Movie Review: The Revenant

This movie will evoke several emotions out of you during and post viewing. It is a visceral, gritty and harsh film that is simultaneously beautiful, slow and tranquil. One of the most compelling movies in recent memory and like it or not, The Revenant is a film that will earn your respect and admiration for everyone involved in the production. 

Set in 1820’s Frontier America, a time period and setting not often ventured in Hollywood, Legendary Director Alejandro G. Iñàrritu of ‘Birdman’ fame last year returns with another masterpiece that deserves all the Oscar buzz it has acquired, even if it means knocking Aussie George Miller from Mad Max down a peg (12 Nominations versus 10.) It stars Leonardo DiCaprio in another fine piece of acting, this time worthy of the ‘Best Actor’ gong, which he is sure to get. If swimming in polar rivers, eating raw fish and getting buried alive doesn’t get you a trophy nothing will.

DiCaprio plays Hugh Glass; who on a fur expedition with a group of explorers is mauled by a wild Grizzly Bear and his life hangs in the balance. Cue the conflict between Captain Andrew Henry (Domhall Gleeson; Ex Machina, Star Wars the Force Awakens) and hunter John Fitzgerald, played by acting chameleon Tom Hardy. 

Henry wishes to take Glass with them, as he is the only person who knows the way, but Fitzgerald sees him only as a burden, and his racial bias towards his half American, half Native son ‘Hawk’ puts him in a precarious scenario that incites the entire premise of the film; leaving Glass behind to die in the treacherous snowy landscape of the relentless North American wilderness. Only catch is… Glass survives.

What follows is just over two hours of sheer brilliance in story telling, opting more to show plot rather than have a lengthy script explain it to you. DiCaprio barely has any lines of dialogue but we know and understand his journey and sympathise as we see him overcome trial after trial; avoiding the elements of weather, but also the French and the Native Americans, who are on a rampage trying to find one of their own kidnapped tribesman, all whilst himself traversing the vast plains to get to safety – and to revenge. 

You would think a film set in a big forest, with very long takes and all natural lighting will be, well, boring. The opposite of this is true and it is credit to Iñàrritu and DiCaprio; who pushed the limits of filmmaking (which incidentally left many crew members quitting the film due to the conditions) but the final result speaks for it. Great direction, skilled acting, a beautiful haunting soundtrack and violence so realistic you forget for a second it’s a movie you’re watching and not a documentary. 

Not a film for the queasy tummies out there, but Revenant is worthy of its praise, something not often said of the films that clean sweep Awards Season like this will. 

Rating:
4.5/5