THE REVENANT is an immersive and
visceral cinematic experience capturing one man’s epic adventure of survival
and the extraordinary power of the human spirit. In an expedition of the uncharted
American wilderness, legendary explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is
brutally attacked by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting
team. In a quest to survive, Glass endures unimaginable grief as well as the
betrayal of his confidant John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). Guided by sheer will and
the love of his family, Glass must navigate a vicious winter in a relentless
pursuit to live and find redemption.
The Revenenant is a triumph and there’s
more than 1 reason why. There are so many moving parts in this film, so many
points of failure that could make this movie crash and burn that it’s a wonder
how it was able to achieve its goals and turns out as great as it is.
First off the movie is a western. Yes, a
western and these movies don’t often get much attention in today’s world of
films that are heavy sci-fi, super hero, or both. A western alone is a point of
failure that this movie manages to overcome and turn into a benefit.
The
Effects- Those of you who have seen this
movie will think for a moment and wonder “What CGI”. No, they didn’t let a real
bear sit their and maul on Leonardo DiCaprio’s back for 5-10 minute segments.
In actuality that wonderful cinematic moment was something referred to as a
“Computer Generated Image” or CGI for short with a mix of this forgotten method
of film making that used to be referred to as “practical effects”. Yes, it was
that damn good. The mix of practical film making made the CGI superfluous to
the more traditional methods of film making but the fact that it went unnoticed
is not something that should be overlooked.
The
acting – Enough gushing about Leonardo
DiCaprio, can we talk about Tom Hardy for a second? For most films a hero is
only as strong as its villain. The Dark Knight had Heath Ledger’s Joker, Casino
Royale had Mads Mikkelsen, and The Revenant has Tom Hardy who’s making up for
The Dark Knight Rises’ Bane. His turn as John Fitzgerald is downright
infuriating. He’s a guy doing incredibly heinous and unforgivable things that
but does so under the belief of self-preservation. He’s a guy who has to do
awful things in order to survive and I can’t help but wonder if the same
thoughts would race through my mind in a comparable situation. He’s incredibly
calculated and sometimes even seems to wrestle with his decisions but those
decisions he chooses are the tings that make you Glass hate him. He’s amazing
in this role and deserves some recognition for the effort.
Leonardo
DiCaprio does a great job in his role and he’s a consistently great actor but I
can’t help but feel that Hardy may have stolen some of the show from DiCaprio.
DiCaprio does a fantastic job and this may be a scenario where I’m hard pressed
to say one was better than
the other rather than one made more of an impression than the other.
The story of the Revenant is a simple
one. A man who was left for dead wants revenge on the folks who left him. The
simplicity in the story makes it seem almost instinctual and primal and that is
an effective tool in story telling. I don’t need to know much more about the
character other than he was wronged and I can instantly relate. It’s quite
elequent in its own way because its so relatable.
The
Direction – The Revenant can be tough to
watch. There are scenes that literally made me squirm in my seat and… close my
eyes. Yes, it was that intense and the ferocity of what was put on film and
projected in front of me was just too much for this simple writer more than
once. Bravo. It’s been far too long since I saw a movie say “this is just too
real for me”. The muted palette on the screen lends itself well to the
environment of the bitter cold frontier and adds some sort of visual grit that
I didn’t fully appreciate until hindsight set in. The idea of washing a film
with a certain color is not new but it’s still very effective.
Rewatchability
– I want to see the Revenant again.
I Want to see if I can watch those scenes that made me turn my head. I want to
see if there are more details that I missed. There’s a lot that happened to
Glass in his journey to survive and those little moments woven together create
a great film that I want to make sure I didn’t overlook. Why? Because it’s that
friggin good and there are few films outside of a Chistopher Nolan movie that
evoke that sort of response out of me. I NEED to make sure I understood
everything and didn’t miss anything.
Overall this is a great movie. Might not
be the best ‘date’ movie but it’s certainly one of those movies youw ant to see
and give your full attention to while watching. This movie may not be for everyone
because it’s slower paced, a western, and downright gruesome at times. IF you
want to see something that will make you want to hold your pee rather than miss
a scene then you should definitely check out the Revenant and brace yourself.
THE REVENANT is an immersive and
visceral cinematic experience capturing one man’s epic adventure of survival
and the extraordinary power of the human spirit. In an expedition of the
uncharted American wilderness, legendary explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo
DiCaprio) is brutally attacked by a bear and left for dead by members of his
own hunting team. In a quest to survive, Glass endures unimaginable grief as
well as the betrayal of his confidant John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). Guided by
sheer will and the love of his family, Glass must navigate a vicious winter in
a relentless pursuit to live and find redemption.
The Revenenant is a triumph and there’s
more than 1 reason why. There are so many moving parts in this film, so many
points of failure that could make this movie crash and burn that it’s a wonder
how it was able to achieve its goals and turns out as great as it is.
Academy
Award winner Alejandro González Iñárritu (“Birdman”) directed, co-wrote and
co-produced “The Revenant” with the indisputable intent of transporting his
audience back to the primitive and animalistic conditions inherent to the
brutal and untamed North American wilderness of the early 19th Century.
Having experienced this masterpiece in modern filmmaking now myself, I feel
qualified to deliver the following declaration in the most resounding manner
possible…MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!
With
each stunning scene of grim grandeur Iñárritu passed before my eyes, I was
unwaveringly riveted, hurtled headlong, swept into every successive moment,
captivated in a whirling dervish of surging vitality. From ultra-violent
Native (and non-indigenous) American ambushes, to excruciatingly crude
cleansing of heinous bodily wounds, to a Grizzly Bear mauling that for all the
world appears to be actually happening, I was rendered at once exhausted and
exhilarated in the wake of a furiously unrelenting assault on my emotions.
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio in the role of his career as real-life frontier legend Hugh
Glass, “The Revenant” is a ferociously ambitious epic, presented essentially in
three distinct acts: Escape, Survival and Revenge. Tom Hardy’s perfect
performance as reprehensible antagonist and the reviled target of Glass’s
relentless scorn, John Fitzgerald, serves to further solidify the richly gifted
actor, together with DiCaprio, among the genuine elite of their craft.
There is a deeply effecting, albeit
brief, Epilogue to “The Revenant”, as the nearly two and a half hours of
full-force frenzy that has preceded it comes to a movingly quiet climax.
An unspeakably tortured soul has found
peace. At the end of a long and agonizing odyssey, and at long last,
enduring peace.
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