Brutal and raw

Rating: 8/10 (9 February 2016)

There has been a lot of hype about this film with much talk of Leonardo DiCaprio's dedication to his performance, and the brilliant Tom Hardy lined up next to him it certainly sounded like it was going to be an epic and epic it was, in a few different ways.
The moment the film starts you're taken back to the early 1800's in the cold and desolate landscape of Montana and South Dakota with breathtakingly gorgeous scenery and an almost endless vista. You can literally feel the coldness oozing out of the screen. Long lingering shots are plentiful, with a slow and powerful soundtrack combining to make the films overall pace seem somewhat sluggish at times (with a 2hr 36min running time it could have been comfortably shorter). Putting that aside the story does tick along and there are plenty of tense scenes which keep you on edge and focused.
The gore though, wow there is a LOT of gore in this film. Whilst I'm sure it's very realistic it can't be described as anything other than brutal. Some scenes are literally a brutal onslaught and are often difficult to stomach, not what I was expecting. The cast were first class, DiCaprio immersing himself in the role to an incredible level whilst Hardy playing his slightly crazed character in that incredibly satisfying way only Hardy can. The two of them work together perfectly.
Up for many Oscars this film is certainly worth of the nominations, this is one well worth seeing but just be aware of its stark brutality.