script captivated Jones due to its exploration of profound waiting and longing. “What I liked about the script is that there’s this immense wait for these characters to be united. It’s been eight years that they haven’t seen each other. The romance is amped up in the reunion of these two people,” she shares. In the film, she portrays Erzsébet Tóth, the wife of László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody. László is depicted as a Holocaust survivor who escapes to America, leaving Erzsébet behind, but she ultimately follows him to reunite and mend their fractured relationship.
Jones elaborates on the complexity of isolating emotions her character faces. “What’s wonderful is that it’s quite complex, quite hard for them to rediscover each other in those very intimate scenes. There’s a certain amount of awkwardness. Even when László finds Erzsébet in the bath, he’s a bit flummoxed even though she is his wife. They just haven’t had this level of closeness. So in that scene, you see them working out their intimacy,” she notes.
Adding depth to her character, Jones emphasizes Erzsébet’s unwavering conviction in their relationship. “Also, Erzsébet has such belief, such faith that this relationship has become her God in some way. You see her determination to make that relationship work, even though it’s to her detriment,” she reveals. However, the emotional distance caused by their years apart is not the only challenge; conflicting aspirations also create tension between the couple, as they each pursue their own versions of the American Dream.
Felicity observes, “There’s a power dynamic going on between László and Erzsébet because both are ambitious individuals, but she’s the one who takes the lone route and the less intellectually stimulated job to support her husband. How often would that happen the other way round? So it’s exploring within their relationship the dynamic between professional success and gender.”
Erzsébet is portrayed as a journalist while László is an architect, showcasing her multifaceted capabilities. Despite this, societal norms push her to step back, causing her to grapple with her own professional aspirations. Jones perceives Erzsébet as a “fleshed out” character navigating her identity amidst László’s powerful presence. “She’s navigating her ego in relation to someone who has an enormous ego. Two of them have great egos. How does she get creative and achieve professional fulfillment? But at the same time, she has great belief in László’s vision, and it’s a shared vision,” Jones explains, highlighting the delicate balance Erzsébet must maintain.
Furthermore, Jones underscores the emotional depth of portraying Erzsébet. She anticipates the challenging nature of understanding a character shaped by immense trauma. “Just in terms of the emotional intensity of understanding what someone like Erzsébet would’ve gone through and how that manifests itself physically. It felt like it was something I’d never really done before. In that sense, it felt very personal,” she admits.
The Brutalist, with its rich narrative and deep character explorations, is poised to resonate with audiences. Felicity Jones’s portrayal of complex themes tied together by limited screen time not only serves to elevate her performance but also enriches the storytelling. The film is set to release in Indian cinemas on February 28, and anticipation continues to build surrounding its impact on viewers and critics alike.
