The Revenant

The Revenant before it even came out became known for the insanity of its production that has shades of the productions of Apocalypse Now and Fitzcarraldo. Where the filmmakers seemed to be living through their own madness in the nature and among the giant personalities as their characters are. Unfortunately there is no companion documentary for The Revenant, and perhaps it lead to certainly distaste where Alejandro González Iñárritu seemed to embrace the attention that received. After all that though there is only the film that remains, following the highly fictionalized account of Hugh Glass's unbelievable survival through the wilderness while seeking revenge. That alone is potent enough, though the anti-climax of real life I suppose leaves the desire for something a bit more potent. Iñárritu goes further than that in embracing a strong degree of spiritualism within the journey of Glass, evoking Herzog themes in a Malick manner. It's perhaps a bit stronger than that though I will say that is probably the weakest point for me. DiCaprio and visions of his dead wife being an actor's trademark is odd enough, and I think the film could have lived without it. I will say though had Iñárritu restrained himself slightly this moments of spirituality could have been very poignant, as isolated to itself Glass's dream of a reunion with his son has a definite power. Beyond that though the film is a survivalist revenge thriller and its there where it excels, whether that is in the highly entertaining yet somehow somewhat sympathetic villain in Tom Hardy's Fitzgerald, the complex and dynamic set pieces, or the incredible cinematography. The film is at its best at its simplest point in bringing to these isolated places, and within the intensity of the two central men with their own methods and understanding of what it means to survive.
4.5/5