To call Hugh Glass’ survival story an incredible tale would be a bit of an understatement. It’s practically a miracle. Perhaps that’s why he came to be known as the Revenant, meaning one who was reborn from death.
About 200 years ago, he was on a fur trading expedition when he was attacked by a grizzly bear and left for dead by the other members of his team. He had to crawl back to life, mortally wounded, and survive on his own as he tracked the expedition down so that he could seek revenge.
Yes, it’s incredible but it’s also based on the incredible true story. It’s become a thing of legend and has been translated to the screen before. Now, Alejandro González Iñárritu has brought his version to theatres and it has already become a celebrated effort with a brand new Golden Globe for best film and best actor. While Leonardo DiCaprio certainly is more appreciable when he doesn’t have so many lines, I still hesitate to consider him a frontrunner for the Oscars at the end of next month.
The Revenant is a brutal and bleak look at the fateful events that Glass underwent in 1820. In this movie, Glass (DiCaprio) is just one of the expedition when it is attacked by Arikara Indian warriors and forced to flee into the mountain wilderness along with his son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), and several others including John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) who he didn’t get along with at all.
That encounter with the bear left Glass in dire circumstances, forcing the team to separate, Fitzgerald choosing to stay behind to tend to the wounded man in what probably would have been his last days. Instead, he kills Hawk and leaves Glass to perish on the wintry ground. Glass instead musters all of his will and courage to fend for himself and seek justice for the wrong.
It’s a pretty compelling story, one told with what appears to be a more than fair degree of authenticity. People are stabbed and shot with bullets and arrows. DiCaprio speaks to his Pawnee son in the native language of his people. And when that bear comes lumbering out of the woods at full tilt, we wonder where the fur stopped and the special effects started. Full credit to Iñárritu for always imbuing his fantastic stories with realistic imagery. There should be much credit for the technical and technological mastery at work here. The marvelous narrative helps substantially as well. I don’t think that I’ve seen a movie quite like it. That, plus it kept my attention rapt, a truly notable achievement since it runs past the 2 1/2 hour mark without the lapse of time being noticeable.
But what drives this story along are the performances, and yes, DiCaprio does a fine job with his brave and raw portrayal. The actor who really stands out, however, is Tom Hardy. Still a relatively new talent, Hardy has more than proven his range and credibility with powerhouse performances in such films as Mad Max: Fury Road, Legend, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Inception (also partially filmed in Alberta as The Revenant was). If you asked me, he’s already ready for the acceptance stage at the Academy Awards.
Review
The Revenant<br />Stars: 5.0<br />Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Paul Anderson, Melaw Nakehk'o, Arthur RedCloud, Lukas Haas, Amelia Crow Show, Clarence Hoof, Chesley Wilson, Isaiah Tootoosis, and Grace Dove<br />Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu<br />Written by Mark L. Smith and Alejandro González Iñárritu<br />Rated: 14A for brutal violence, coarse language and smoking<br />Runtime: 156 minutes<br />Now playing at: Cineplex Odeon North Edmonton and Scotiabank Theatre
