Poetry in film form. Dark but beautiful.

Rating: 9/10 (9 March 2016)

It's not about which story you tell. It's how you tell it that counts.
Now, while the accuracy of this statement might be debatable, it is certainly the truth in the case of The Revenant. Take the simplest story you can think of, and tell it in a way that is artistically striking. Not all films can pull it off, but this one does.
Sure, some viewers will leave the theater with a feeling that there was not enough substance here, that the movie drags itself too long, that there isn't enough character development, that some scenes are pointless as they don't advance the story, and may find the overall experience too shallow.
I advise you to look past those preconceptions. We're all too used to the typical Hollywood formula. But we should not be afraid to try a different approach to cinema. And honestly, this film isn't too alien in that regard. It walks a fine line between film for the masses and film for the artsy, hipster types, never drifting too far from one or another, and so it achieves a perfect balance. Your average movie-goer will be entertained throughout the experience. There is enough suspense, action, drama, tears and blood to satisfy the needs of such a consumer. But there's also more than that. There's some kind of poetry going on, that you may feel but may not be completely aware of. Is it due to the absolutely majestic environments? To the incredibly smart cinematography? To the gorgeous soundtrack? To the slow but steady pacing? It may be due to all those things, but there's also something more. And that extra mile may have something to do with the very believable acting. You don't feel like you're watching actors, you feel like those are real people, with real, dangerous, short lives. You can feel their emotions. Their fear, sadness, joy or anger is also your own. Even the cold from the snowy and icy landscapes seems real, and every time a character lights a fire, you can feel the warmth coming back to your bones.
There are, however, a couple of points where the immersion seems to fail. Sometimes, the amount of punishment that Glass (the main character, played by Leonardo DiCaprio) suffers is just too great for him to realistically survive. It's not that it theoretically couldn't happen, the thing is that, at certain points, you can feel it all comes down to convenient story-telling. But don't let it deter you from watching this movie. Any minor flaws are easily forgettable and forgivable.
Also, Leonardo DiCaprio nails it. As he always does.