DiCaprio Captivates in 'The Revenant', a Gritty Tale About Revenge and Survival

This film adaptation of Michael Punke’s novel of the same name depicts Leonardo DiCaprio as the historical frontiersman Hugh Glass.  It’s a fictional account of a notable episode from Glass’ life, wherein he was abandoned to die by his expedition companions after being brutally mauled by a bear, of which he recovered from due to his tenacity and survival skills.  In the movie, he is primarily driven by vengeance, as his half-Native American son is murdered by John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) before leaving him for dead in a shallow grave.

The Revenant is an adventure film, a revenge film, and a historical film all at the same time.  It’s a gripping drama that illustrates human nature’s visceral will for survival and moral depravity when exposed in a harsh, savage environment.  It has a long run-time and yet it’s so enthralling even at the slow parts that it never has a boring moment in it.

Moreover, it is a visually stunning movie.  The bear mauling scene alone is so amazingly realistic that it’s terrifyingly cringe-worthy.  The camera shots are beautiful, as it wonderfully captures the grandeur and grittiness of its backwoods setting.  Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu did a heluva job in giving a fitting cinematic look to the movie’s immersive and gritty script.

As usual, Leonardo DiCaprio is phenomenal in this movie.   He was thoroughly invested in his role, and he totally engages the audience to be invested on his character as well.  Unfortunately, he probably still won’t win an Oscar with this though.

In summary, The Revenant is another well-crafted movie from the competent hands of Iñárritu, and features another captivating performance from DiCaprio.  Indeed, it’s definitely worth checking out.