Has there been a film that was hyped up during the Oscar season, nabbed a few awards, and just disappear from the public eye? One of these films was "The Revenant", a grisly (no pun intended) Western epic that managed to be a huge box office success and win some notable awards such as Best Cinematography, Best Actor, and Best Director. Even though it seems like this could have started a new trend in the genre or even begin a huge career for the director, nothing has happened for six years and the film is starting to lose its impact. Does it deserve its fate or should people revisit a potential classic? Loosely based on true events, the film follows Hugh Glass, a frontiersman who is put in a critical condition after a brutal grizzly bear attack. John Fitzgerald, a trapper part of Glass's group, tries to mercy-kill Glass without his approval in order to get paid and leave the enduring wilderness, leading John to kill Glass's half-breed son who attempts to stop the murder. After lying to a younger crew-mate that they will get ambushed, Fitzgerald proceeds to leave Glass behind with no weapons and hope he dies in a half-buried grave. Despite his injuries, Glass pulls through and begins his journey back to civilization to let the truth out and kill Fitzgerald for the murder of his son. The real-life event is far different as Glass never had a son and even forgave Fitzgerald once he returned, as the latter wasn't as devious in real life. The story is very much a revenge-thriller with gritty sequences and stomach-churning moments. While the film tries to act like there's more to the story and themes with some trippy hallucinations and flashbacks, it kind of fails in making the story seem far more poetic or thought-provoking than it really is. Despite this, it completely works as a basic revenge-thriller as the tone cranks up the intense raw grit, suspense, and the growing sense of hope as Glass manages to pull through in the most chaotic situations. Even though the film is two-and-a-half hours, it never loses my attention as there's a ton of great action and character moments throughout the runtime.
Leonardo DiCaprio finally won a long-deserved Oscar for his performance as Glass. While everyone debates about his portrayal of the survivor shouldn't have been the role to win an Oscar in contrast to his more memorable performances, it shouldn't take away that DiCaprio did a great job. Yes, Glass doesn't have the most compelling dialogue in the world, but DiCaprio goes all out on the physical acting and pain that he and the character go through in both the movie and in production. Tom Hardy as Fitzgerald manages to rescue the antagonist from being just an unnecessary bad guy that just hates the main character. Hardy's gruff and devious performance shows how talented he is at playing characters that have limited personality and manages to make them memorable despite their flaws, whether it's both the hero or villain. Domhall Gleeson as Captain Henry is also really good, showing how much he cares for his people and loyalty to the point that he can't mercy-kill Glass. Will Poulter as Jim Bridger is another great cast as the younger and naive member of the team who is kind-hearted, but easily manipulated by Fitzgerald. The Native American characters, Hawk, Hiquc, and Powaqa, are well acted by their respective actors and actresses and give off their sense of humanity and comradery, but they have limited amount of screentime in the film to make their hardships and fates more devastating as they are. Any other minor characters are just as good as the others, but it's truly DiCaprio that steals the show and puts out an Oscar-worthy performance not by amazing dialogue or character depth, but just raw physical acting.
Alejandro G. Inarritu is a director that could have became one of the most in-demand filmmakers of the modern era for his Oscar-winning work on both "Birdman" and "The Revenant", but he chooses to make films in his native home of Mexico rather than do more Hollywood projects. Whether it's due to personal reasons or the complicated production "The Revenant" went through, it doesn't really matter by the end as Inarritu continues to show he is a masterful director. The isolated, winter landscape is not only captured both haunting in terms of its scope and obstacles, but beautifully captured by the director to show an appreciation for nature despite the trials it can produce for both Glass and the production. While it may seem like a grey, cold film to look at when you judge the story and tone, there's actually quite a bit of colour and warmth, whether it's a flashback or just one of numerous spectacular shots from Emmanuel Lubezki. Much like Inarritu himself, the cinematographer could have been another in-demand worker in the industry by just this film alone. Not only does Lubezki have some beautiful captures of the environment and unnerving hand-held movement of Glass's endeavours, but the many uninterrupted, tracking one-takes are incredible to look upon, whether it's for an action sequence or a moment of basic survival. The score by both Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto is both haunting and etherial at the same time, matching the beauty and dangerous landscape of the winter wilderness. The practical effects and make-up are excellent in making the gore and injuries look and feel real while staying in nature to the brutal tone. While there's not too much CGI in the film, the outstanding digital effect is the bear attack that is expertly captured by DiCaprio's acting, wires, prosthetics, and camerawork by Lubezki. And while the film isn't described as an action film per se, the ambush in the beginning and the duel between Glass and Fitzgerald is both as intense, violent, and riveting in every second, while the seamless camerawork and editing makes it almost too real at times. If this is Inarritu's final collaboration with Hollywood, at least he made it one hell of a movie to go out on.
"The Revenant" isn't a perfect film that matches some other Oscar-winning material. The story is basically a big-budget revenge thriller with little to no thematic substance and the changes made from real-life are too much at times, particularly Fitzgerald's antagonistic role and the resolution. Despite this, the film might be the best revenge-thriller to date if we're going by quality alone. From the brutal yet hopeful tone, DiCaprio's Oscar-winning performance as Glass, Hardy's talented acting to make Fitzgerald far more memorable and compelling despite the weak writing for the antagonist, the side and minor cast are very well acted and used throughout the film even if some dramatic flair is deflated, the camerawork by Lubezki deserves every bit of gold on that Oscar, the score by Sakamoto and Noto perfectly fits the duel-identity of the film, the practical and digital effects are extremely top-notch in making the viewer believe in how real it is, the few action sequences in the film are visually compelling and gritty to behold, and the directing by Inarritu is practically perfection in capturing the brutal and beautiful side of nature and making the viewer be on the same journey as Glass. The film doesn't deserve the continuing decline of unpopularity that the public continues to act on. It's not a film that will challenge anyone's beliefs or viewpoints or even the most effective drama out there, but it's still a masterful piece of work by both the performances and filmmakers that went to hell and back to make this movie.
Verdict: 8.5/10. Great revenge-thriller, even if it doesn't really carry much thematic weight. Still a viewing experience no matter the first or repeated viewing it is!
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