The Revenant (Cinema Review)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter
Directed By: Alejandro González Inarritu
Running Time: 156 Minutes
UK Certificate: 15
UK Release Date: 15th January 2016

Awards season is yet again upon us, bringing with it the usual ‘tick these boxes in order to get an award’ type films. Not that I think this is a bad thing, as I have previously written that this is the time of year where audiences are treated to some of the best films studios have to offer, and I stand by that.

The Revenant tells the story of Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), a fur huntsman and frontiersman in the 1820’s who is left for dead by his party after a vicious bear attack. His half Native American son is murdered in front of his eyes by fellow hunter John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and Glass’s lust for revenge drives his survival against the odds and elements.

You may have heard great things about this film already and there is no doubt that this is a very well made and beautifully shot film. I suspect, however, that it won’t be to everyone’s tastes, mainly due to the slow pace and runtime.

I was already sold on The Revenant having seen director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s previous Oscar winning film, Birdman (2014) –  which I thought was an unexpectedly brilliant comedy. Birdman was utterly captivating as it was made to look like one continues take, expertly shot by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, whose previous films include Y Tu Mamá También (2001), Children of Men (2006) and Gravity (2013). Lubezki returns to lend his expert eye and truly makes this film visually stunning, from the opening Pawnee attack, which is reminiscent in its intensity to the opening of Saving Private Ryan (1998), to the countless shots of the bleak yet beautifully poetic snow covered landscapes.

These many long takes add a level of realism, especially in the action sequences, which is welcome in this age of quick cuts and fast edits. The camera is unflinching, sweeping between actors and actions, and often so close to that you see the blood, sweat, tears and raw emotions of the characters. This is most effective in the unbroken and brutal bear attack, which is something you have never seen put on screen in such a traumatic way. However, there are many great edits between shots that add a well needed breather to some scenes.

Some of the haunting and cold imagery is dream-like and there are many subtleties where the use of natural light adds wonders to these shots. However, from this film and Birdman (2014) we know that director Iñárritu must really have a thing for meteors and birds.

It turns out that a lot of people I know have already seen this film, as a screener was leaked last year – but I implore that they (and you) watch it at the cinema. Not just to recoup the studio’s lost earnings (which it has nothing to worry about as this film will make loads of money) but because this film and cinematography deserves to been seen on a big screen with a great sound system to take in the atmospheric score.

I could go on about how beautiful this film looks and for the first time I can genuinely say I would love to see this film converted into 3D, as that extra depth would make this film truly astounding.

Leading this film is DiCaprio, who is one of today’s best Hollywood actors. Some may say that his performance is based mainly on grunts, moans and a protruding lower jaw, and that it is underserving of his Golden Globe and upcoming Oscar win (99% he will get it, 1% sure it will go to BB-8). But the academy has a history of awarding actors and actresses not necessarily for their performance in a certain film, but because they are overdue it. Al Pacino for 1992’s Scent of a Woman and not for The Godfather Part 2 in 1974, Kate Winslet in 2008’s The Reader and not for 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are just two examples that spring to mind. The point being that DiCaprio is overdue an Oscar and I feel that this will be his year.

You may have heard of the gruelling nine-month shoot with unforgiving weather and terrain to capture the remote, untouched locations, as well as all scenes being shot with natural light (which is magnificent). This lead to sudden storms and plummeting temperatures, and you can see the effects on DiCaprio’s face. He had to eat raw liver and that isn’t a stuntman being swept down a freezing river. His post bear attack makeup is gruesome and the team behind that deserve recognition. He is the centrepiece of this film and I can’t envision many other actors playing a better part. Some may say he chose this film purely to win an Oscar, but I say he deserves it.

I’m also glad that Tom Hardy was nominated for his role as the villainous John Fitzgerald, as his performance seems effortless, simple but not one dimensional. Hardy missed out on appearing in this year’s Suicide Squad movie due to the overrunning shoot, and in recent interviews said that he channelled this anger into his character. Fitzgerald has the eyes of a psycho and a vindictive history with the Pawnee, so his disdain towards Glass’s son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) is of little surprise. However Fitzgerald seems more suited for the times and is a great counterbalance to Glass, even though they are both doing what they feel they must do to survive.

The film also has two actors who have already established themselves as ones to watch out for in the coming years. Domhnall Gleeson plays the hunting party’s Captain Andrew Henry with great leadership, compassion and wisdom, while Will Poulter plays Bridger, another member of the hunting party who spends the majority of the film solely with Fitzgereld – for which in a film this long I would have loved to have seen more scenes between the two.

Due to the length and conditions of the shoot everyone involved may have seen this film as a labour of love, and the results come across. I was conflicted as to whether to give this film 5 out of 5 as many other critics have. This is because I am a bit of a rebel at heart and like to trust my gut to form my own opinion of things. This is a film designed to tell a story in a less than conventional way and some will argue that it has been made purely to win recognition and various accolades.

There is no argument that it is an excellent piece of cinema, but in the context of comparing it to other Oscar bait films it stands above them for bravely doing its own thing. Give the team behind this film all of the awards as you’ll be hard pressed to find a richer film this year. Besides just a few nagging continuity errors it is a well deserving film that will hold up over time as a classic.

Also for my personal benefit please give the director the money and freedom to create a science fiction film starring Viggo Mortensen.

Overall Verdict: A beautifully shot, engrossing and very well made picture about survival, vengeance and spirituality. It won’t be for all but it’s rare that a film is so well made that it can be considered a work of art, and this is one of the best historical dramas I have seen in a long time, well worth your attention.

Reviewer: George Elcombe