One of the most visually intricate films I've ever seen.

Rating: 8/10 (28 February 2016)

After being mauled by a bear during a hunting expedition in the 1820's, fur trader Andrew Henry (Leonardo Dicaprio) is left for dead and buried alive after his half breed son is killed by John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), resulting in a fierce and brutal struggle for survival as he attempts to make his way back to civilization for revenge against Fitzgerald.
Opening with a visually masterful fight scene between the hunting crew and the Arikara tribes, Alejandro Inarritu brilliantly captures (through extended takes and natural lighting) the complete feeling of being in the freezing wilderness. From walking in the rain to running in the snow, you feel every single nit bit of detail within the scene. Like Birdman, he likes to capture everything in one, making for a very strong directing job.
Overall, it is rich with environment, which is its main factor. Leo spends most of his time in the wilderness on his own, trying to survive. His desperation increases more and more as you see him progressively determined. From sleeping inside a horse to eating rotten boar flesh, Leo goes all out in here and is completely immersed in every scene he's in. I wish Tom Hardy got more screen time, there was some good potential for a very unique character study. Even though it was still good, I feel like they might have missed out.
Even though style over substance is usually not good, this is one of the most masterfully filmed movies I have ever seen. It makes me wonder how they got some of these shots. Compliments to them for the use of natural lighting, which is a good touch, and really pays off. I wish Alejandro did what he did in Birdman, and have more dream sequences, and more spiritual scenery to add to the gritty feeling. Once you factor out the detailed environment and long structure of it all, what you get is a pretty basic revenge story. With that said, it is so technically marvelous it overshadows it completely.
Regardless of its few complaints, it is one of the most riveting experiences I've ever had with a film. Watch in on Blu-Ray, on an HDTV, turn out the lights and turn on the surround sound, and get ready to travel to a new world, because this is the movie to do it.