Brusati graduated with a degree in law and worked as a journalist. He started to work in film by collaborating with Camerini, Lattuado and Rossellini. His directing debut was Il padrone sono me (1956). His most noted films include Bread and Chocolate (Pane e cioccolata, 1973) and To Forget Venice (Dimenticare Venezia, 1979), which was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Film. His other films are Disorder (Disordine, 1967), Tulips of Haarlem (I tulipani di Haarlem, 1969), The Good Soldier (Il buon soldato, 1982).