The Revenant post Oscar Review!

By Andrew Dyer

I realise that the film The Revenant has already been released in cinemas for a month now, but seeing that the film has won four Baftas and three Golden Globes and recently three Oscars it may be worth reviewing again. This review is more or less presenting the case on why the Revenant deserved to Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Actor at the 88th Academy Awards 2016.
The Revenant is a western survival set in1823 in the wilderness of the northern borders in America.

It is adaptation of the novel of the same name which was loosely based on the real life story of fur-trapper Hugh Glass who mauled by a grizzly bear and who abandoned by fellow fur-trappers and left to fend himself in wilderness. The film is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu who previouly directed Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) which won best director and best film for the 2015 Oscars. Hugh Glass is portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and also starring is Tom Hardy as the antagonist who deliberately left Hugh Glass behind.
The film focuses on Glass trying to survive in the wilderness alone whist severely injured and pursued by hostile native American tribe. It shows The film is quite gruelling to watch due to the killings, violent conflicts, skinning the fur off the dead animals and the extents of the protagonists injuries. The Cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki is quite stunning, as it not only captures the full nature of the violence but the beautiful vision of the landscapes and the surroundings. Although Cgi was used, the film remained to be practical as possible such as filming on location in cold rough weather and terrain rather than the comfortable studio in front a green screen.

To some people this may be a simple revenge but it is mostly a survival film. As the story of the film is loosely based on what happened on real life so the events in the film would be different to what happened back then.

The Revenant is a dark, brutal, a bit depressing and stomach churning as well as mesmerizing, visually satisfying and wonderful. Alejandro González Iñárritu who had recently won Best Director for this film has more or less done it after doing Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Emmanuel Lubezki won Best Cinematography which is unsurprising seeing he’s won before with Gravity (2013) and Birdman (2014) and now with this film. Tom Hardy villain performance was not like perivous as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises or Bronson but it appropriate for the story. Leonardo DiCaprio has given the best performance since being brought to mainstream attention since Titanic. So far after being Oscar nominated for best Actor for The Aviatior, Blood Diamond and Wolf of Wall Street and not winning, he certainly deserved to win this time.

9 /10