The Revenant (2015)

Rating: 9/10 (17 November 2019)

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Paul Anderson, Duane Howard, Arthur Redcloud, Kristoffer Joner, Lukas Haas, Brendan Fletcher, Melaw Nakehk'o, Vincent Leclerc. (R)
Story of Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), real-life frontiersman guide who is horrifically mauled by a bear, witnesses the murder of his half-Pawnee son (Goodluck) at the hands of a trapper (Hardy), and is left for dead by the same man. The tenacity he uses to survive and persevere in the wilderness is rooted in an almost supernatural demand for vengeance--the title refers to someone who has come back from the dead with a dreadful purpose. A strikingly beautiful yet doggedly uncompromising film, dominated by Iñárritu's scorching but desolate vision, Emmanuel Lubezki's stunning photography (the untamed wild has rarely looked so gorgeous yet threatening at the same time), and DiCaprio's physical, mostly silent performance of a haggard obsessive who survives only for retribution (all three won Oscars for their work). A grueling experience at two-and-a-half hours where credibility is stretched at least one time too many for the sake of narrative convenience, but unforgettable no matter one's opinion. Loosely based on historical record, through the true story is even more amazing (if less dramatically satisfying) than the one on screen!
87/100