A strong tale but not for the squeamish

Rating: 9/10 (24 January 2016)

24 January 2015 Film of Choice at The Plaza, Dorchester Tonight - The Revenant. I looked up the meaning of the word Revenant 'A person who has returned, especially supposedly from the dead' and that sums up this film exactly. I heard many differing opinions about this film before I went to see it so went with a very open mind. It's astonishing how a story told on screen with so little dialogue can capture your concentration and enchant your mind, Revenant did just that. Not for the squeamish, this film has lots of blood and gore, expertly displayed against the backdrop of winter, nothing makes its point more that the sight of red blood on pure white snow. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Hugh Glass, a fur trader who is savagely mauled by a bear and left for dead by his companions, but as the title of the film suggests he does not die and we follow his desperate struggle to survive against the elements, the Indians and those who wish ill of him. A very capable supporting cast including Tom Hardy as Fitzgerald, a man looking out for only his own interests to the detriment of all around him. Some beautiful camera footage combined with a strong moody score and I think this film will probably secure one of two of the Oscars it's being nominated for.