THE REVENANT: Bloody Brilliant! [4/5]

Tarantino’s most-celebrated blood-porn and Terrence Malick’s spiritual and emotionally enriching visual-narratives have found a beefy believer in Alejandro G Inarittu’s latest revenge drama THE REVENANT. Though this is not the first time Terrence Malick has shared his confidante behind the lenses Emmanuel Lubezki with Inarittu, [Lubezki has already won an Oscar for the latter in BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)] but this time the plot itself, an expected yet absorbing one, allows him to bring into play his trademark masterstrokes on the moving picture canvas. The same also encourages the film to be as wintery, gory and gruesomely beautiful as Tarantino’s last THE HATEFUL EIGHT; in fact, in a more riveting and gut-wrenching outfit.

Set in 1823, the story tracks down a group of trackers in fur trading business being attacked by some Native Americans while returning to their homes. The most-experienced Hugh Glass [Leonardo DiCaprio] is leading the fleeing troop till he himself gets badly hurt in a terrible bear attack. Considering his hopeless physical condition, the troop decides to leave him and his son behind with a couple of members to accompany them. Abandoned by his own team, Glass is forced to survive through many physical challenges of extreme nature and intense mental trauma to deal with. A strong desire seeking revenge keeps him going even when going gets tougher.

THE REVENANT doesn’t overwhelm you with its crude, simplistic and naïve American legend as the basic plot but undoubtedly excels as a gritty documentation of a survivor’s story. The glory belongs to a taut screenplay that never offers you a dull moment. The severity and intensity of physical assaults on Glass are such brutal that you never expect him to breathe life again but the way Inarittu crafts and constructs the rise of the fallen is tremendously absorbing. Inarittu orchestrates scenes like an extended opera; they decline to cut the shots in between and go on and on with a continuous thrust scenes demand. The precise scene where Glass is seen attacked by a grizzly bear is one of the most gratifying part in the film, not only as a visual fascination for the viewers but also as a textbook example in VFX advancement. There is never an iota of disbelief in what you see and hear huffing, roaring, grunting and purring on screen.       

Setting frozen rivers, frosted trees and widespread snowfields as the film’s scenic canvas, Inarittu alongside Emmanuel Lubezki ensures you’re taken to the same territory with no hesitation, no apprehension and with all the certainty to experience the events to its maximum but it is only the second best asset THE REVENANT owns. The top one on the chart is DiCaprio’s categorical, precise and career-best performance as Hugh Glass. Watching him sinking deep in the character that needed extreme physical participation (He crawls, creeps and slithers in most of the reels), intense acting skills (He hardly mouths verbal expressions) and a seasoned expertise in evoking transferable pain from his haunting past is an ecstasy. You don’t need to be a fan to recognize and recommend his talent for the Oscars’ pride. Tom Hardy as his counterpart Fitzgerald- a mean, sly and egotistical teammate provides a great support.

To conclude, THE REVENANT is a gritty, gutsy and grave revenge drama that is not for the faint-hearted. After all, when was the last time you saw someone clearing out the insides of a dead horse to make it a potential shelter in a bone-freezing sleet or someone chewing blood-soaked raw meat from a freshly slaughtered Bison? MAN Vs WILD lovers can come up with many such stories but this is some rare cinematic experience! Go for it, you might end up watching an Oscar wining performance! [4/5]