From the moment I heard that Alejandro G. Innaritu was tackling a 1800's American frontier drama I was hooked; after directing and writing one of only two 10/10's I have ever given in Birdman, I was intensely waiting to see what Innaritu had to give us next. Given the high expectations after winning so many awards for Birdman Innaritu decided to up the anti, creating a film both entirely on location in American/Canadian Wilderness and shot completely in natural light, allowing the sun to provide the imagery with no set light enhancements. Those elements combined with Innaritu's now standard tracking shots and beautiful writing are an extremely rare combination, so now is the time to discuss whether or not it pays off with The Revenant.
1800's. USA, Louisiana Purchase. Freezing ice cold temperatures. Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the navigator for a pelt hunting party led by Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson). This party also contains Glass's half-native american son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and Jim Bridger (Will Poulter). After an unintended confrontation with a protective Grizzly Bear, Glass is severely injured and the hunting party have to carry him on their journey. Eventually Captain Henry has Hawk, Bridger and Fitzgerald stay behind with Glass while they push on; unfortunately self preservation takes absolute precedent for one John Fitzgerald...
Firstly as always, here are the major positives and fortunately this film has many:
Leonardo DiCaprio is a different man in The Revenant; well being that he is an actor this statement begets redundancy but DiCaprio is truly sheds light on a new side in his acting repertoire with the character of Hugh Glass. With a near 3 hour run time, Glass is on screen for the majority of the feature; however with only about 15-20 lines of dialogue (most not even in English) DiCaprio is demonstrating a mesmerising example of visual presence. Grabbing the audiences attention with just a glance, DiCaprio uses predominant silence to give us a visual performance that any exposition cluttered monologue would kill to convey. DiCaprio also gives himself physically to the project by acting in subzero temperatures, sleeping inside an allegedly real animal carcass and even eating a raw bison liver. Being a vegetarian, DiCaprio's level of dedication to the role definitely deserves merit but he isn't going to win the long sought after 'Best Actor' Oscar this ear via attrition, he is going to win it because it's hands down the best performance of the past year.
Alejandro G. Innaritu's direction, much like with Birdman, is absolutely stunning to watch and once again confirms him as one of the best directors working today. The use of locations combined with his acute eye for unique visuals grips you from the start but once the future classic 'Bear Scene' begins, you are right there in the thick of first class filmmaking. The aforementioned Grizzly, being cgi (sorry everyone, safety first), is shown right in front of us with exquisite detail in one continuous tracking shot for several minutes. I have never in my life seen a non cg character (DiCaprio's Hugh Glass) interact so realistically with a cg creation, though friendlier encounters I have surely seen. Shrouded in eerie forest silence, it's visually horrifying, brutal, bloody, scary and absolutely one of the best scenes I've ever seen in any film ever. With the majority of scenes directed to the same standard, Alejandro Innaritu is breaking the mould of traditional filmmaking; by pushing out and attempting things no one in hollywood would dare try, his creations have given us new and exciting perspectives on moviemaking while feeling decidedly old-school in his approach. His direction of The Revenant is an absolute revelation and should be a serious favourite come award season.
Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography is still as visually jaw dropping as ever; after winning the last two cinematography Oscars and deservedly so for Gravity and Birdman, Lubezki's fourth outing with director Innaritu once again glues your eye to the screen. The decision to use natural light sounds straightforward though the apparent technical difficulties of using natural light in this film is one of my favourite movie ironies; in this day and age it is more technically challenging to use real light sources like the sun and wood fires than it is to use technology to fabricate the same effects. With limited winter sun and unpredictable weather conditions however, Innaritu and Lubezki achieve this and have subsequently created visual movie magic. Every frame could be a piece of art to hang on your wall (minus the Bear attack... unless you're into that sort of decor) with every one of the stunning locations brought to life on-camera, completely untampered with. Everything feels real because it is; no trickery, no fabrication. A late night fireside story with John Fitzgerald is a notable example of how one unpredictable light source can actually draw you in to the scene more than any light brought on set.
Once again Alejandro Innaritu has brought together a fantastic supporting cast; Tom Hardy once again gives a gripping performance; with the most dialogue of anyone in the film, Hardy gives Fitzgerald a real sense of justification for so many unspeakably horrible acts. His eyes always tell a deep and frightening story to compliment the dialogue though his now classic 'Bane mumbles' are numerous. Domhnall Gleeson has had one of the most diverse years in any actors career; with Ex Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and now this, he is shaping up to be a truly diverse young actor with a hugely successful career in front of him. Will Poulter has come along way from small time British sketch show School of Comedy; With several big franchises under his belt, Poulter brings a real weight to Bridger and shows off some serious acting chops alongside the heavyweights like Tom Hardy. Overall, much like Birdman, the cast all compliment each other so well that after a while you forget the actors that portray them and only see the characters that remain. Innaritu is becoming renowned for his ability to draw fantastic performances out of actors and this cast is absolutely no exception.
A couple of understandable gripes people have with the film are the length and the violence:
The 3 hour run time is due to the definite 'slow burn' story telling of Innaritu. While some connecting shots of mountains and forests do definitely linger on needlessly, it is so hard to fault since the imagery is so sublime you can't help but soak it in. With that said, while it is only by a few seconds, these shots do go on needlessly long. The violence in The Revenant has received mixed views from critics, due to what I think is mainly the unusual level of intimacy involved. The bear attack scene (as an example) is so isolated, so un-edited, so up close and unforgiving that it creates this horrible discomfort. You feel like you shouldn't be sitting there and that you need to turn away from what's happening. It feels wrong to view it in a medium of entertainment but that to me is why it is so necessary for modern filmmakers to see it. It shows courage both on the part of the writing and of the director for choosing to be unforgiving and not watering it down for most viewers. After leaving the screening I was shocked that it wasn't an 18 certificate (NG-17 in USA); it is so in-your-face bold and bloody that I see it being too much for many more sensitive. With the bear attack, the previously mentioned animal carcass and raw bison meat scenes along with several other scenes I won't spoil, this is absolutely not a film for the squeamish.
Overall The Revenant is yet another example of Alejandro G. Innaritu's desire to push forward onto paths no one has tread. The cast are all pitch-perfect with an easy year-stealing performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. The direction and cinematography combine to craft one of the most beautiful looking films in recent memory with a focus on visual storytelling and gritty, intimate violence. The music, though unmemorable, is beautiful and sensibly takes a backseat to the breathtaking visuals. Though some needlessly long extensions occur, this does not remotely hinder the film's story or overall delivery.
If you love seeing films that break the mould, give you interesting and engaging characters, expose you to levels of discomfort seldom seen, have layers of subtext that get you thinking long after they're over and even give you a glimpse into the true unlimited potential of filmmaking, then The Revenant is not only unmissable, it's unequalled.
1800's. USA, Louisiana Purchase. Freezing ice cold temperatures. Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the navigator for a pelt hunting party led by Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson). This party also contains Glass's half-native american son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and Jim Bridger (Will Poulter). After an unintended confrontation with a protective Grizzly Bear, Glass is severely injured and the hunting party have to carry him on their journey. Eventually Captain Henry has Hawk, Bridger and Fitzgerald stay behind with Glass while they push on; unfortunately self preservation takes absolute precedent for one John Fitzgerald...
Firstly as always, here are the major positives and fortunately this film has many:
Leonardo DiCaprio is a different man in The Revenant; well being that he is an actor this statement begets redundancy but DiCaprio is truly sheds light on a new side in his acting repertoire with the character of Hugh Glass. With a near 3 hour run time, Glass is on screen for the majority of the feature; however with only about 15-20 lines of dialogue (most not even in English) DiCaprio is demonstrating a mesmerising example of visual presence. Grabbing the audiences attention with just a glance, DiCaprio uses predominant silence to give us a visual performance that any exposition cluttered monologue would kill to convey. DiCaprio also gives himself physically to the project by acting in subzero temperatures, sleeping inside an allegedly real animal carcass and even eating a raw bison liver. Being a vegetarian, DiCaprio's level of dedication to the role definitely deserves merit but he isn't going to win the long sought after 'Best Actor' Oscar this ear via attrition, he is going to win it because it's hands down the best performance of the past year.
Alejandro G. Innaritu's direction, much like with Birdman, is absolutely stunning to watch and once again confirms him as one of the best directors working today. The use of locations combined with his acute eye for unique visuals grips you from the start but once the future classic 'Bear Scene' begins, you are right there in the thick of first class filmmaking. The aforementioned Grizzly, being cgi (sorry everyone, safety first), is shown right in front of us with exquisite detail in one continuous tracking shot for several minutes. I have never in my life seen a non cg character (DiCaprio's Hugh Glass) interact so realistically with a cg creation, though friendlier encounters I have surely seen. Shrouded in eerie forest silence, it's visually horrifying, brutal, bloody, scary and absolutely one of the best scenes I've ever seen in any film ever. With the majority of scenes directed to the same standard, Alejandro Innaritu is breaking the mould of traditional filmmaking; by pushing out and attempting things no one in hollywood would dare try, his creations have given us new and exciting perspectives on moviemaking while feeling decidedly old-school in his approach. His direction of The Revenant is an absolute revelation and should be a serious favourite come award season.
Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography is still as visually jaw dropping as ever; after winning the last two cinematography Oscars and deservedly so for Gravity and Birdman, Lubezki's fourth outing with director Innaritu once again glues your eye to the screen. The decision to use natural light sounds straightforward though the apparent technical difficulties of using natural light in this film is one of my favourite movie ironies; in this day and age it is more technically challenging to use real light sources like the sun and wood fires than it is to use technology to fabricate the same effects. With limited winter sun and unpredictable weather conditions however, Innaritu and Lubezki achieve this and have subsequently created visual movie magic. Every frame could be a piece of art to hang on your wall (minus the Bear attack... unless you're into that sort of decor) with every one of the stunning locations brought to life on-camera, completely untampered with. Everything feels real because it is; no trickery, no fabrication. A late night fireside story with John Fitzgerald is a notable example of how one unpredictable light source can actually draw you in to the scene more than any light brought on set.
Once again Alejandro Innaritu has brought together a fantastic supporting cast; Tom Hardy once again gives a gripping performance; with the most dialogue of anyone in the film, Hardy gives Fitzgerald a real sense of justification for so many unspeakably horrible acts. His eyes always tell a deep and frightening story to compliment the dialogue though his now classic 'Bane mumbles' are numerous. Domhnall Gleeson has had one of the most diverse years in any actors career; with Ex Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and now this, he is shaping up to be a truly diverse young actor with a hugely successful career in front of him. Will Poulter has come along way from small time British sketch show School of Comedy; With several big franchises under his belt, Poulter brings a real weight to Bridger and shows off some serious acting chops alongside the heavyweights like Tom Hardy. Overall, much like Birdman, the cast all compliment each other so well that after a while you forget the actors that portray them and only see the characters that remain. Innaritu is becoming renowned for his ability to draw fantastic performances out of actors and this cast is absolutely no exception.
A couple of understandable gripes people have with the film are the length and the violence:
The 3 hour run time is due to the definite 'slow burn' story telling of Innaritu. While some connecting shots of mountains and forests do definitely linger on needlessly, it is so hard to fault since the imagery is so sublime you can't help but soak it in. With that said, while it is only by a few seconds, these shots do go on needlessly long. The violence in The Revenant has received mixed views from critics, due to what I think is mainly the unusual level of intimacy involved. The bear attack scene (as an example) is so isolated, so un-edited, so up close and unforgiving that it creates this horrible discomfort. You feel like you shouldn't be sitting there and that you need to turn away from what's happening. It feels wrong to view it in a medium of entertainment but that to me is why it is so necessary for modern filmmakers to see it. It shows courage both on the part of the writing and of the director for choosing to be unforgiving and not watering it down for most viewers. After leaving the screening I was shocked that it wasn't an 18 certificate (NG-17 in USA); it is so in-your-face bold and bloody that I see it being too much for many more sensitive. With the bear attack, the previously mentioned animal carcass and raw bison meat scenes along with several other scenes I won't spoil, this is absolutely not a film for the squeamish.
Overall The Revenant is yet another example of Alejandro G. Innaritu's desire to push forward onto paths no one has tread. The cast are all pitch-perfect with an easy year-stealing performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. The direction and cinematography combine to craft one of the most beautiful looking films in recent memory with a focus on visual storytelling and gritty, intimate violence. The music, though unmemorable, is beautiful and sensibly takes a backseat to the breathtaking visuals. Though some needlessly long extensions occur, this does not remotely hinder the film's story or overall delivery.
If you love seeing films that break the mould, give you interesting and engaging characters, expose you to levels of discomfort seldom seen, have layers of subtext that get you thinking long after they're over and even give you a glimpse into the true unlimited potential of filmmaking, then The Revenant is not only unmissable, it's unequalled.