Rent The Revenant (2015)

BRILLIANT ON MANY LEVELS - The Revenant review by PT

From the opening you can tell the cinematography is phenomenal, beautiful landscapes and nature framed beautifully. I salute this talented director for the artistic shots of the film, that he has obviously managed to choreograph from his head to what we see.

Based on a true story about Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), who having been savaged by a bear is left for dead in the freezing wilderness by the villain Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). Driven primarily by the desire for revenge he tries to haul his savaged body home. These two leads are extraordinarily good, the close ups of Glasse's suffering and Fitzgerald's manic and untrustworthy eyes come to the forefront of my mind. Decaprio and Hardy are nominated for best actor and best supporting actor respectively, which are thoroughly deserved.

The bear attack has to have a standing ovation for that piece alone. It is the most realistic CGI I have ever seen. There's so much I want to say about this attack, but don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I'll just say its so real you seem like you can smell the mighty grizzley's breath.

Too long, thin plot - The Revenant review by CP Customer

2H30 of grunting/screaming is arguably too long. The director tried to make this more appealing with generous helpings of good old American gratuitous violence, but in my case it had the opposite effect. A lot of the film is tense and graphic, but not in a good way. Unlike other reviewers, I wasn't impressed by the bear attack scene, which sometimes looked like a video game. I think shooting with a real bear would have worked better.

The plot is very thin to say the least: it is a basic revenge story for a frontier/pioneer man left for dead in the harsh winter of a remote mountain range.

Surprisingly good - The Revenant review by William London

It's good, with a rich story, and lots of suspense. Well acted and beautifully filmed. I'm not sure I would like to watch it again in the future, but it's a good movie.

Glorious wilderness epic - The Revenant review by Alphaville

This is a spectacular survival epic about mountain men in the 19th century American wilderness. The sense of place is beautifully captured with exhilarating visuals by Gravity cinemaphotographer Emmanuel Lubezki. His fluid, sweeping camerawork should be compulsory viewing for every shakycam action director.

Director Alejandro G. Inarritu films with total conviction and his cast performs likewise. The wide screen is filled with images both powerful and startling in their audacity. The opening riverside skirmish between trappers and Indians is a masterclass in how to capture the brutal randomness and confusion of battle in a cohesive manner. It’s as jaw-dropping as the opening battle scenes in Saving Private Ryan.

The prolonged bear attack, filmed as a remarkable single shot, has to be one of the greatest cgi scenes ever filmed. Equally brilliant is a scene that recalls the famous shot in Lawrence of Arabia where the shimmering shape in the heat haze hoves into view as Omar Sharif on a camel. Here a dot on a frozen lake becomes our hero Leo DiCaprio. Kudos also for a poignant score by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The Revenant is many things: a paean to the wilderness, a primer in survival, an actioner full of meaty set-pieces and a truly visceral experience. It will be hated by those whose idea of a good night out is a romcom and a box of popcorn. It’s raw, its elemental, it’s haunting and it’s brilliant. After Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, his son’s Desierto and Inarritu’s Revenant, the new wave of Mexican directors is going to be worth watching.

Very good story - The Revenant review by CP Customer

Really enjoyed this film , great story and brilliant acting throughout. Breathtaking scenery, very well made film. Some might find it slow moving but it kept me interested all through it.

An amazing looking film which finally landed Leo his Oscar, although there are multiple plot holes - The Revenant review by TB

So, after multiple movies which could have had the byline "baiting the Academy," Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his Best Actor Oscar for this film. Sadly, for many people, this was pretty much one of the only things that they took away from this movie, or what the press reported most on. To be honest, it does need to be said that this film absolutely stands on its own merits and is a very good movie, despite certain issues with the script. It is certainly so much more than just the lurid headlines.

Hugh Glass is a hunter/fur trapper who is working with a large group of trappers in the Dakota states in the early 18th Century, not only acquiring pelts but also fighting against other criminals & tribes. One day, whilst with his son, Glass is horrifically mauled by a grizzly bear. The other trappers fear that he will die of his wounds, but a decision is made to try and save him. However, one of the other trappers murders his son in front of Glass then robs & leaves him for dead. Glass manages to survive his wounds & vows revenge upon those who wronged him.

Whilst the plot sounds like a thousand clichéd action films, there is much to love here. The characters are fleshed out well & despite there being a few too many of them, you do get to know the group well. The set pieces are also incredible. Whilst much attention was focussed on the incredible CGI grizzly bear attack (which is staged & acted perfectly, to the point where you genuinely believe that you are watching a real bear attack, so seamless is the staging,) there were also incredible one-shot scenes of frantic escapes/battles.

For me though the real star, who also got his 3rd consecutive Oscar for cinematography, was Emmanuel Lubezki. This film is a stunningly shot blockbuster, filmed with only natural light 100% on location. To look at, you couldn't pick any fault of any kind. It really was a visual feast for the eyes.

The actors themselves were also great. DiCaprio fully leans into the desperation of his character & plight, going full method, including eating raw meat, sleeping on location & subjecting himself to all the horrors you could imagine. Freezing cold rivers are swum in & hollowed out animal carcasses are hidden in. Tom Hardy also is memorable as the duplicitous & leathal John Fitzgerald & Will Poulter also makes a big impression.

But as much as I give this 4 stars, there are some issues I have as well. From a technical standpoint, the audio mix is at times terrible. You struggle to hear what characters are saying to each other, especially Hardy with his incomprehensible drawl. There are also various moments that stretch credibility too far. Putting aside the injuries that Glass suffered, and to be clear, this is based on a true story/Glass was definitely attacked by a bear, his ability to be able to run when a couple of days before he was cut almost to ribbons was just ridiculous.

However, the biggest problem by a mile is the length. This film just goes on & on & on. You could quite easily have cut 25 minutes from it & probably made it a better film. When Iñárritu wanted to make an epic, he certainly didn't care about the runtime.

But there is much to like here & as much as it is a butt-numbing amount of time to be sat watching a film, I did absolutely enjoy & marvel at what was on screen.

Disapointing, but compelling - The Revenant review by Lee

The cinematography was incredible - heart-stopping at times. Absolutely wonderful ...... but that was beyond doubt the best part of this sadly predictable film. The scene with the bear was also very impressive, but unfortunately left me worrying more about the future of the cubs rather than the main character of the film. A very long crawl, with the occasional gasp, as another reviewer commented ...... I would have to agree with this. Disappointing film, but some beautiful scenery and cinematography.