Set in 1820’s America, frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) enrolls on a classic tale of survival and revenge after suffering devastating injuries from a savage bear attack, along with finding out that his son has been murdered. The grief-stricken father must conjure together every bit of energy and expertise to trek through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the man who was the one to kill his only son. A visually impressive movie that is currently streaming on Netflix.
Director: Alejandro G. Inarritu
Writers: Alejandro G. Inarritu, Mark L. Smith, Michael Punke
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson
It’s fair to say that this one started in spectacular fashion, with Glass and his fellow hunters being ambushed and driven out of camp – really setting the tone for what was going to happen over the course of the one-hundred and fifty-six minute runtime. The combat scenes were brilliantly filmed and extremely effective. The unorthodox camera movement gave the film a unique feel, but it wasn’t just the impressive camera work that caught the eye. The actors did a sensational job of executing their characters.
Most highlighted and spoke about Leonardo DiCaprio’s role as Hugh Glass, but I personally felt Tom Hardy’s ruthless and gritty character (Fitzgerald), stole the show – he was outstanding from the off and seemed extremely convincing and authentic in his role.
In regards to the story, it was a pretty straight forward tale of revenge, as discussed, but it also goes without saying that this film is now synonymous with one or two scenes that will forever live in the mind of the viewer. The filmmakers did a terrific job of emphasising the harsh reality of the situation the characters found themselves in.
A large majority of the scenes throughout were gruesome but equally as satisfying, as some of the heinous crimes that had been committed were rightfully avenged. It’s also fair to say that this tale left the viewer with a feeling of satisfaction, especially as the movie drew to its clear conclusion.
Some class this as a modern day masterpiece – the makeup, direction, cinematography and soundtrack, along with the outstanding performances from both Di Caprio and Hardy, make it hard to argue. Despite this, I still felt something extra was missing from the movie on a whole to prevent it from being taken to the next level of excellence. Thoroughly watchable, however.
“He’s afraid. He knows how far I came to find him.”
Hugh Glass – The Revenant
The DC Review Blog - EST. 2020 