The Revenant

By: Robert Murphy

There was something about the unsettled world during the 1800's, there was so much yet to discover, a harsh world waiting to be conquered and you truly needed to know how to survive of the land. This is exactly the sort of life Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) knows how to live as an experienced fur trapper who is sent along and expedition of men seeking furs for the season. But, as I said the land is fraught with danger and the expedition suffers setback after setback to the point that desperation and eventually betrayal sets in among these men. 

The story opens on the first of many breathtaking scenes throughout the movie which was filmed in various spots in Argentina and Calgary to fit the reclusive nature of the story. The company of men, led by Captain Henry (Domhnall Gleeson), are just wrapping up a successful trip into dangerous Arikara territory when they come under attack and must flee with their lives and with what little pelts they could save during the chaos. The few remaining members includes battle scarred and self interested trapper Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and young Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) and the aforementioned Captain who all must rely on Glass and his Native American son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) if they hope to avoid any further attack with their pelts and their lives intact.

The reason behind the Arikara's hostility is the chief of the tribe who is desperately searching for his daughter that was taken by some unknown men and it has led him on a bloody path of vengeance. Even more unfortunate for our troupe is the situation continues to spiral further out of control when Glass is attacked by a grizzly bear in one of the most horrifically intense scene I have scene from a movie. Being the honorable man that he is Captain Henry could not leave Glass to die and so he leaves behind Fitzgerald and Bridger to watch over him until they either return with help or until his untimely demise. Unfortunately neither of the two options end up happening and they leave Glass for dead in a shallow grave, a betrayal that sends him on a series of gruesome trials in order to exact revenge.

It is hard enough to survive in this harsh land but image doing it all when you're half dead, succumb to all manner of injuries, have no food or water and no weapons other than you crippled body. It doesn't look good and God knows that no person on Earth has any rights to survive like this but somehow Glass manages to pull it off using his vast knowledge of the land and it's resources. Viewers will see heralding scenes that rang from an ingenious method of capturing fish (and promptly eating them like Smeagol from Lord of the Rings), a ridiculous gun powder scene that is used for quick first aid and a list of other survival skill methods that capitalize the extreme situation Glass has found himself in. 

At the center of it stands Leonardo DiCaprio who gives perhaps a career best performance as the skillful badass Glass. His character barely speaks a word throughout the entire length of the movie and that is his most powerful tool during these proceedings. Silently he struggles through every single scene, grinning and grunting as he suffers from everything that has happened to him and everything that comes afterwards. But, it wasn't all hardship as a delightful middle area comes into play with another fellow survivor to undercut the tension. It's sad to say that it doesn't last long as moments later he is flung of a cliff that takes a thing or two from another famous science fiction movie and brings it to real life. 

Accompanying Leo in all this comes Tom Hardy who takes on the showier aspects of the story that Glass's character doesn't seem to have. Right from the get go you can tell that he isn't all there and his mentality is just as abrasive as his physical appearance is as he has experienced first hand what it's like to be scalped. His ruthless self interest is quite endearing and a later speech he gives about finding his father finding God leads viewers to realize just how demented his character is and what he is capable of. Poulter also manages to bring something to his role as Bridger who is deeply conflicted about the partnership he has come with alongside of Fitzgerald. It is a role that offered him a lot of depth for such a young actor and he handles it quite well. Captain Henry has his time in the spotlight as well but it feels entirely unnecessary even when it comes to the final moments of the movie. 

There is quite a bit to take in with this movie as it exceeds the normal two hour time limit for movies in the past few years. It can tend to drag on at certain moments with it's wide angle shots of the beautiful landscape and the repeated trials that Glass has to face so if you're not ready to hunker down for all the atmosphere then you won't enjoy what is presented here in full. The other side of my issues extends to the Arikara portion of the story that doesn't exactly pan out, it served as excellent tension for the story but by the end it feels like none of the piece came together satisfyingly, especially with how to concept of Glass's revenge is settled. 

By all accounts however, The Revenant is a simply breathtaking experience to behold. The entire atmosphere presented here was well worth the effort that it must have taken to film in such a remote location. That on top of the simply intense experience that Glass goes through from start to finish makes DiCaprio's performance all the more exceptional. It's brought together by an all around compelling experience from everyone involved and makes this period piece the true stuff of legends. 

Good:

- Excellent performances, DiCaprio and Hardy expecially

- Captivating visuals

- Pure intensity throughout

- Highlights the struggles of survival in this era

Bad:

- Lengthy experience to swallow

- The Arikara tribe's story falls flat about halfway

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10