Strong stuff and authentic as it gets

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2016)

Strong stuff this is. Blood and snow. Red and white, warm and freezing life-vital element of water. Speaking of which, this is an "elemental" movie. Aside of water, there is air, smoke, stone, steel and (finally) fire! One that burns from wood but also one that flames out of a gun barrel. You can almost smell it during the movie. It is actually full of elemental/transcendental (in our day-to-day reality taken for granted) anti-valuables of survival. Such strength shown by the the characters (shining acting), almost transcends to the viewer too! Cruelty of human species may not sound new nor distant. But this time, sitting comfortably before a screen, you better get prepared for the row, harsh, sticky-freezing and sharpened blade of reality as it gets! And as it might get to us all in the moment where there is no place for warmth of humanity, fellow man support, comfort and altruism whatever meaning it could bear in circumstances of authentic rough unforgiving nature itself; but also the nature of man himself (and yes: the real wilderness it is both ways!) Mr. Hardy performs negative role best I ever sow him do, as opposed to Di Caprio's betrayed and tortured-soul character. As the story unveils, hard game of cruel survival sucks the viewer in. Almost sublime music follows the mostly nonverbal but deeply atmospheric narration. Being depict are rudimentary drives of a stripped human being: food, family... Survival (driven by the strength of revenge) in fog of pain and fear. At moments, it seems there is no end to the suffering. And there isn't...