Revenge is a dish best served in the beautiful cold.

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2015)

The Revenant weaves history, nature and war into a beautifully shot film. This slow burning tale of revenge does not rely upon dozens of dialogue heavy scenes, but it instead focuses on the quintessence of its subject. I am glad that Iñárritu strays away from a history lesson, as it allowed a tender era to unfold in a brutal light without insulting the audience with tiresome exposition.
The Oscar dodging Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a powerful performance. From start to finish, he puts everything into the character of Hugh Glass, a man of the American frontier who seeks retribution for the death of his half-native son. Tom Hardy is Fitzgerald, an unusual aggressor in that he never truly inflicts harm for pleasure, but his actions are rather a circumstance of nature, war and innate survival. This again isn't entirely what we hear, but it is what we see – many glances, expressions and explosions of anguish tell us of burgeoning conflict without a word.
I feel The Revenant achieves greatness in these scenes. The bear mauling, Glass' speechless days injured and his subsequent hunt are beyond enchanting. The supporting cast do what they need to and they do it well, but their scenes are often stolen by Leo and Hardy's masterful performances. The past is alluded to in spiritual scenes, and although gorgeously meaningful, some only exist to retell recent toils in a confusing fashion. Nonetheless, Iñárritu has directed yet another masterpiece, soaked in blood and snow, and it would not surprise me if Leo and he return from The Oscars with a golden man in hand. They certainly deserve it.