Mostly Gut Wrenching but Also, a Bit Simplistic

Rating: 8/10 (28 January 2016)

I just finished reading a series of commentaries by people giving this movie a single star. Take your hatred elsewhere. If you didn't like the film, fine, but because it got hype, it's not your job to lower its rating; it's your obligation to say something intelligent about the filmmaking. This is one of the most visually striking features I've ever seen. The camera angles and the framing of the scenes is spectacular. During the first scene ambush, we get to see what it must be like to suddenly be in the middle of a maelstrom. Arrows are frequently seen as sterile in most films. Here, we get a taste of them being a kid of artillery. LIke "Deliverence," which is another unsettling film, these guys are just in the wrong place. Whether those furs were worth a lot or not, all their work wasn't worth it. Yet, from what we hear, they are people who are the dregs of society and need something to keep them going. Yes, when DeCaprio shows up, we began to see men who, despite their oaths, will look after their own butts. Honor only goes so far in this universe. The story of Hugh Glass is part of history. I, like many others, question the extent to which this guy is pushed to the limits (a lot of Hollywood gimmickry). It takes some real skill to deal with real historical figures. I doubt that a third of this happened. I do know that Hugh Glass was mauled by a bear and that he literally crawled across three states to get revenge. Had he been totally fictional, we would be much more forgiving. In this case, less would have been more, with some compactness and restraint. I will leave it to the experts to get at the technical stuff. This is a highly entertaining film. Anyone that gives it one star is just being spiteful. I suppose they don't like DeCaprio. One even criticized the fact that it took place in the early 1800's.