"We are all savages"

Rating: 9/10 (1 February 2016)

I was utterly entranced for the entire length of this long, sad, and starkly beautiful film and didn't want it to end. The action sequences—bear attack, attacks by hostile Indians, struggles with other natural elements—truly take the audience Right There with their ultra-realistic cinematography, costume design, and sound effects. Very good, often splendid acting by just about everyone, with special kudos going to Will Poulter as young Jim Bridger, and, of course, DiCaprio as protagonist Hugh Glass. Tom Hardy is also great as antagonist John Fitzgerald, a character who, no matter how much the bad guy he is, is still given a sprinkling of sympathetic qualities. The way that Glass and Fitzgerald resemble each other in both appearance and certain mannerisms is another interesting effect.
I've noticed some complaints about THE REVENANT's length, and I can see why many will find its 2.5 hours overwhelming and draggy in certain places. The main reason why I can't quite give it ten shiners is that its plot follows the same basic pattern of so many other western vengeance dramas, particularly in its rather predictable ending. Still, the unique details and twists keep this from really hurting the film. The sheer number of supporting characters makes it hard to place who's who; nevertheless, this was obviously hard to avoid and also leaves room for multiple viewings—I'm sure many will be as eager as I am to watch it again. Finally, some of the script/dialogue is rather flat and does not convincingly evoke the 1820s; e.g., "Yep, the Indians are always stealing our s__t!"
Some other notable things about THE REVENANT:
--Wonderful use of parallels in details such as the bear cubs left motherless, the lone buffalo abandoned by the herd as it's devoured by stalking wolves, and the old Indian left behind in the abandoned village.
--Amazing visuals of the Rocky Mountain setting and Glass's dream sequences.
--The fact that THE REVENANT is based upon a true story (taking many liberties, of course) and that most of its primary characters were actual people leaves room to read-up and dig a little deeper.