You should be able to adjust the brightness from the login screen. This sounds more like your backlight is broken.
The computer is definitely on, is it? Keyboard backlight comes on, startup chime happens? Little pips when you adjust the volume?
Shine a torch at the screen (this is quite awkward, you may have to get very close and peer) to try and see what is happening. See if you can see the computer responding to you pressing the brightness keys.