One of the most brutal films I have seen

Rating: 9/10 (19 January 2016)

There is nothing clean or pretty about The Revenant. Although it is filled with gorgeous cinematography and seamless special effects, this is a movie that makes you feel uncomfortable watching it. I don't think I've ever seen such a realistic and riveting depiction of the pure savagery of nature and what it can mentally, and physically do to man. While much of the violence in this film is truly disturbing and definitely got under my skin, at no point does it ever become over-the-top or hard to believe. The violence in this film is different than the violence in most, because it is shown in a very realistic and natural way. The dialogue flows almost perfectly, which is part of what contributed to the films overall realism. In some scenes there were shaky camera shots, and mud and debris splashing the lens, which almost made me feel like I was watching a found footage film. It was during these moments when I felt like I was a part of the action, and that I was in just as much danger of a bear attack or Indians arrows as the characters on the screen. Part of what contributed to this high level of realism, was an absolutely stunning performance by Dicaprio, perhaps the best of his that I've seen. Somehow, while playing a role that has so little dialogue, he was able to convey so much emotion and pain just by using body language and facial expressions in what I can only imagine was one of the toughest roles of his career. Tom Hardy also did a great job of playing a character that was filled with so much hatred and evil, but that also had a few moments of near redemption, short lived as they may be. No film that I have seen this year has been as gritty or as immersive as the Revenant, and very few films that I've seen have ever been able to depict nature in such a savage, yet realistic way. Finally, if Dicaprio doesn't get the Oscar for this, I don't think he ever will.