Awesome movie with great storyline and realistic action

Rating: 7/10 (28 January 2016)

This movie does an excellent job portraying human nature at it's roots, survival! The western expansion timeline and the cold, mountainess wilderness captures that characters in a unique setting. The story builds from the start and provides several climactic moments. At times there were a few points where the scenes were slow and did nothing to enhance the drama. The acting was captivating and Leonardo DiCaprio does an excellent job displaying the grit and vulnerability of his character. Some of the battle and survival scenes can be very gruesome and vivid, however it is carefully and intentionally done to make the piece more realistic. At times you will often catch yourself asking "Is this really happening?". This action/western drama could have looped-in the different story lines the plot alluded to. It would have helped to add a little more cohesiveness and understanding of Leonardo DiCaprio's character.
But overall it was a great time period flick that stressed survival, revenge, loyalty, honor, bigotry, and cultural partnerships. I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in seeing a story about action, drama, and conflict. It is not your typical old western movie.