Style over substance

Rating: Null/10 (20 January 2016)

THE REVENANT: I realize what I'm about to say will sound like blasphemy to those who consider Alejandro Inarritu a cinematic god, but I gotta call it like I see it. Let me say at the outset, I fully appreciate the artistry of Inarritu's superb direction, his innovative use of highly choreographed and well rehearsed long takes, the splendor of the cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki, the severe climatic conditions and the logistical nightmare it must have been to shoot in such inhospitable locations, the hardships the cast and crew endured and on and on. But, I have learned after decades of performing and directing theater, the average audience member doesn't give a crap about any of that and I have to comment as an average audience member. Nobody cares how hard you worked, that you were in rehearsal for five or six weeks, what obstacles you overcame or what your process was to achieve the finished product, we just want to be entertained or moved in some emotional way or be made to think. The problem here is this: Instead of being emotionally involved, we're sitting in the theater wondering 'how did they do that?'. I found many of his choices to be repetitive. Each new scene beginning with an Ansel Adams-like landscape photograph, skyward shots pointed through the trees, the moon shining through parting clouds, rifle barrels entering the frame in extreme closeup and long tracking shots of beautiful scenery. I admit I had to look up revenant: 'A person who has returned supposedly from the dead'. The film "inspired by true events" is the survival and revenge story of fur trapper Hugh Glass, as played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who was severely mauled by a bear and after some efforts by his companions to save him, is eventually left in the wilderness to die. We then spend the next two hours watching DiCaprio moan, groan, grunt, crawl and stagger through the film while his will to live is fueled by his hallucinations of his dead wife and son urging him to go on. His son, who's mother was Indian, is killed before his eyes by the villain as played by the mostly unintelligible Tom Hardy. Fortunately the visual images are strong enough that we can figure out what's going on without his dialogue. All of Glass' struggles build to an exciting but predictable final confrontation scene. Revenant may possibly be the best directed movie and it is likely that Inarritu will win the Oscar. But is this the best picture of the year? Not by a mile. DiCaprio, who will surely be considered as one of the best actors of his generation, does a fine job. But worthy of an Oscar for Best Actor? Not in my book. As you may recall, I was not particularly impressed with Inarritu's Birdman. I find that he seems more concerned with style ('Look what I can do!') over substance and therefor, sad to say, I felt nothing. Score: 8. Go, but it will leave you cold.