Photo via Flickr user Day Donaldson

The Revenant is inspired by true events. In 1823, a now legendary fur trapper/explorer by the name of Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) was attacked by a grizzly bear protecting her cubs. He was left for dead by his travelling companion John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) who had excepted the task of looking after the mangled man until the remainder of the crew could send help. So driven was he to exact his revenge on Fitzgerald that despite unimaginable pain and severe injury Glass bravely pursued him, unarmed mind you, over 1000 miles of frigid wilderness.

Vast Landscape and Huge Emotion

The Revenant is nothing if not BIG! Everything about it is big.

First, and most obviously, it’s physically big. Filmed in all-natural grandiose: a spectacular array of mountain ranges, raging rivers, and wide open skies act as a perfect backdrop to its relentless action sequences. However, the power of the massive emotional element of the film, incredibly, takes precedence over both.

The most palpable emotion is Glass’s passion for revenge, fueled always by a true, deep love for his deceased family. The two emotions often seem confusingly intertwined. This muddling communicates well the complexity and confusion of human emotion as it culminates in life’s most gut-wrenchingly intense situations. The co-mingling of undying love and teeth clenching hate is nothing short of poetry.

I think Iñárritu’s primary concern was exploring the extreme intensity of emotion felt by Glass, and the strength of a spirit that endured such unbelievable pain and hardship. The conditions and injuries he fought through are astounding. This is the vicarious quality of film at its finest.

Frigid Filmmaking

Cold is a character in The Revenant, without a doubt. I swear you can feel it.

Iñárritu was staunchly against constructing any of the film’s scenic elements using computer-generated graphics, and the cast/crew definitely suffered for their art, as they spent months filming in some pretty harsh conditions between spurts of ideal lighting situations.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter Iñárritu said this about substituting green screen technology for the real set:

“If we ended up in green screen with coffee and everybody having a good time, everybody will be happy, but most likely the film would be a piece of shit.” http://goo.gl/lfsEYG

The director’s steadfastness has definitely raised the question, how far is too far, amongst cast, crew, and critics. But frozen toes and pissed off actors aside, I would have to agree that nothing beats the real thing. The authentic scenery absolutely makes this film.

This is method acting taken to a new level. But DiCaprio seems to have taken the discomforts in stride and used them to channel a commendable and powerful performance. In an interview with Aol DiCaprio explained how he used the hardships to his advantage:

“Hugh Glass is a highly-skilled survivalist but at the same time he’s a human being that was pushed to incredible hardcore circumstances. He found an ability to adapt. I saw his humanity.”

Tis the Season to Garner Awards!

The Revenant did very well at the Golden Globes this past weekend, winning Best Picture in the drama category, Best Director for Iñárritu, and Best Actor for DiCaprio.

According to Variety, the film also received a Producers Guild nomination on Tuesday, as well as an American Society of Cinematographers nomination this past Wednesday.

If you haven’t already, check out the trailer. I guarantee it’ll knock your socks off. See you at the Civic!

Heather Austin is a freelance writer living in Nelson, BC. She studied English Literature and Film at Memorial University of Newfoundland.  She enjoys skiing, canoeing, and thinking. hlaustincomposition.com