A flawed masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (24 April 2016)

Just saw the movie today without much expectations except for the fact that i knew that it was a movie directed by Alejandro and i just had to see it. And much less to my surprise, i was blown away.
I remember watching his movie Biutiful(few years back) and i felt how much similar it was to Revenant in terms of the spiritual context and cinematic devices used in it. My favourite bits were those dream sequences and the quiet parts of the movie where Leo mostly had to rely on conveying emotions through eyes. Chivo did a work that is beyond fantastic,grandiose or anything superlative.
I just feel blessed to have witnessed such a powerful cinema. Such visceral intensity left me in awe as i walked out of the hall. Voyeuristic pleasure at best.
BTW what would you make of that falling star? Recurring motif since Birdman(i could be wrong though)? How is it related to this movie? Also the lingering breaths of Leo juxtaposed to different set of imagery, particularly the one that pans into the vast expanse of the clouds(somewhere in the middle of the movie)?
I hear Mallick referenced a lot, and I can definitely see it. It has the same poetic sensibility, but it also delivers the survival movie goods without being too sentimental about nature. The dream sequences, voiceovers, and incredible cinematography that sort of lets the natural beauty take over and tell the story. I also noticed the way the movie showed long processes (like cutting open the horse or building shelters) would portray the actor doing everything in a series of short clips. Very 'Mallickian.' I haven't been so cold in the theater since "The Grey". It really tapped into something primal. This is also a somewhat refreshing movie considering the homogenized sterile landscape that America has become these last few decades. It's good to remember the fragility of civility.
Edit: Tom Hardy was believable and had eyes that matched the relentless indifference of the terrain. Also, Leo really gave his body to the role, floating down cold rivers, crawling through freezing mud, maintaining the nuance of the role, but not distractedly so. He definitely deserves the Oscar.