Sometime ago, I was all set to watch The Revenant with an acquaintance. We had agreed to meet up on a Saturday at the Bondi cinemas. However, a day before our meeting, he cancelled. It was actually his idea to catch this film. He said The Reverend’ instead of Revenant. At the time, Leo DiCaprio had been generating some serious Oscar buzz. He was considered the frontrunner for Best Actor. I had a feeling that this was a movie you had to see on the big screen. Upon recently viewing it on Netflix, I was on point. Revenant was the most visually striking flick since I saw Dune on the platform. The premise reminded me a bit of Man vs. Wild, with Bear Grylls. The flick also has shades of The Count of Monte Cristo. Going back though, this 2015 production was director Alejandro Inarritu’s tour de force.

Period film

Set against a bleak 1820s backdrop, Revenant follows the trials of Hugh Glass, played by DiCaprio. He is a cartographer who best knows the land. He has a son, Hawk, who’s half Native American. The latter often faces discrimination, much like the Indigenous peoples of Australia. Even Glass cops it. The movie opens with Glass’s group being under attack by Indians. Their numbers decimated, they take to the rivers. John S. Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the main antagonist, is miffed that his furs are stolen. He vows to get back at the Indians.

Aside from his mapping skills, Glass is also a good marksman. However, a grizzly mauling cripples him. The bear savaged him and manhandled him like a rag doll. Only after being attacked did Glass terminated the rogue with a blade. The scene was quite ethereal, a primal but moving moment. It was decided that he would stay back with two companions. One chaperone was Fitzgerald, the ruthless mercenary out for blood. He is not beneath murder to make a few bucks. When Hawk cries foul, Fitzgerald guts him. He then shoves a breathing Glass in an open grave. Leaving him for dead, he and Bridger rejoin the group to collect their rewards. John lies about Glass, telling his captain that Glass was as dead as a dodo. To avoid any dramas, Bridger keeps mum.

The Road

Meanwhile, Glass grieves for his only child. He rises out of the grave like a ghost. He is but a shadow of the man he used to be. His body is full of hideous battle scars. He could barely walk. To make matters worse, he has to brave the snow with only the clothes on his back. He uses his smarts to weather the storm. He mobilised his knowledge of the locus to outwit nature. He eats leaves and the occasional raw meat. He shivers through every night. He reminds me of a zombie, constantly eluding death. Glass dons a big-ass bear getup for a quarter of the film. This was good camouflage that aided him in his quest. Along the way, he eats raw fish and whatever scraps he could find. On account of his limited mobility and lack of resources at hand, he has to wing it.

He meets a kindred soul, a man who – like him – bears a grudge against the fur trappers. Initially wary, he tosses Glass some raw bison meat. The native provides him shelter in the coldest of nights. He fashions a tent out of sticks and garments. He likewise uses his kinetic powers to improve Glass’s scabs. Sadly, as the storm ends, this Good Samaritan would be hanged. Once again, Glass has to tough it out on his own.

Lex talionis

It is clear that Glass wants revenge. ‘An eye for an eye,’ as they say. He must locate Fitzgerald and kill him for murdering his son. On the way, he meets a French contingent who ransacks an Indian village. Initially, Glass was only there to steal a horse. However, he could not accept the abuse sitting down. So he threatens a particularly rough Frenchmen before setting off. The snowstorm starts again, so he guts his fallen horse and snuggles in buck naked. Actually, I’m quite impressed. Glass could seemingly sleep at the oddest ‘beds’ in the middle of a freezing storm. This is definitely the more unrealistic aspects of the picture. The movie is interspersed with shots of Glass’s late wife and kid. This adds more humanity to a picture that’s already emotionally charged.

Of course, Glass would find his way back. The enemy would be on report. Bridger will be brought to justice for tolerating and enabling John’s murderous rampage. Being a wholesale criminal, Fitzgerald goes into hiding. Their Captain vows to search the skies to bring him to justice. While the former suggests that John had headed for Texas, Glass is positive that John is merely hiding out in the woods. He knows him too well. Sadly, the Captain would go to heaven while Fitzgerald and Glass would duke it out in an epic battle. It was one of the most gruesome climaxes I’ve ever seen. The harsh, perturbing fight scene was in stark contrast to the bleak but beauteous cinematography.

Surprising

Given that it was a Western, I was quite surprised that the film was very watchable and captivating. It wasn’t as dull as I had assumed. Though it clocks in at 155 minutes, I loved every scene and dialogue. Millions of others would agree, given that it grossed 655 million bucks worldwide. The familiar faces also helped. As far as the cinemas go, I’ve seen Leo in Wolf of Wall Street and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I likewise caught Will Poulter in two Maze Runners at the cinema.

A while ago, I saw The Revenant novel on a library shelf. I scanned it but decided not to borrow it. However, the movie intrigued me more. It’s hard to fall in love with a Western novel set in the early 1800s. The film though exceeded my expectations. For a comparison, Revenant is on par with Moonlight, which won Best Picture in 2017. Interestingly, Revenant was initially given a limited release, before being expanded to a wide release in December of 2015.

Throughout the film, there are sumptuous shots of the snowy landscape. From bison to elk, rivers to streams, teepees to wolves, and chilly winds to snow capped mountains, the views were Nomadland on steroids. Movies teleport us to different times and settings. This one does so commendably. The cinematographer, who is also Mexican, won a third straight statuette for his efforts. No doubt, it was a well deserved honour for Emanuel.

Unrecognisable

Nigel was a former clubmate from uni. He told me that when the actor becomes totally unrecognisable in a movie, then they’ll win the Oscar. He cited the late Heath Ledger’s turn as Joker. I have to agree with Nigel. Leo’s character was especially indistinguishable, a very marked departure from his other roles. Glass was gritty, riveting and always against the odds. You could almost forget that this was an adaptation of a 2002 novel. He has come a long way from the baby faced pleb who drew a nude Kate Winslet in Titanic.

The movie itself was a long time coming. Inarritu signed on to helm the film way back in August 2011. DiCaprio was cast as the lead in 2014. In terms of cinematic magnetism, Tom Hardy is a close second. He is absolutely detestable as John. As the viewer, you kinda wish that he gets what’s coming. With more badness comes more hatred for him. By the time his comeuppance arrives, you would’ve waited too long.

Acclaim

The picture was nominated for eight Oscars in 2016, winning three. Inarritu claimed his second consecutive Best Director trophy. Meanwhile, DiCaprio nabbed his first Best Actor plum after five prior nominations. Revenant also came home with Best Cinematography. Hardy received a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor nomination. Prior to the ceremony, DiCaprio also won the Golden Globe for Lead Actor while Inarritu got Best Director. Revenant was adjudged as Best Film.

Notably, Revenant was a hit with critics, notching up a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I guess the foreign ambience and stark violence recalibrated people’s movie experience. When all was said and done, Revenant ranks highly as one of 2015’s finest flicks. The grizzly bear attack was also exotic. It ties in nicely with the shivering atmosphere. You don’t see rabid bears setting off very often. Bonus points for the originality.

Rating: 4.8/5