The Revenant (2015)

Genre

Adventure | Drama

Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Country

USA

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Grace Dove, Paul Anderson, Brendan Fletcher, Kristoffer Joner, Melaw Nakehk'o, Duane Howard, Brad Carter, Lukas Haas

Storyline

In an expedition of the uncharted American wilderness, 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.

Opinion

About one year ago Alejandro G. Iñárritu, one of my favourite directors, took home not one, not two, but three Oscars for "Birdman"; those statuettes were followed by a speech about ego and as that is one of our greatest enemies. Well, a lot has been said and written about "The Revenant", and while many think that Iñárritu did not listen to his own advice returning with the great ambition to make a masterpiece, ego or not ego, in my humble opinion Iñárritu did make a masterpiece.

"The Revenant" is a magnificent, powerful film that delivers every single emotion, and whose brutality and viscerality pierce like a sharp blade and make us reflect on human nature.

Inspired by true events, the film is a deep cinematic experience that tells a story of revenge and survival, the epic adventure of a man trying to survive only with his strenght of spirit. It could have easily been nothing more than just a revenge film, but here comes the extraordinary ability of Iñárritu who transforms an average plot into something spectacular, using the contrast between poetic beauty and the ugliness of violence to point out human's interference with nature. The whole comes with a life lesson: as long as you can still grab a breath, you fight.

While it is certainly not the first Man vs. Wild film, "The Revenant" puts everyone on the same level, both men and animals, both victims and perpetrators. The cold and impassive nature assists the human turmoils dictated by the necessities of existence of the Native Americans and the need for profit of the white men.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu's directorial style and choices shine through the film, creating a visceral and aesthetic contrast as we watch the gorgeous landscapes and scenery melting with the brutal storyline. 

The musical score, the visual effects and the make-up are impressive, but the cinematography is completely on another level. Emmanuel Lubezki captured the stunning landscapes and followed the battle scenes superbly, allowing you to fully immerge into the film. It looks like Lubezki is about to get his third Oscar in a row.

And now the performances. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a visceral, raw performance as Hugh Glass, a performance that will live on in history. He portrays Glass's desperation in a wonderful manner: he doesn't even need to speak throughout a lot of the film to convey a thousand of feelings and to make you feel inside the character. That's the real acting, being able to express emotions through body language rather than handling dialogue in the right way. This outstanding performance is supported by an excellent performance from Tom Hardy. The British actor pulled of a really good accent -- it really wowed me -- and he also blew me away with his acting skills, delivering a terrific performance as brutal Fitzgerald. Domhnall Gleeson also did a great job -- his Irish accent occasionally showed up though.

As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe... keep breathing. - Hugh Glass

The wind cannot defeat a tree with strong roots.