A great cinematic experience

Rating: 9/10 (7 January 2016)

The Revenant could be just one more survival story, but Alejandro Iñárritu directed a movie that can be described as a great cinematic experience. I've really enjoyed its dark but beautiful atmosphere created by director Alejandro Iñárritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (both Oscar-winning). The soundtrack just emphasizes it perfectly. Outside of some brutal scenes, the movie is visually superb and will take you to the beautiful landscapes of the Far West. You should be ready for some extreme scenes of violence, though.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays really great, but I'm afraid he won't win Oscar for this one. His character simply doesn't require much acting and resembles (to me at least) Tom Hardy's character in Mad Max (2015). No doubt it was extremely physically challenging role, but it's not an Oscar winning type. I would be glad to be proved wrong!
Beside all of that, The Revenant remains an inspiring story of courage and the unswerving determination to survive. A desire for vengeance possibly shouldn't be the single reason to live, but in watching a movie all my sympathies lie with Hugh Glass. When I learned that movie is based on a real story from the 19th century, I was very impressed.
Before The Revenant, I wasn't a huge fan of Iñárritu's, but now I'll wait for his next movie.