It may seem sarcastic or strange to praise a movie for having an unengaging story to tell, but in the case of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant, its lack of reliance on narrative is precisely its saving grace. Thanks to unnecessary yet spectacular attention to detail, unrelenting technical perfectionism and a pathological commitment to discarding Hollywood magic to do everything the hard way, there’s not much room for metaphors, morals or even character depth. This makes Iñárritu’s resistance to the temptation of cramming any trace of sentimentality into this revenge/survival yarn a wise one: We’re here to see Leonardo DiCaprio suffer in gorgeous natural lighting in long, unbroken shots against a beautiful and deadly winter backdrop, and that’s precisely what we get—and no more.
The Revenant is based on the life of fur trapper Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), who in 1823 was famously left for dead following a horrific bear mauling before miraculously overcoming his life-threatening injuries and the harsh wilderness in an effort to reach civilization (thus the nickname “revenant”).
Things are never easy for Glass, even before the mauling. The film opens with Glass’ camp being raided by the Pawnee, with massive casualties suffered on both sides, and the remaining members of the expedition barely escaping with their lives. While hunting for provisions, Glass mistakenly comes between a mother bear and her cubs, prompting the fortuitous mauling—his throat is slit, his bones are broken, and his flesh is ripped to shreds.
To summarize the plot any more would do the film a disservice, not because it may be spoiled (it’s a well-documented true story with a title that literally describes what happens), but because it places the wrong emphasis. This is not a symbolic struggle of a man channeling his survival instinct before reaching a begrudging respect for nature’s brutality. It’s the story of a guy who was maliciously screwed over by a member of his party (Tom Hardy as the impossibly horrible John Fitzgerald) and wants revenge. For all its pedigree, award buzz and exceptional technique, it’s basically John Wick in the Wild West with a protagonist who isn’t as good at everything.
As soon as the trailer debuted for The Revenant, the Internet exploded with predictions of Leo finally nabbing that Oscar. He certainly gives a fine, brave performance and undoubtedly suffered many hardships along the way, so if someone wants to throw any statuettes his way, it’ll be as much for enduring the production as for his craft. But in many ways it’s Hardy’s performance that elicits a stronger gut reaction.
Hardy’s Fitzgerald is a nasty misanthrope who spews racial epithets almost as frequently as he disparages his supposed comrades. He’s a clear villain, and for narrative purposes fills the role of a mean guy who does bad things and must pay. But somehow, whenever Fitzgerald is cornered for any number of transparently evil deeds, he proves to be a master of manipulation, preying on the self-doubt inherent in any good person who truly cares about others. In some ways, it’s yet another Hardy performance where you can barely understand what he’s saying, thanks to his enthusiastic commitment to historically accurate dialect. But in the ways that matter, he’s the thick, poisonous lifeblood of the movie.
The Revenant is only a mildly interesting story that is exceptionally well-told. Should it garner as many nominations as predicted, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to ask why this is a better film than, say, Eli Roth’s similarly bleak, reactionary cannibal throwback, The Green Inferno, given how both rest on cringe-inducing brutality. But for what it is, The Revenant is an impressive bit of craftsmanship that doesn’t mask its gimmicky nature the way Iñárritu’s previous film, Birdman, did.
Playing this week
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
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Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
Brooklyn
Concussion
Creed
Daddy’s Home
The Danish Girl
The Good Dinosaur
The Hateful Eight
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
Krampus
In the Heart of the Sea
Point Break
Sisters
Spectre
Violet Crown Cinema
200 W. Main St., Downtown Mall, 529-3000
The Big Short
The Revenant
Joy
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
