Leonardo DiCaprio brings Hugh Glass to life with his Oscar-winning performance
By Murtaza Ali Khan (@apotofvestiges)
Featured in IMDb Critic Reviews
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| The Revenant (2015) - By Alejandro G. Iñárritu |
Our Rating: 9.0
IMDb Ratings: 8.2
Genre: Adventure | Drama | Thriller
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson
Country: USA
Language: English | Pawnee | French
Runtime: 156 min
Color: Color
The Revenant is a 2015
adventure thriller film directed by Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker Alejandro
González Iñárritu. Co-written by Mark L. Smith and Iñárritu himself, The
Revenant is based on the American author Michael Punke's 2002 novel of the same
name inspired by the experiences of the legendary American fur trapper and
explorer Hugh Glass whose own men left him for dead after he was mauled by a
grizzly bear circa 1820. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall
Gleeson and Will Poulter in major roles. Out of the 12 nominations (maximum for
any film this year) that The Revenant received at the 88th Academy Awards, it
won in three categories i.e. Best Director for Iñárritu (his second consecutive
award in the category following his win last year for Birdman), Best Actor for
DiCaprio (his first win), and Best Cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki (his
third consecutive win in the category to follow up Birdman and Gravity). The Revenant is also a winner of three Golden
Globe and five BAFTA Awards.
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| Leonardo DiCaprio as American explorer Hugh Glass in The Revenant |
Watching The Revenant on
the big screen is an experience in itself and one is bound to be impressed by at
least three aspects of the movie, if not more. One, Emmanuel Lubezki's breathtaking
cinematography. One just can't help but be in awe of his art. His images
transport us back in time as we become an integral part of Glass’ existential
journey, marked by spiritual undertones, through the treacherous North American
wilderness of the 1820s. The shots, long and deliberate, are so full of life
that they make us feel as if the events are unfolding right in front of our
eyes.
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| Emmanuel Lubezki's breathtaking cinematography in The Revenant |
Second, the acting
performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy and in that order. The win has
come for DiCaprio after a long wait and is richly deserved. No justification
can prove otherwise given the competition on offer. Among other things, it is the intensity and the extent to which he pushes himself for the sake of realism that make his performance extraordinary. During the last two decades,
DiCaprio had done everything in his power to convince the Academy of his worth
as an actor but the elusive victory continued to elude him despite delivering some remarkable and diverse performances in films like What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator, Blood Diamond, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Great Gatsby, Django Unchained, Romeo + Juliet, Basketball Diaries, The Departed, Catch Me If You Can, Titanic and various other films.
After so many near
misses, DiCaprio must have realized that given his superstar status it will
take something special to get the Academy’s nod. And perhaps that’s what would
have convinced him to take up a daunting assignment like The Revenant. Yes, he must
have had some idea about the impending challenges. But even he wouldn’t have guessed
that during the shooting he would have to withstand regular bouts of viral
infections, threats of frostbites and hypothermia (with mercury dipping to as
low as 40 below zero), or something as gross as eating raw lever despite being
a vegan. Perhaps, it can be said that DiCaprio’s portrayal of Glass proved almost
as grueling as Glass’ own struggle for survival. The performance reminds one of
Tom Hank's in Cast Away. Given DiCaprio gets
to speak very little dialogue, and mostly in Pawnee, the part actually
qualifies as non-English which puts DiCaprio in a very selective list of Oscar
winners. It is one of those rare acting performances that rely so heavily on non-verbal aspects of communication (his eyes and facial expressions tell us everything) and so little on verbal articulation.
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| Tom Hardy as John Fitzgerald in The Revenant |
As for Hardy, he too deserved
an Oscar for his portrayal of John Fitzgerald but the Academy never really
fails to disappoint. Playing the part of a mangy mongrel, Hardy adds spark to
the movie. And, of course, he gets to speak the best dialogues. Consider this climactic exchange between Glass and Fitzgerald:
Hugh Glass: You killed my boy.
John Fitzgerald: Or maybe you shoulda raised a man... instead of some girly little bitch.
Hugh Glass: I ain't afraid to die anymore. I'd done it already.
John Fitzgerald: You came all this way just for your revenge, huh? You enjoy it, Glass, 'cuz ain't nothing gonna bring your boy back.
Hugh Glass: You killed my boy.
John Fitzgerald: Or maybe you shoulda raised a man... instead of some girly little bitch.
Hugh Glass: I ain't afraid to die anymore. I'd done it already.
John Fitzgerald: You came all this way just for your revenge, huh? You enjoy it, Glass, 'cuz ain't nothing gonna bring your boy back.
As John Fitzgerald,
Hardy epitomizes the dark side of human nature. Fitzgerald is shifty but
resourceful, cowardly but clever, fickle but determined in his quest for
survival. The final showdown between Glass and Fitzgerald not only makes for
a great climax but also serves as a perfect closure to their bitter rivalry.
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| Hugh Glass with his Pawnee wife |
Third, Inarritu's
cinematic vision, of course. The Revenant may be far from being deemed a great film
(that's for the time to decide), but it is nothing short of a bold statement
which will inspire other leading filmmakers to push their boundaries. Iñárritu's creative designs seem greatly influenced by Andrei Tarkovksy and Terrence Malick. While the use of voiceovers reminds one of Malick, Iñárritu's admiration for Tarkovksy is evident during a levitation sequence that harks back to The Mirror. Iñárritu,
who became the first non-white director and only the third overall to win back
to back Oscars after Joseph L. Mankiewicz and John Ford, follows an interesting
approach to critically examine racism prevalent in the early 19th century
America. His protagonist is a man who is above racism and even sires a son named Hawk with
a Pawnee wife (the father-offspring relationship always take the center-stage in films of Iñárritu and The Revenant is no exception). Glass loves his son dearly and tries his best to protect him but
his men see Hawk as a half-breed. Some of them, particularly John Fitzgerald,
look down upon Glass for siring a half-native son. Fitzgerald may have his own
reasons for hating the natives. Perhaps, it is because of his past encounter
with the natives during which he was partially scalped. But the deep-seated
hostility between the white men and the natives is quite evident throughout the
film. What’s interesting to note is that Glass is able to survive despite great adversities as he establishes an alliance with the nature. He has learnt the
ways of the natives which other white men aren’t well versed with. So they
perish one by one while Glass endures. During his Oscar acceptance speech,
Iñárritu emphasized upon the need to ignore questions of color and ethnicity in
giving opportunities even as the show producers unceremoniously tried to cut
him off before he had used all his time.
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| Hugh Glass after being mauled by a grizzly bear |
Overall, The Revenant makes
for a powerful film viewing experience that simultaneously entertains and makes
us think. The film is actually more about survival than it is about revenge and
that's where most people seem to have got it wrong. The uninitiated may like to
describe it as a case of man versus wild but keen-eyed viewers will certainly
perceive it as a treatise on man's symbiotic relationship with Mother Nature.
In the words of Leonardo DiCaprio: “Making
‘The Revenant' was about man's relationship to the natural world.” The film is also about the indomitable spirit of man—a recurring theme in American literature. The slow
pace of the movie may pose a challenge to the casual viewers but those with
patience will be thoroughly rewarded. The viewers are encouraged to watch the forty-four
minute documentary, named A World Unseen, about
the making of The Revenant available on YouTube. The only way to watch The Revenant is on
the big screen or else you would be doing a great injustice to yourself. Highly
recommended!
Readers, please feel free to share your views/opinions in the comment box below. As always your insightful comments are highly appreciated!
Readers, please feel free to share your views/opinions in the comment box below. As always your insightful comments are highly appreciated!
References:
The Revenant (2015) Movie Trailer
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