Class

Brutes essentially plays out against a physical backdrop meant to metaphorize class disparity, as Falls Landing is divided down the middle between an impoverished outer ring and a wealthy gated community. Tate exploits the physical dynamics of this space in order to interrogate both the striving of the underprivileged and the indulgences of the wealthy. At the same time, Tate touches on the pride that members of the poorer community in Falls Landing feel about their identity, a pride that both empowers and inhibits them as they grow older.

One of the most potent images in Brutes is that of the children sending Leila up the ladder to peer over the top of the wall at the banal activities of the uber-wealthy whose lifestyles the girls have come to worship. This cultish following of Mia and Sammy stands in for the impact of wealth and celebrity...