Why ‘The Brutalist’ Needs Its Intermission, and Running Time Is Only One Reason

With a 200-minute running time, Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” (A24) isn’t unique among wide-release English-language films. In fact, it’s somewhat shorter than some major releases in recent decades.

There’s no standard for intermissions, which can vary between presentations, technical issues, or even elevating a film‘s prestige. “The Brutalist” qualifies on all counts, but its intermission could herald a comeback: Audience habits have changed, and directors would love to use them to defend longer movies.

“The Brutalist” becomes 215 minutes start to finish with its precisely timed 15-minute break. Without it, it would be nine minutes shorter than “The Irishman”; about the same as “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “The Godfather Part II,” and George Stevens’ 1956 “Giant”; and about five minutes longer than “Schindler’s List” and “Titanic.” All were released without intermissions. Among major titles, “Gone with the Wind” is still the longest movie at 223 minutes (not including the 20-minute intermission for its theatrical release.)

Still, with no intermission, three hours and 20 minutes is a long time to sit for a movie. With most feature viewing done at home, not theaters, the public is used to taking breaks at their convenience. Add the addiction to cell phones and it’s tough for many to handle. With its intermission, “The Brutalist” removes what might be a barrier for some viewers to see it in theaters.

Here, the intermission was an artistic choice from the start. Director/co-writer Corbet told IndieWire that the screenplay was structured to naturally have an intermission about halfway. It includes music, character stills, and a countdown clock that IndieWire’s David Ehrlich describes as “elegant.”

‘The Godfather Part II’Everett Collection / Everett Collection

Movie intermissions were introduced as early as “The Birth of a Nation” in 1915. Although not unknown in the 1930s and 1940s, they came into heavier use from the mid-1950s until the early 1970s with Biblical tales (“The 10 Commandments,” “Ben-Hur”), musicals (“West Side Story,” “The Sound of Music”), and other epics (“Lawrence of Arabia,” “2001: A Space Odyssey”). They also appeared in less-elevated titles like “The Shoes of the Fisherman” and “Marooned.”

They imbued a sense of class and importance and appeared to increase Oscar chances: Eight of 15 Best Picture winners from 1956-1970 included intermissions. (“The Brutalist” is a top contender this year that won best film and best actor for Adrien Brody from the New York Film Critics Circle.) These showings were meant to be events, with advance tickets at higher prices, seat selection (otherwise unheard of), and limited showings. It replicated the live theater experience and often included program books and other souvenirs. Intermissions also increased concession sales.

Intermissions didn’t always require punishing lengths, like the 1964 musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” (128 minutes, plus intermission and extra music). And while “The Brutalist” is long, the film’s print needs a break as much as the audience. Its initial limited dates (also anticipated later in its wider release) include IMAX and 70mm showings, neither of which can handle a 200-minute film.

In that, it is similar to some 1950s roadshows. Early 3D films’ dual-print projection required a break around the hour mark; so did Cinerama presentations, which were initially limited to a two-hour total running time. Meanwhile, films over 150 minutes like “Peyton Place,” “The Guns of Navarone,” “Hatari,” and “The Great Escape” were huge hits without roadshow play or intermissions.

‘Gandhi’©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

The last major domestic wide release with an intermission was “Gandhi” in 1982. (Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” in 2005 toyed with the idea; 70mm engagements of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” had one). Domestic theater licenses specifically forbid any theater from doing it on its own. Other countries, particularly India (with a history of lengthy films), consider intermissions a standard (the recent “R.R.R.” played that way in the U.S.)

While an intermission makes “The Brutalist” an outlier (for now), it fits the part: The film has the length, elevated status, and technical realities. And, with advance seating now standard in most theaters, it’s as close to a roadshow as any wide American film in decades.