Punitive Retribution

Rating: 7/10 (4 January 2016)

The Revenant is a story of survival and retribution . If we take out these thematic elements from the movie it still is a visual stunner . The cinematography is spectacular , given the nature and conditions of the climate in which the movie is shot. In fact weather is one of the main protagonists in the this thriller .
Another very important aspect of the movie is the raw depiction of violence. It is in line with the raw depiction of the natural elements. The bear-mauling scene is one of the most detailed animal assault scenes shot in movie history ( If we leave out the homo sapiens species).
Where the movie falters a little is in fully exploring characterisation . This becomes obvious because the director himself tries to add depth to the characters but then somehow fails follow through and ends up giving fairly transparent black and white characters. This stands in stark contrast to the general plot which is rich with ethical grey shades and a fairly complex situational setting.
However , as an action movie the film is superb and unabashedly dishes out hard hitting sequences of combat, gun fights, fist fights, accidents and human suffering , so much so that one starts cringing every time Leonardo comes on screen.
Despite the excellent action , the movie was a little too indirect and needlessly philosophical with an unclear chain of flashbacks haunting Leonardo throughout the movie. What was the purpose of those flashbacks apart from the obvious reliving memories , I seriously don't know. But these pseudo-philosophical digressions derailed the movie partly and it lost pace and precision. Westerns , to be thoroughly entertaining need to have at least nominal theatricality . Otherwise what's the point of watching a Western !!! Watch it once for sure , and then decide if you would like watching it once more. I may, if it is telecast in the future on TV , but not entirely . I will be skipping forward some scenes .