The Revenant-2015
Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio
Scott’s Review #371
Reviewed January 27, 2016
Grade: A
The Revenant is a fantastic 2015 film filled with intensity, great visual camera work/direction, and the acting talents of one of modern cinema’s dynamic performers, Leonardo DiCaprio.
He shines every minute he’s on screen.
Almost all the filming takes place outdoors (the American frontier period), and it is a revenge tale, which only adds to the film’s excitement and beauty.
Set in the 1820s, the film opens by introducing us to a large party of hunters and trappers in remote Wyoming.
Right off the bat, I was struck by the picturesque scenery.
We are treated to a compelling (and bloody) battle between the trappers and a tribe of Native Americans. The Louisiana Purchase has just passed, heightening tensions between various parties and spilling blood.
The hunters are decimated, so the survivors must flee on foot, hoping to reach safety hundreds of miles away.
The main character, Glass (DiCaprio), later receives a terrible injury, and the main crux of the story develops as we embark on a tale of his desperation to survive and exact revenge on the men responsible for leaving him to die.
The film is a lesson in endurance. Glass is arguably put through almost every punishment imaginable, and we wonder what more he can endure.
The film belongs to two actors. Dicaprio, and Tom Hardy as the villainous John Fitzgerald, a hunter with a major rivalry with Glass.
The film parlays into a revenge tale between the two characters.
DiCaprio is a gem in this film; not only is he compelling from a physical standpoint, but he also looks broken, battered, and bruised, and DiCaprio gives a performance that I am fond of.
He acts non-verbally.
In one crucial scene, Glass is unable to move or speak as a violent act is committed. He is desperate yet helpless.
DiCaprio’s emotional range is astounding. The pain, hurt, and frustration are evident on his face, and we sympathize greatly.
DiCaprio delivers a powerful performance.
Tom Hardy is compelling in his own right as the scoundrel he portrays. We despise this character and all his dirty deeds, and Hardy successfully pours all his energy into this grizzled role.
Hardy, quite handsome in real life, is transformed into a partially scalped, dirty man.
His fate at the end of the film is a clever touch that makes The Revenant more than a typical run-of-the-mill western.
The infamous “bear scene” is second to none. I don’t know how they shot this compelling scene, but the result is a realism I have seldom seen in film. The scene is so prolonged and violent that you wish it would end quickly.
A surprise comes that rivals any horror film.
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, it follows a vastly different type of film (Birdman, 2014) and does a wonderful job.
The Revenant is arguably a “guy’s movie”.
It features almost no women, and the ones who do are not treated well, which is unfortunate; sadly, that was likely true of the time.
Interesting to note, though, is that Iñárritu decided to have a female victim enact revenge on her abuser in a satisfying (though squeamish moment for the male viewer.
I found The Revenant to have definite left-wing leanings.
The age-old controversy of the white man taking the Indian’s land is explored, and the film has a way of bringing this up more than once, as well as not making the Indian tribes “bad”, but rather sympathetic.
Especially since Glass marries an Indian woman and has a son with her.
Gorgeous cinematography meets a wonderful, intriguing story, peppered with brutality.
The Revenant (2015) succeeds on every level and sets an important precedent for a film about perseverance in the face of hopelessness.
Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Alejandro G. Iñárritu (won), Best Actor-Leonardo DiCaprio (won), Best Supporting Actor-Tom Hardy, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography (won), Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects