The Revenant | Film Review

For this Revenant, sometimes dead is better.

Some films entertain through their artistic vision – perhaps a breath-taking vision of a futuristic world or a clever influx of innovative camera movements weaving in and out of frame in effort to keep us at the edge-of-our-seats. Other films seek to entertain through much more primal means – visceral action and visual effects, creating a virtual symphony of cinematic delights. Occasionally you may stumble upon a film that seamlessly merges the two together to form an emotional roller-coaster of joyous hell that puts your body and soul through a gamut of turmoil.

‘The Revenant’ is none of these.

As director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film begins, we are introduced to fur trapper, Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio). Glass and his son – Hawk, a half Pawnee Indian – have ventured off for a hunt when a vicious Arikara tribe attacks, forcing their entire hunting party to vacate immediately with whatever pelts they can salvage. After abandoning their boat for the apparent safety of mountain trails, Glass is savagely attacked by a bear protecting her cubs – in what is easily one of the most intensely brutal animal mauling ever caught on film – leaving him maimed and hindering the party’s attempts to escape the pursuing Arikara.

Left in the hands of John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and Bridger (Will Poulter) while the remainder of their party seeks help, Fitzgerald – a sadistic man with a knack for survival – duplicitously convinces Bridger to leave Glass and Hawk for dead in effort to save their own selfish hides. Thus begins the tortuous journey for Glass to save himself from the harsh realities of frontier life and find his way back to their fort, just long enough to exact his revenge on the man who took everything from him.

Alejandro González Iñárritu (who recently helmed the exquisite ‘Birdman’) is easily one of the most visionary directors of our time. Every long, gestating shot is carefully staged and prepared. Every second of Glass’s horrendous ordeal is inflicted not only on DiCaprio, but also on us in the audience. You will feel the gashing of Glass’s skin as those bear claws tear through, and the harsh winter as it sits on his face. ‘The Revenant’ is meant to put you in the driver’s seat of one man’s harrowing tale of survival and the strength of the human spirit. So why is it so damn meandering?

All of the gorgeous cinematography contained here – stunningly realizing the absolute beauty that resides in these mountains, as well as the icy chill of the surrounding environments – nor the meticulously prepared brutality of the action scenes matter if it lacks the basic fundamental of film: to entertain. Instead, ‘The Revenant’ feels like an exercise in predictability and futility. The story is basic at its core, yes. Yet films like ‘Castaway’ prove that a man’s tale of survival in the harshest of conditions can be invigorating with the right script and pace, which certainly was not the case here.

Even with captivating performances – and make no mistake, both DiCaprio and Hardy give this film everything they have – the lack of an engaging story, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s overreliance on random dream sequences and redundant establishing shots – as well as the absolute plodding of pacing in certain sections – all combine to establish this film as a true revenant, since it comes to a near halt on several occasions throughout its 156 minute runtime, only to once again rise from the ashes and spring to life.

‘The Revenant’ was heralded as one of the best films of the year before a frame was ever viewed, and much of that is due to the previous accomplishments of Alejandro González Iñárritu and the perpetually underrated genius of Leonardo DiCaprio (truly one our greatest modern actors), but this film does not deserve to be in that conversation.

For this Revenant, sometimes dead is better.

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider