Adrien Brody has won the Best Actor award at the 97th Academy Awards for his performance in “The Brutalist,” marking his second Oscar win. He previously won the award in 2003 for “The Pianist”. In “The Brutalist,” Brody portrays Lázló Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect who escapes the Holocaust and immigrates to the United States to pursue his American dream. The film, directed by Brady Corbet, is a three-and-a-half-hour epic set in postwar America. It follows Tóth’s life over three decades as he faces societal expectations with his unconventional designs and unwavering commitment to artistic integrity. Brody’s performance in “The Brutalist” has been widely praised, with many drawing parallels to his role in “The Pianist,” where he also played a Jewish artist struggling to survive during World War II.

Brody’s win was not without controversy, as the film used artificial intelligence to enhance the dialogue in Hungarian. Brody defended the decision, stating that the AI was only used to refine certain lines and that extensive effort was put into maintaining the dialect’s authenticity with the help of a dialect coach. Despite the backlash, Brody was considered the frontrunner for the Oscar, having already won the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics Choice Award for his performance. In his acceptance speech, Brody expressed gratitude to his parents and partner, Georgina Chapman, and her children. He also spoke about the importance of perspective and the need to represent the “enduring traumas and consequences of war, systemic oppression, antisemitism, and racism”.

“The Brutalist” received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The film also stars Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce. Brody’s victory places him among an elite group of actors who have won the Best Actor award more than once. He is the 11th man to achieve this feat, joining the ranks of Daniel Day-Lewis, Spencer Tracy, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Cooper, Tom Hanks, Fredric March, Sean Penn, and Anthony Hopkins. The 22-year gap between Brody’s two Best Actor wins is the second-longest in the category’s history, behind Anthony Hopkins’ 29-year gap between “Silence of the Lambs” and “The Father”.

The 97th Academy Awards also saw “Anora” take home five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison. Kieran Culkin and Zoë Saldaña were recognized with Oscars for their supporting roles. The ceremony also paid tribute to Gene Hackman, who recently passed away, and Quincy Jones, who passed away in November. The event acknowledged the bravery of firefighters who battled the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, which had caused the nominations to be postponed.