A Visual Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (10 January 2016)

The Revenant is one of the most anticipated movies for me of 2015. From the first to the last trailer that was released i got more and more excited to see Leonardo back on the big screen. A lot of my excitement came from the fact that this movie looked ambitious and unique and i think Hollywood needs to take more risks like this film as.
I'm just going to start by saying this is one of the most intense, riveting, and breathtaking movies I have ever seen. I can't think of a movie that made me sit at the edge of my seat as much as this one. From the beginning you are submersed into this brutal world that doesn't let you sit back and relax. This movie is man vs nature at its finest. Yes, it is a revenge tale, and yes people do die, but the environment that these people live in never gives them a break and no time to let their guard down. It's cold, it's harsh, and it's dangerous. The costumes and makeup are incredible. I was constantly cringing, while i looked at Leonardos characters wounds. They sure made all the characters in this film rough looking, and as they should for this time period.
Some of the most incredible things about this film, is by far the cinematography and the sound design/mixing. Visually this movie is a masterpiece. I say this because i've never seen a movie with this style of filming. It's unique and refreshing to watch, especially because their is not a lot of innovation when it comes to unique style in cinematography. The sweeping, continuous shots that go on and on are a Emmanuel Lubezkis trademark and they work beautifully. The absence of music for a lot of the movie and the sound of the falling snow, or the wind rustling the trees, or water flowing down the river is absolutely beautiful. For some of the scenes, even if you close your eyes and listen, you get the sense of where this film takes place.
This movie is one the greats, yes the bear looked a little weird, and it was a little long, but when you sit back a think about what these film makers have accomplished, it is truly amazing. They pulled me into this world didn't let me out until the final credits starting rolling. I got up, took a deep breath and said "wow." It's refreshing to watch a movie that takes risks and when it pays off it turns out to a movie to remember. I'll be looking out for this movie at the Oscars.
Pros: -Beautiful cinematography -Amazing sound design -Simple yet compelling story -Man vs Nature -Strong Cast -Setting
Cons: -Could tell the bear was CGI -A little long
Rating: 9.3 out of 10