The Revenant: Movie Review

"The Revenant" is a tour de force in terms of its technical achievements. Every shot is beautiful - magnificent even. And the great care Alejendro Iñárritu took to have everything done his way no matter the cost shows. The film relishes its naturalness - from the gory sequences to the its various vistas and backdrops. And need we even mention that Leonardo DiCaprio probably gave it his whole and more? The film is as much visceral as it is stunning and we were pretty much in awe the whole way through.

In 1823, thousands of men joined the fur trade. It was a time when many saw the wild as a void that demanded to be tamed and conquered only by the steeliest of men. And so they poured into the unknown, plying unmapped rivers, disappearing into impossibly lush forests, seeking not only excitement and adventure but also profit along the way. Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) was one of those men. But when he is attacked by a grizzly bear and left for dead by one of his compatriots, Glass miraculously survives and now seeks vengeance not only for the great betrayal he has encountered but for the murder of his only son.

Yes, "The Revenant" is a stunner and Alejandro Iñárritu just made another masterpiece. If his previous film concentrated in showing a film using a single shot illusion, "The Revenant" focuses on all the natural details and it was astounding, grimacing and even frightening. "The Revenant" just felt hyper-realistic and it really does transport you from the cinema to the wilderness in no time. The cinematography is the film's best asset and every frame was stunning in its own way. The acting, as expected, was superb. Leonardo DiCaprio brings much intensity to the table and you feel it was truly a no holds barred affair from the guy an one that is raw and real performances we have seen on-screen. We applaud him for that and it totally works with Iñárritu's cinematography. Probably the biggest dilemma for us is the film's overall story. It was rather simple and at times had long stretches of nothing really happening. We totally get why it was made that way. This is a survival film. But it is not as action-packed and revenge-driven as the thumping trailer may have implied and if you found out how the film handled its fight sequences, it would have been glorious to have more of those. Overall, "The Revenant" is one amazing film to experience but it also requires much patience and the right mindset to truly enjoy what it has to offer.

Rating: 3 and a half reels




Why you should watch it:
- Leonardo DiCaprio in his most intense and raw
- stunning cinematography

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the film's story was rather simple and dull at times