Review 374: The Revenant
The Revenant is a brutal, hard boiled knuckle baring, edge-of-your seat survival film, quite possibly Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's best film, another showcase for a brilliant performance by Leonardo DiCaprio and my pick for the best film of 2015.
Based on novel The Revenant: A novel of Revenge by Michael Punke, which in turn is based on a true story. While exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home to his beloved family. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him.
The plot may sound simple, but the way it's brought together onscreen beggars belief.
At it's core it's a story about survival, revenge and jealousy. Hugh Glass was a man who loved his native family and his work, who was mortally wounded out in the field and to make matters worse, was latter abandoned by his own comrades. Left out in the wilderness with no supplies or support, he had to use his wits, his ingenuity and whatever wild things he could get his hands on to survive.
The great thing about this particular survival story is that it really shows you and you get the sense of what it was like out there in the wild in those days (1823). When something happens to Glass, you sit there thinking to yourself, "ohh, hows he gonna get out of this one?" When Glass gets hurt, he feels genuinely hurt, you almost feel his pain, it's almost like we are there, sharing his journey with him and we want to see him come out on top. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu pulls no punches in showing the brutality, Glass went through to get back to civilisation. This is defiantly not for the faint of heart.
Survival: The central core of the film is Glass' fight to survive out there in the wild after he's abandoned. Glass was a man who loved his work and his family, was almost killed by a bear, abandoned by his comrads and had to rely on the his wits and his ingenuity to survive. Glass' journey was a near-impossible one yet applies himself, perceivers and However, despite how hard it is for him to survive in nature, it becomes harder for the native people
Revenge: One of the main driving forces behind Glass's journey is the desire to get his revenge on Fitzgerald for abandoning him. But as he goes on this journey he starts to question weather revenge is the thing that will quench his thirst at the end of the day.
Jealousy: One of the best aspects of this movie is the rivalry between Hugh Glass and John Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald blames Glass for all his misfortunes which is why he has him abandoned.
Overcoming the Odds: Another aspect that this film conveys so superbly is what it feels like to have all the chips stacked against you, to have so little chance of survival, the perseverance of the human spirit as well as what we can endure and Glass had to endure a lot, cold, starvation and survere injuries to make it back to civilisation.
The issues and concerns of intense parental and filial relations are also prevalent throughout the film: From the opening scene Inarritu wastes no time in showing the importance that Glass puts on his family. Making it very clear that the thing that he cares about most is protecting his wife and son
Because of their nationality as Native Americans, they live in a hostile environment
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's direction is unobtrusive, as well as showing the brutality of Glass's journey, he livens it up greatly, giving it an epic feels, the way he stages shots and shoots landscapes is almost God-like. The cinematography is lush and gorgeous and captures the beauty and the ominicity of the Northern Plaines, the scenery is just... breathtaking - the landscapes are rich in texture and detail and helps to immerse us into the sound is astonishing, the locations are staggering, the score by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto is beautiful, the production design is amazing and captures the permeative and simple living conditions of Central America. The make up is rich and beautifully detailed. The costumes are majestic, the pacing is relentless, the violence is unrelenting (this is definitely not a film for the faint of heart) and the ending was painfully, beautifully crafted.
The acting is tremendous, Leonardo DiCaprio shows us once again what a marvellous actor he is in another masterful performance as Hugh Glass, he captures the physical aspect of the character as well as the emotional aspect: a man left out in the wild with nothing but his wits and his bear hands and nothing to loose. His gruelling quest for revenge survival is absolutely gripping
Before his journey begins, Hugh Glass loses everything in his life at the hands of Fitzgerald. He becomes a man hardened by the harsh realities of his profession (the fur trade) and the death of his Pawnee wife.
Tom Hardy gives a slimy, twisted performance as John Fitzgerald, his ceaseless disrespect for others. A man ready to do anything to ensure himself a profit despite the odds, even if it means getting rid of some, if not all, of the expedition members only drives home what a selfish bastard he is.
Will Poulter gives a expertly capturing the vulnerability and
The Revenant is Inarritu's ultimate masterpiece, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic.
Survival: The central core of the film is Glass' fight to survive out there in the wild after he's abandoned. Glass was a man who loved his work and his family, was almost killed by a bear, abandoned by his comrads and had to rely on the his wits and his ingenuity to survive. Glass' journey was a near-impossible one yet applies himself, perceivers and However, despite how hard it is for him to survive in nature, it becomes harder for the native people
Revenge: One of the main driving forces behind Glass's journey is the desire to get his revenge on Fitzgerald for abandoning him. But as he goes on this journey he starts to question weather revenge is the thing that will quench his thirst at the end of the day.
Jealousy: One of the best aspects of this movie is the rivalry between Hugh Glass and John Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald blames Glass for all his misfortunes which is why he has him abandoned.
Overcoming the Odds: Another aspect that this film conveys so superbly is what it feels like to have all the chips stacked against you, to have so little chance of survival, the perseverance of the human spirit as well as what we can endure and Glass had to endure a lot, cold, starvation and survere injuries to make it back to civilisation.
The issues and concerns of intense parental and filial relations are also prevalent throughout the film: From the opening scene Inarritu wastes no time in showing the importance that Glass puts on his family. Making it very clear that the thing that he cares about most is protecting his wife and son
Because of their nationality as Native Americans, they live in a hostile environment
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's direction is unobtrusive, as well as showing the brutality of Glass's journey, he livens it up greatly, giving it an epic feels, the way he stages shots and shoots landscapes is almost God-like. The cinematography is lush and gorgeous and captures the beauty and the ominicity of the Northern Plaines, the scenery is just... breathtaking - the landscapes are rich in texture and detail and helps to immerse us into the sound is astonishing, the locations are staggering, the score by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto is beautiful, the production design is amazing and captures the permeative and simple living conditions of Central America. The make up is rich and beautifully detailed. The costumes are majestic, the pacing is relentless, the violence is unrelenting (this is definitely not a film for the faint of heart) and the ending was painfully, beautifully crafted.
The acting is tremendous, Leonardo DiCaprio shows us once again what a marvellous actor he is in another masterful performance as Hugh Glass, he captures the physical aspect of the character as well as the emotional aspect: a man left out in the wild with nothing but his wits and his bear hands and nothing to loose. His gruelling quest for revenge survival is absolutely gripping
Before his journey begins, Hugh Glass loses everything in his life at the hands of Fitzgerald. He becomes a man hardened by the harsh realities of his profession (the fur trade) and the death of his Pawnee wife.
Tom Hardy gives a slimy, twisted performance as John Fitzgerald, his ceaseless disrespect for others. A man ready to do anything to ensure himself a profit despite the odds, even if it means getting rid of some, if not all, of the expedition members only drives home what a selfish bastard he is.
Will Poulter gives a expertly capturing the vulnerability and
The Revenant is Inarritu's ultimate masterpiece, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic.
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