Gorgeous cinematography but a difficult watch

Rating: 6/10 (7 January 2016)

This Revenant was purported to be a grueling shoot for all involved- particularly DiCaprio. I didn't realise it would be similarly tough going for viewers. Much like Glass's vocal abilities post-bear mauling, The Revenant is slow, strained and unpleasant.
Glass undergoes every wilderness adversity known to man- plus a few we didn't know. Some of his 'survival' choices are baffling- like choosing to gag down raw bison liver when there was a perfectly serviceable fire four feet behind him.
Everything is hard about this film- including the characters. The effect of this is zero engagement with, or empathy for characters. Without a genuine investment and attachment to characters, The Revanent is simply an R-rated 'Man Vs Wild'. We voyeuristically watch DiCaprio grunt and gnaw his way through storms, animal savaging, human savaging and sub-zero temps that make the Antarctic look like a tropical getaway. To survive these ordeals, he employs techniques straight out of the Han Solo play-book, at one point climbing into a horse carcass for warmth.
I wanted desperately to connect with the story, to cheer on Hugh Glass during his horrid plight; but, at best, I could only admire this film on an aesthetic level. The cinematography is so awing that one can never quite adjust or forget to admire it. It's like a gorgeous wildlife documentary, only with human characters who lack the likability of the usual animals roaming such films.
DiCaprio gives a fine performance, although arguably Hardy's feral Fitzgerald- while not as visceral, is more interesting and charismatic to watch. Again, the lack of likability is a flaw in this film. There's been endless hue and cry about Leo long being denied his Oscar. The Revenant may well be his Oscar snagging performance. He renders Glass's pain and suffering perfectly, but Glass is not a character we care about. He's more like a specimen in a jar being tormented with sunlight directed through a microscope by a 7 year old bully. Glass lacks the 'heart' and appeal typically expected of Oscar winning performances. He is a character as frosty as the icy landscape. That's more of a fault of the storyline than Di Caprio.
I can't help but feel anyone who gets any level of enjoyment from this film (gorgeous cinematography aside) and its violent content is a psychopath, or at the very least, has an underdeveloped frontal lobe. Halfway through the film I became restless for it to end. The stunning vistas kept me there- but like Glass, I was relieved to be outta there!
I love you, Leo, but I preferred you in The Departed- or even Gilbert Grape to this. Cinematography, breathtaking: 10/10. The story and level of engagement with characters: 4/10.