A punishing tale of survival at any cost

Rating: 9/10 (11 April 2020)

The story of The Revenant is a simple but powerful one. A truly devastating tale following the desperate struggle of a man to survive against all odds in a desolate and punishing environment. A tale of revenge, love, and loss which packs so many emotional punches. It's a testament to the quality of the story and direction that this film absolutely flew by. It really didn't feel like two and a half hours and was paced very well. That was never a given with this story either. The middle third could have dragged, but avoided that pitfall completely.
A large part of that is due to DiCaprio, who was exceptional. The emotion that he brought to this performance was astounding, and the pain that he felt (both emotionally and physically) was so real. What was most extraordinary from this performance is that it was very physical and visceral. He managed to convey an abundance of emotion and feeling from a relatively bare script, using his body and face to their full capacity. His Oscar was most definitely deserved for this performance. Alongside DiCaprio the support cast were all good, if not too present throughout the film.
The cinematography of The Revenant was beautiful, with many scenes feeling like pictures. The setting really made this film incredible, establishing the bleak and punishing environment of the Dakotas expertly. The danger that Glass was facing because of this environment was made all the more real by the cinematography and direction - it wasn't simply to make the film look pretty, but to drive the story onward, which it did to great effect.
From the survival techniques through to the fight scenes this film felt incredibly gritty and realistic. The stunt choreographers, the cinematography, direction, and performances all contributed to this realism, producing a spectacular piece of cinema that can't be missed.