“The Revenant,” released Jan. 8, is already one of the most talked about movies in theaters.
The film, inspired by true events, is directed by Academy Award winner Alejandro González Iñárritu starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy.
The beautifully brutal and brilliant plot captures the audience from the beginning. This is the second film Hardy and DiCaprio have appeared in together. They were both in “Inception” in 2010 and have remained good friends. Although they are playing enemies, the men have a good energy between them.
The film opens with a bloody battle between Native Americans and settlers. It is a stunning representation of those violent battles and the feud between the two groups.
To its credit, the film doesn’t portray either side as the “good guys” or the “bad guys.”
The survivors, including Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), escape the battle and start hiking into the fierce wilderness for shelter. It is no shock that the film is nominated for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling by the Academy. The viewer is immediately transported to the 1820s.
All the actors bear an uncanny resemblance to 1820s hunters through their clothing and rugged looks. The most intense scene of the whole film is the bear attack.
While out in the woods hunting, Glass is attacked by a massive grizzly bear. The mauling goes on for a while and leaves the audience and Glass’s crew wondering how he is still alive. Although I knew the scene was coming, the scene was extremely difficult to watch. Glass’s troop believes there is no way he can survive after the attack and leaves Glass for dead.
Thus, the theme of revenge begins. Glass is barely breathing, but he ultimately finds the strength to seek revenge on the crew that left him behind. He travels across the country through horrendous weather conditions, with barely any supplies and faces many obstacles on the way.
I honestly expected Glass to die at least 15 times during the movie.
DiCaprio says about twenty words the entire film, but this could easily be remembered as his best performance. I cannot imagine anyone else playing Glass besides DiCaprio. He has such a wide variety of characters he’s played, but he committed to this one 110%— eating raw buffalo liver and crawling inside a dead horse to keep warm.
The only negative of the film is the length, which is about three hours long. Despite the length there is never a dull moment. I was glued to the screen the whole time.
Already dominating the awards season, “The Revenant” has already won three Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture, Best Actor in a Motion Picture and Best Director. It is the leading Oscar nominated film with 12 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Actor.
Be prepared for gory, violent, and raw moments.
This film is not for a weak stomach. At some parts, I was absolutely disgusted and had to turn away. I think my hands were covering my mouth 90% of the movie to keep from gasping. But if you can handle bloody, brutal and savage scenes, then go see this movie as soon as possible.
“The Revenant” is currently playing at Cinemark Theaters in Conway. It is rated R for strong violence, sexual assault, language and brief nudity.
This article originally appeared in the Jan. 20, 2016 print edition of The Echo.
image via foxfilms.com
