Awards for this incredibly bleak yet stirring movie were earned!

Rating: 9/10 (29 December 2019)

If you would take away the visually stunning photography and scenery as well the great score of this movie, you would still be left with a great movie. Leonardo DiCaprio definitely earned his Oscar for his portrayal frontiersman Hugh Glass. Tom Hardy deserves his nomination for his portrayal of John Fitzgerald (this character has got to be among the most evil and soulless characters in film history!)
I feel that some of the negative reviews of this movie come from the fact that viewers want to pigeonhole this movie into either the category of adventure or action. Although it has plenty of both of the aforementioned elements, it is really a survival / justice movie. But in the end, it is just better not to try to pigeonhole this film which is much more complex than it appears on the surface.
The scene where Hugh Glass is attacked and mauled by a bear is so graphic, it will make even the most seasoned movie watcher wince a bit. Not only is the CGI used for the bear incredible, but you can really feel the pain that Dicaprio's character is experiencing. However, this scene also is a part of the reason why I didn't give this movie a full 10: In reality, the injuries that the Glass character received from the bear attack (combined with all the other physical injuries he received throughout the film) would most likely resulted in his death. Or would have left him incapacitated to the point he would have died of exposure.
This movie has no dull moments, and for me it seemed far less than its running time of 156 minutes, due to its intense pace.
This film is a must-see saga for any serious movie
connoisseur.