The Revenant * * * * 1/2
Director Alejandro Inarritu was uncompromising when shooting The Revenant. No CGI here. "On location" only. Apparently half the crew walked off, the conditions were so cold and the location so inhospitable. I’d have probably done the same. But I am grateful to those that stuck it out, for what they have given us is a film of such raw beauty and visual splendour it is an unforgettable experience.
Other films I have seen by Alejandro Inarritu are 21 grams and Babel both of which impressed me so much I went to see them twice (I think I’ll be doing the same with this). More recently he gave us Birdman which I would consider one of the worst films of 2015. But after this latest effort all is forgiven and I’m ready to make friends with Alejandro again.
Set two hundred years ago in what is now North America and Canada the story is quite simple. A troupe of trappers are hunting wild animals for their pelts. One of them, Glass (Leonardo Di Caprio), is badly injured. Another trapper, Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), is paid handsomely to look after Glass whilst the rest of the trappers move on, but Fitzgerald abandons Glass and before leaving commits an even greater crime against him. Against all odds, Glass survives. His sole intention now is to return to base and exact his revenge upon Fitzgerald.
In essence The Revenant is a three act drama. The events leading up to Glass being wounded. The return journey of Glass. The revenge of Glass.
I sense the actors in this film were no less committed than the director and his team. It would have been cold hard work. Perhaps the environment helped with their character development. (Hey, don’t feel sorry for them, they get paid enough, they’ll be alright). All the men in this film are scarred, scared, cold, exhausted and probably a bit insane. Their clothes, hair and skin are putrid. You can almost smell them. The only criticism I might make is their mumbling and slurring of words is so authentic at times they become incomprehensible. But this visually powerful story could probably be followed even if it were wordless.
There are other background stories that become apparent as the film progresses: a tribe of Indians who are looking for the Chief's daughter who has been kidnapped by French trappers, and Glass’s background and personal connection with the natives.
I can think of few films where the horror of bloody conflict - be it with man, creature or wilderness, has been so powerfully conveyed. From the outset we are uncomfortably close to the action with an attack on the camp by Pawnee Indians. Men dropping as arrows seem to come out of nowhere and thud into their bodies. Later an attack by a grizzly bear is a an unforgettable scene. Tortuous and hypnotic to watch: Its awesome strength, its insistent mauling of its victim, its breath and saliva. But more brutal (and beautiful) than anything is the wilderness: freezing winds and blizzards, snow-scapes that are endless yet always changing, and roaring rivers. (The comfort of the cinema never felt so good). On the screen is everything you want to see and nowhere you want to be. Nearly every establishing shot will leave you in awe.
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