The Revenant

“THE REVENANT” is beautiful yet brutal, but a tad too long!

Immaculately lensed, epic in scale, and harshly uncompromising, this latest offering from Oscar winning Director Iñárritu is a visceral experience, starring actors at their best, filmed in the most spectacular way. But its relaxed pace and long runtime of over 2.5 hours makes the film-watching experience somewhat tedious. Nevertheless, this revenge saga is worth a watch!

The story of THE REVENANT is inspired by true events. In an expedition of the uncharted American wilderness, legendary explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is brutally attacked by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team. In a quest to survive, Glass endures unimaginable grief as well as the betrayal of his confidant John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). Guided by sheer will and the love of his family, Glass navigates a vicious winter in a relentless pursuit to live and find redemption.

THE REVENANT is beautifully photographed, but its greatest impact is hampered by an incredibly long runtime. The story takes its own sweet time unravelling itself, and might feel too slow for some spectators. So, while you're bound to be impressed by what the actors went through, you won't be so bothered about the characters they play. It is thrilling in parts, and consistently gorgeous, but exhausting. What you enjoy most is cinematic experience capturing one man's epic adventure of survival and the extraordinary power of the human spirit framed in the nature’s magnificence depicted in the most aesthetic way possible. How I wish it was more tautly presented.

‘Human Suffering’ has been a recurring theme in Iñárritu’s films, and this film is no exception. But where his last film BIRDMAN was extremely complex, this film has a very basic plot encompassing a survival tale. A common revenge story with nothing new to offer. The script is definitely inadequate. It’s also immensely brutal. It's easily one of the most unsettling films of the past few years. You see a bear maul our protagonist with utmost cruelty, and witness slaughtering of humans and animals in the most perturbing way possible. Bloodshed and gore is a staple affair here.

The performances are mind-blowing. As mentioned above, you’ll be truly awestruck with what the actors have gone through in this film. Leonardo DiCaprio adds yet another feather to his already illustrious cap and gives perhaps the most committed performance you’ll ever see. He deserves all the accolades he receives and more, for this incredible performance. The rest of the cast which includes Tom Hardy and Domhnall Gleeson, is immaculate.

 In all, “THE REVENANT” is magnificent and unrelenting, but lags behind in narrative depth and entertainment quotient. Albeit, deserves a watch!