A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820's fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team (www.imdb.com).
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (21 Grams, Babel, Birdman)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck
The Revenant satisfied all my senses on levels beyond my wildest imagination. Shot in natural light, director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (best known for his work on Gravity and Birdman) have outdone themselves with a scope and magnitude which I can't even begin to describe. The Revenant is raw, placing us in the life of Hugh Glass, a frontiersman in 1820's America, fighting for his life and seeking revenge after being left for dead. It's violent, tense and nerve-wracking, even when there's little going on. It never feels too long, even at 156 minutes. It starts with the most intense scenery to grace the big screen since Saving Private Ryan. Emmanuel Lubezki's camera ducks, dives and weaves around frontiersman and native Indians in one, brutal battle. He takes us from one death to another, over hills, under water, never favouring one side over the other, and yet we're still routing for our favourites, even though we've just met them. Leo's sublime, the hardships he ensure makes him an awards contender. He goes through unimaginable tasks most actors wouldn't. Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter are great alongside him, the latter quivering his way brilliantly through the film. I haven't come out of the cinema feeling in cold, in shock, and mostly, in awe. The Revenant is a must see on the big screen.
5/5
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