Wonderfully Crafted

Rating: 8/10 (21 December 2015)

The Revenant is one of the most beautifully shot movies I have ever seen. The opening scene alone will make you wonder how the hell they did this. There are so many creative shots with sweeping camera angles and beautiful vistas. For that alone I'd recommend seeing it.
As the story goes, its based on true event. The real story of Hugh Glass is an incredible story about the will to survive and the need for revenge. The Revenant portrays that very well. At times it's brutal, savage, and unforgiving, like what frontier life was probably like in the early 19th century.
The acting is all well done, from Dicaprio as the lead to Hardy as the villain; they were all convincing. The only knock I have about this movie is the pacing and length. I knew going in being familiar with the story that there were going to be slow parts, a wounded man clinging to life and traveling through the wilderness was bound to have slow parts.
Visually alone, I think most cinemaphiles will have a lot to like about this movie as well for people who are interested in the the time period. This film is certainly well made and the fact that they used only natural lighting adds to the already impressive production values.