By Armando Inquig
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, lat year’s Best Director for the Beset Picture winner ‘Birdman’, ‘The Revenant’ completely caught me off guard. There’s a lot more to this film than what the promotional materials suggests. Not only did it deliver the epic, thought-provoking experience promised by the trailer, but it also kept me hooked through its 156-minute running time with its intriguing storytelling, visceral atmosphere, strong performances, tense battle, and one intense, brutal tour de force of filmmaking involving a grizzly bear.
Set in 1823 Montana and inspired by true events, the movie follows the extraordinary ordeal of fur trapper Hugh Glass during an expedition in the American wilderness. After a vicious bear attack leaves him near death and abandoned by his own hunting team, Glass miraculously survived and crawled hundreds of miles through the storms of South Dakota to seek revenge on the man who killed his son.
Along the way, he was chased by a hostile tribe whose chief is searching for his kidnapped daughter, eats raw bison and roots, traveled through a blizzard, leaps off cliffs, and, in one of the film’s most memorable moments, slept inside the torso of a dead horse.
Will he survive the incredible ordeal and exact revenge on his son’s killer?
‘The Revenant’ tells a classic tale of revenge, survival, and the resilience of the human spirit. It also serves as a stirring tribute to both the beauty and harshness of mother nature. Technically, it showcases an impressive blend of practical effects, CGI, dynamic camera work, and stunning cinematography. Emmanuel Lubezki, who also collaborated with Iñárritu on ‘Birdman’, is responsible for the latter. For film buffs, certain elements might evoke memories of films by Malick and Gibson, such as ‘The New World’ and ‘Apocalypto’.
As for DiCaprio, he left no stone unturned in his performance. He truly gave his all and deserves all the accolades he has received, and will surely continue to receive, for his masterful performance.
‘The Revenant’ also stars Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Forrest Goodluck, Will Poulter, and Lukas Haas. It is rated R for strong violence, language, and brief nudity, and has a runtime of 156 minutes.
