The Revenant (2016)

"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. 

You breathe... keep breathing."

Leo takes on a bear...

After being mauled by a bear and left for dead by his own hunting team, Hugh Glass must fight for survival. 

Well, I eventually got my Cineworld card back up and running and I finally got to see 'The Revenant' after months of waiting. Really, like months...

'The Revenant' is gritty, realistic and hard hitting. It's a painful film to watch and is an experience that was meant for cinema. 

It is a very masculine film lead by men with a raw, almost animalistic, edge to it. It feels primal and visceral and really makes the violence and the pain all too real. 

Based loosely on a true story, I was curious to see what the film had to offer. Partly because of the rumours that have been circulating about how harsh the filmmaking process had been on the cast and crew and, after seeing the film, it's easy to see why. Just about everything you see is real and most of the effects are done in-camera which helps the film immensely. You believe it because you are genuinely seeing it, when DiCaprio is wading into an icy river, he is actually wading into an icy river. You just couldn't have made this film without that commitment to realism, the actors feel it and so do you. The hardcore shooting style emphasises the reality of the situations that the characters find themselves in and raises the stakes tenfold. 

Director Alejandro González Iñárritu, alongside a phenomenal team, creates a world that feels grown rather than built. Everything they create and build looks natural, as if it's been there for years. From the costumes to the art department, it all blends together in perfect harmony to make you forget you are watching a film as the drama takes hold and the fight to survive begins. 

Of all the years that DiCaprio has been nominated for an Oscar, this is the only year where I wholeheartedly think he should win Best Actor. With his commitment to the role, his badass beard and the performance he gives, he deserves that recognition. You feel every moment with him and through his eyes you are pulled into his damaged psyche. He claws to life by his fingernails and, with his broken body, he crawls through hell in the process.

Tom Hardy also gives a stand-out performance as the cold-hearted John Fitzgerald. His performance, although different to DiCaprio's, is still transformative. He has scenes that would make any actor worth their salt quiver but he takes it in his stride. 

The cinematography by the great Emmanuel Lubezki ('Children of Men', 'Gravity', 'Tree of Life') is something to behold. Each landscape could be a painting and the long and violently choreographed set pieces are a work of art in their own way. Not only is it a beautiful film to look at but the way it is shot really drags you into the world they are creating. 

My only issue with the film is that it does feel a little overly long. It has some fast paced storytelling in parts but really slows down in other sections. Not that a slow pace is a negative, it just elongates what is already a really long film. 

The film walks a thin line between art and entertainment and, for me anyway, it strikes the perfect balance. It keeps us on the edge of our seats while making us think with the themes and ideas that it is throwing our way. It battles with man vs nature, revenge and a whole list of other large and destructive themes. It is rare that Hollywood produces a large budget film of this calibre without giving up the passion and integrity of the project. It's not a sequel or part of a franchise, it stands on it's own two feet and I'd love to see more films like this.

Overall, 'The Revenant' is a fantastic piece of filmmaking with great performances and a raw and unflinching story. It is beautiful yet horrific and will sweep you away in its cinematic grandeur.

I don't know what else Leonardo Di Caprio could have done in 'The Revenant' to secure him an Oscar win. Maybe if he fought a live bear it would increase his chances... After seeing him in this film, I think he'd put up a good fight.