The frontier survival story/revenge tale undergirding Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu[1]'s grim but gripping "The Revenant" can't technically be described as something exceptionally new. Such stories are, after all, part and parcel of the Western tradition.
Not only have audiences seen and heard stories like this countless times before, but this isn't even the first time they will have seen and heard this specific story.
Based loosely on the astonishing real-life exploits of pioneer ironman Hugh Glass[2], it has spawned movies (1971's "Man in the Wilderness," starring Richard Harris), songs ("Six Weeks," by Of Monsters and Men) and books (Frederick Manfred's 1954 novel "Lord Grizzly," as well as Michael Punke's 2002 novel on which Inarritu based his film and after which he titled it).
But even if Glass' extraordinary tale has left a considerable literary and pop-culture footprint, Inarritu's gritty and muscular "Revenant" never feels as if it is leading us down an overly familiar path.
Taking full advantage of downright beautiful technical elements and a committed performance from Leonardo DiCaprio[3], who manages to remain a commanding and compelling screen presence even with the film's long stretches of dialog-free action, Inarritu's story manages to feel fresh and alive in its own right.
Harsh and cruel and riveting, "The Revenant" is that rare film that can be counted on to sink its teeth into audiences from the very beginning and stay with them long after they closing credits roll.
To be sure, part of the allure lies in Glass' legend, which is extraordinary all by itself. The CliffsNotes version: After being mauled by a grizzly bear while hunting for game on an 1823 fur-trading expedition in the present-day Dakotas, trapper and explorer Glass was left for dead by his companions. In Inarritu's version, before abandoning Glass, they first killed his half-native son in cold blood.
They could have killed Glass, too, but -- with fears of hostile natives hot on their heels -- it was easier to leave him. He had a broken leg. His wounds were festering. He was drifting in and out of consciousness. Time or a tomahawk, they figured, would take care of the nasty business they couldn't bring themselves to conduct.
They would end up paying for that decision. Because Glass didn't die. Because Glass wouldn't die.
Displaying inhuman levels of grit and determination, he would end up dragging himself hundreds of miles through hostile, snowy terrain inhabited by wolves, warring Indians and death. Part of what kept him moving was a survival instinct. Also, though, there was a desire to exact a measure of revenge on those who killed his son and left him for dead.
In retelling that remarkable story, Inarritu weaves into his film no small amount of testosterone-fueled romanticization. That's to be expected. The details and the depths of Glass' manly legend are not all known, and so they vary wildly from retelling to retelling. (Earlier, according to some accounts, Glass spent a few years as an unwilling pirate after being conscripted by one Jean Lafitte.)
But even if it is at times difficult to separate myth from fact, Inarritu -- working from a script he co-wrote with Mark J. Smith -- has assembled something memorable and visceral.
What we're left with, in addition to one ripping yarn, is a stark portrait of the human condition. On the surface, Inarritu's "The Revenant" -- a word referring to a figure that haunts the living from the grave -- is a man-vs.-nature story. As it turns out, though, it's also a man-vs.-man story, hinging as much on Glass' astonishing resilience as it does on Inarritu's portrait of the cruelty and greed of humankind.
Inarritu juxtaposes that cruelty with technical elements that are nothing short of beautiful, highlighted by expert visual effects (particularly during the film's stunning bear-attack scene) and gorgeous big-sky cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki. (Lubezki, incidentally, is seeking to extend his Oscar win streak to three, after taking home the trophy last year for "Birdman" and "Gravity" a year earlier. He just might do it.)
All in all, "The Revenant" is every bit as technically proficient as Inarritu's "Birdman[4]," a film that made critics swoon with its masterful handling of the filmmaker's daring "one-take" conceit. It manages, however, to do it without the same gimmicky feel. Here, the seams don't quite show as much, so the style and sense of artistic ambition and accomplishment adds to the story rather than distracting from it.
During filming, "The Revenant" was labeled a troubled production, largely for the difficulties and discomfort Inarritu deliberately imposed on his cast (which includes a deep, talented supporting bench). They might have been miserable making it, but they can take solace in the fact that their "suffering" was worth it.
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THE REVENANT
5 stars, out of 5
Snapshot: A frontier tale of survival and revenge recounting the legendary ordeal of trapper and explorer Hugh Glass, who in 1823 walked out of the wilderness six weeks after being mauled by a grizzly bear and left for dead by his companions.
What works: Not only does it feature a fully committed performance from actor Leonardo DiCaprio, but it also boasts astounding technical elements.
What doesn't: It makes for a fairly thin portrait of Glass, focusing intensely on one brief period of his life but offering little insight into what truly makes him tick.
Cast: DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Domhnall Gleeson, Forrest Goodluck. Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Rating: R for strong frontier combat and violence including gory images, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity. Running time: 2 hours 36 minutes.References
- ^ Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (topics.nola.com)
- ^ Hugh Glass (en.wikipedia.org)
- ^ Leonardo DiCaprio (topics.nola.com)
- ^ Birdman (www.nola.com)
