A Beautifully Striking Art House Film

Rating: 8/10 (28 January 2016)

"The Revenant" features the same successful formula of Alejandro González Iñárritu's previous Oscar winning film "Birdman:" excellent filmmaking from a very talented cast and crew. It heavily relies on its visceral power, filmmaking technique, committed performances from its actors, and the majestic beauty of its setting to overcome its simplistic story.
"The Revenant" starts out strong with one of the most well shot and immensely gripping scenes of the year in which Indians attack the fur trappers. The scene was executed to perfection with stunning visuals, gut wrenching intensity, graphic violence, and a realistic perspective the audience experiences first hand through the use of a meticulously engineered tracking shot. Then there was the intense bear mauling scene which was also masterfully shot, though not as ambitious in scope as the opening scene. Unfortunately for "The Revenant" its best scenes were in the beginning of the film.
As "The Revenant" dragged on it became sluggish, unfocused, and almost inaudible. Although throughout the film it showed signs of life by expertly depicting intense confrontations and beautiful scenery. But at the same time, between the gripping and exciting moments, there were many dull dream-like sequences that failed to give a clear understanding of DiCaprio's Hugh Glass. For the long runtime, Hugh Glass was not properly developed to feel the sufficient magnitude of his suffering. Leonardo DiCaprio's engaging, and somatic performance was enough to overshadow this flaw, and it may even land him his first Oscar.
Then there was Tom Hardy's menacing John Fitzgerald. Tom Hardy's portrayal was good yet underwhelming for Oscar standards because it was difficult to understand what exactly he was saying. Yet maybe this was done on purpose for authenticity but it still made it hard to understand his character and some vital plot explanations. Finally the film felt so self-indulgent in its own style of natural light filmmaking that it seemed like the filmmakers stretched shots and sequences for too long just to show off their prowess.
In conclusion, "The Revenant" is a well-acted, masterfully shot, slow moving revenge/survival art house film with amazing scenery. The film will definitely win Oscars for its filmmaking craft but falls short of greatness because of its flaws. It may win best picture, but it is not the best movie of the year. "The Revenant" did not fulfill its duties as effectively and successfully as "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," or "The Hateful Eight" to reach 'best movie of the year' status.