The Revenant, 2015.
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Domhnall Gleeson and Forest Goodluck.
SYNOPSIS:
A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820’s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.
To say that The Revenant depicts the raw and feral intensity of revenge is an understatement. In Alejandro González Iñárritu’s follow-up to Oscar success story Birdman, he takes on the near mythical tale of frontiersman Hugh Glass who survived a horrific bear attack in the 1820s and set about taking revenge on those that left him for dead.
Shot in rural Canada and Argentina, The Revenant is a feast for the eyes from its opening shot through to the closing close up on DiCaprio’s face. It is simply breathtakingly stunning amidst the carnage and horrific events that take place. Long steady shots are used throughout to establish the landscape that will make up the 156 running time. Iñárritu demonstrates the beauty of the landscape that is steadily ruined as men trample through it on the road to revenge. Much has been said about the torturous conditions for filming and the impracticality of filming only in natural light. But it is a welcoming sight to see a film that doesn’t need to rely on the standard Hollywood gimmicks that are meant to entice you. The world is presented as a harsh and unforgiving environment that make Glass’ journey all the more compelling.
In the title role of Hugh Glass we have Leonardo DiCaprio demonstrating extreme commitment to his character from eating raw liver to live fish and enduring all sorts of horrific conditions. This is some of DiCaprio’s finest work and interestingly he is near silent throughout. There is a quiet intensity to his performance that encapsulates and allows the audience to rally with him on his quest to take revenge on John Fitzgerald (Hardy) who kills Glass’ son (Forest Goodluck) and leaves him for dead. Hardy excels in a character type that we’ve come to expect from him. He has a knack for playing unhinged men and his wild glances and hunched over shoulders make for an intimidating character that you loathe from the minute you meet him. There are no weak elements to the cast at all, with Will Poulter as the young and impressionable Bridger demonstrating once again that he is a talent to watch. His naivety and shame for his betrayal makes what could have been a 2D character come to life. Domhnall Gleeson who’s been putting in great performances of late is pitch perfect as the honourable Captain Andrew Henry.
Ultimately this is DiCaprio’s show from start to finish. Jokes about him never winning an Oscar have flown around every film he’s made since his first nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape but in this instance he does deserve the golden statue on the night. From a nearly wordless performance we get the backstory of his love for a Native American woman and his desire to protect and love his mixed race son. Issues of colonisation and the destruction of the Native American lands are indirectly discussed throughout the film and it’s good to see such a major issue being addressed. Glass is not presented as either a protagonist or antagonist. He sits in the middle, as a man who will do anything to survive and take revenge on the people that wronged him. Revenge stories may follow a simple formula, but rarely have they looked this striking.
The Revenant is brutal and disgusting at points. The bear attack is unsettling to watch not just because of the severe wounds that Glass receives, but the scene’s construction is a masterclass in suspense as the bear keeps coming and coming. We see Glass have to cauterize his own flesh, crawl naked into a dead horse, throw himself into freezing lakes and so on. Iñárritu takes his audience on a brutal journey along with Glass and doesn’t let up the pace. The 156 minute run time flies by and audiences will marvel at the brutality and wonderment of the natural world.
For once all the Oscar hype is worth it for this truly ingenious film. Beautifully directed by Iñárritu from the opening sweeping shots where it feels the camera is swinging past the actors with a mind of its own, through to the stunning imagery of Glass’ hallucinations and the brief moments of levity when Glass and a fellow traveller stick out their tongues and enjoy the snowflakes; it is a visceral masterpiece.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Helen Murdoch is a freelance writer – Follow me on Twitter
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