Very intriguing

Rating: 8/10 (28 February 2017)

Revenant, someone who has come back basically from the dead. This applies to many people in life that make a dramatic return when not being on the "scene" for a long period of time, as well as an emergence. A revenant is present in the movie business as well. Many actors dream of winning the coveted Academy Award. Despite being nominated for the award four times previously, Leonardo DiCaprio could never win one despite his most famous works. Some of those on the list include Titanic, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Django Unchained, Catch Me If You Can, The Great Gatsby, Inception, and even Romeo + Juliet. Nevertheless, he was able to achieve what many actors dream of, which is to capture an Academy Award. This would be his first, and for a movie made in 2015, which portrayed him in a whole different role than what he usually plays. This movie that is so hyped up is called "The Revenant." This is the tale of courage against the odds of nature, and the determination and grit that one gets from within. One thing to note, as well, is that this movie was based on a true story of an American frontiersman. There were many good movies worth noting in 2015, but none could compared to this one. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, "The Revenant" is a must watch even though it was made it 2015 due to the awesome plot, the unbelievable acting by Leonardo DiCaprio, and the great cinematography showing the beautiful landscape of Argentina and Canada.
The tale that Alejandro González Iñárritu got the attention of many audiences with the story of Hugh Glass. Surprisingly this is based on a true story that happened many, many years ago. The story may seem a bit cheesy with the fact that the protagonist overcomes many obstacles within nature. It is also a story of revenge, and Iñárritu reshapes the famed Hugh Glass to a character that everyone can get behind and support, sort of like Rudy. This movie also shows survival, which is captured as Glass does and many others did some actions that shows what one must do to survive in the wilderness. Iñárritu draws people to this story, and it hits people on an emotional level, which separates this movie from the competition.
An actor as eloquent in his craft as Leonardo DiCaprio should be rewarded for nailing a role that was unlike others. The usual characters that DiCaprio portrays is the handsome stud, most of the time having a decent amount of money, that all the girls fall in love with and the guys are jealous of. This is true for his films like Romeo + Juliet, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Great Gatsby, Titanic, and Inception. In The Revenant, DiCaprio plays a scruffy, unattractive, wild frontiersman that at first glance looks nothing like the DiCaprio we all know. Playing this character also meant that doing some gross, gnarly stuff that a person would never imagine DiCaprio doing. Only a really strong actor can play roles that break their usual role norms, and this is what DiCaprio does to make The Revenant one of the best movies.
Earth is such a beautiful place with many wonders all over, and Iñárritu captures them in South America and Canada. It is very noteworthy that the conditions in which the shots were filmed was inhospitable especially the parts in Canada. The movie was about a frontiersman and his survival in the wilderness, and the rough conditions were caught nicely. However, the beauty of the landscape was shown despite all the snow and mist. The last scenes that were shot in Argentina had to be the best I've seen in a while. Even though this was towards the end and not the main location like how Canada was, the landscape and the terrain that they filmed at were jaw droppingly good. Alejandro González Iñárritu captured both the beauty and the dark side of Mother Nature elegantly in this masterpiece that leaves audiences in awe.
If you have never watched this movie, you must. It has aspects that almost everyone can enjoy whether you are intrigued by cinematography, an award-winning actor, or a compelling story.