Bear Grylls circa 1823

Rating: 8/10 (27 November 2016)

I love this period of history, and this movie gives us a feel for what it must have been like.
There is something awe inspiring about that push out from the eastern seaboard of America just before and after the War of Independence. It took amazing characters to enter that vast wilderness and face its dangers including some of the most formidable warriors ever to twang a bowstring.
To be honest I enjoy this aspect of American history more than Westerns, which are usually set at a later period. "The Revenant" captures the harshness of the times and is simply an amazing looking film. The actors and the crew suffered for this one and it shows.
Now with that said, there are a couple of things that did bother me. When you have watched thousands of movies over more than 60 years, your ears become attuned to language that suits the times. As Somerset Maugham once said, it has to sound right. There are a number of phrases in "The Revenant" that jar the ear because I know they only date from a few decades back. "The kid's been beating himself up", just doesn't sound very James Fenimore Cooper. I put this down to the fact that none of the key filmmakers were born before 1960 including the guy who wrote the book.
Does it wreck the movie? Well no, but it is a point worth bearing in mind when you go to make your historical movie - maybe you need a bleary-eyed old film buff to give your script the once over.
The other thing that bothers me a little is that this is based on a true story and it didn't end quite like it does in the movie. In fact it seems that the real Hugh Glass was a little more forgiving than Leo's character - but then we wouldn't have had that epic MMA fight with blades at the end.
The film has plenty of wince-inducing scenes that make you wonder how they were done; the bear attack in particular. And I'll certainly take that tip about gutting and crawling into an animal carcass if I ever lock myself out of my car on a cold night.
Despite the occasional anachronism, "The Revenant" is one of those movies I will enjoy watching more than once, no doubt discovering rewarding new elements each time.