One long bad day

Rating: 8/10 (1 April 2016)

In some ways this feels like Mike Leigh does a western. It is unremittingly grim. DiCaprio is definitely not having a good day, good week or even possibly a good month. It goes bad from day one with an attack in the opening scenes and doesn't get much better for him. Especially after the famed bear attack! However this hard-to-kill man takes us on an epic journey through some wonderful mountain scenery and the story, plainly told, develops to a suitable climax. DiCaprio deserves an Oscar for shear bloody endurance in the face of some incredibly harsh conditions alone! It did not look like a very comfortable acting job and he bore it with great fortitude. It had a great frontier feel and I felt for the hard lives of those who lived through those times. If I have one quibble it felt over long and a bit more editing would have produced a tighter film. But that said it must take its place in the hall of classic westerns.