The Brutalist ending explained: What happens to Harrison after Erzsébet confronts him?

The Brutalist is a 2024 epic historical drama film directed by Brady Corbet. The movie, starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce, is about an architect from Hungary named László Tóth who survives the Holocaust and moves to the United States.

With its release on December 20, 2024, from A24, The Brutalist has been praised as one of the best movies of the year following an IMDb rating of 8.1/10.

In the film, László Tóth tries to reach the American Dream while going through personal and professional problems. The movie shows how complicated his relationships were, especially with Harrison Lee Van Buren, a rich businessman. After Erzsébet confronts him, Harrison mysteriously disappears and his ultimate fate remains unresolved.

The ending cleverly connects themes of power, trauma, and legacy, giving László's hard journey a thought-provoking end.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Brutalist. Readers’ discretion is required.

Zsófia's final speech in The Brutalist and what it means explained

At the end of The Brutalist, which takes place at a Biennale in Venice in 1980, Zsófia gives a moving speech about László Tóth's architectural legacy. László's traumatic experiences in the Holocaust had a big impact on his work, especially the way the community center is designed to look like the concentration camps he lived through.

The movie's main idea is summed up in Zsófia's last words: "No matter what the others try and sell you, it is the destination, not the journey." This means that even though László went through a lot of terrible things, what really matters are his final accomplishments and the lasting effects of his work.

This view supports the idea that the result can overshadow the struggles that were needed to get there, showing how strong and resilient people are.

Also, Zsófia's recognition of László's contributions shows how hard he worked along with his artistic vision. This speech ties together the movie's themes of art, trauma, and redemption, giving László's story a meaningful ending.

What happened to Harrison after Erzsébet accuses him?

Erzsébet confronts Harrison Lee Van Buren at his home and calls him a r*pist in front of his family and friends. Harrison then mysteriously vanishes. In The Brutalist, this disappearance is still unresolved, so his fate is still up for debate.

When the movie cuts to the epilogue, it doesn't give any clear answers, leaving viewers to guess what happened.

Several ideas start to form about what happened to Harrison. One possibility is that he ran away to avoid the shame and possible legal consequences of what he did. His sudden disappearance could mean that he was trying to avoid what would happen, cutting ties with his old life to start over somewhere else.

Harrison could have also killed himself because he couldn't handle the shame and guilt of what he did.

The effect Harrison's disappearance has on his son Harry is another part of the story. Harry is shown to be cocky and shallow throughout the movie, but his response to his father's accusation shows that he is really upset.

It seems like Harrison's actions have big effects on his family, pointing to a deeper loss of morals in the Van Buren home. The fact that Harrison's fate is still unknown is a critique of unchecked power and moral corruption, which supports the movie's themes of abuse and dominance.

Erzsébet's demise before The Brutalist’s epilogue

As Erzsébet is not in the 1980 epilogue of The Brutalist, it seems likely that she died sometime between the main story and the epilogue. Throughout the movie, Erzsébet has trouble with osteoporosis, a disease that makes it hard for her to move around and lowers her quality of life.

The fact that she needed painkillers and then heroin to deal with her pain shows how bad her condition was. The movie makes it seem like Erzsébet's health kept getting worse. She survived an overdose, but her osteoporosis probably made her death more likely.

Erzsébet's death also makes László and Zsófia decide to move to Jerusalem, which starts a new part of their lives. It emphasizes the theme of wanting peace and closure after going through a lot of pain.

Erzsébet's legacy lives on through Zsófia's speech, which shows how her support and sacrifices for her family will always be remembered.

László Tóth: A real architect or made up?

The character of László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody in The Brutalist, is made up to represent the struggles and successes of an immigrant artist in the United States.

His character isn't based on a real person, but he represents a troubled artist who wants to make a difference in the world despite personal and social problems.

The story of László's rise from being a Holocaust survivor to a famous architect is similar to the stories of many immigrants who came to the United States to start over.

The problems he had at work, like his unstable relationship with Harrison and his battle with addiction, show the bigger issues of exploitation and the harmful side of trying to reach the American Dream.

As Adrien Brody plays László, he gives him depth and realism, which makes him believable and easy to relate to. Since the character is made up, the movie can explore themes like resilience, creativity, and the desire for recognition that aren't tied to a specific historical figure.

Following this creative freedom, The Brutalist tells an interesting story that hits home for viewers on a personal and a social level.

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Decoding the true significance of The Brutalist

The Brutalist depicts American immigrants and artists' struggles with capitalism. Cultural displacement and creative ambition are explored by László Tóth, an immigrant and artist. In Harrison Lee Van Buren's control over László's work, the film criticizes capitalism's exploitation of artistic talent.

Harrison symbolizes the dark side of capitalism, where wealth and power dominate and exploit people. His treatment of László shows how artists can be commodified. It shows how powerful people can use them without understanding their struggles or artistic vision.

The community center project serves as a metaphor for this exploitation. While it is intended to honor Harrison’s mother, it ultimately becomes a symbol of control and domination over László’s creative expression.

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Harrison Lee Van Buren's fate: A mystery unveiled

Harrison Lee Van Buren's disappearance after Erzsébet's accusation is one of The Brutalist's most puzzling elements. The film leaves Harrison's fate ambiguous and his disappearance shows how corrupted he has become. He might have chosen to disappear from László's life and the community he wanted to control.

It was possibly because he didn't want to deal with the consequences of what he did. On the other hand, Harrison's death could be seen as a comment on how victims of abuse and exploitation are often not found.

The movie shows how powerful people can avoid taking responsibility, leaving their victims to deal with their trauma without getting justice.

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By leaving some things unresolved, the movie encourages viewers to get deeply involved with the story and its messages.

The Brutalist is currently available to watch in theatres.

Edited by Niharika Dabral