Leonardo DiCaprio. Not a man I've ever hated, yet not one I've pushed for his long overdue Academy Award. There's no denying the man has spades of talent, but I've never rooted for him. Now he comes to us with The Revenant. An encompassed performance yearning for an Oscar, and in my opinion the one which may finally grasp it.
Set in the harsh tundra of the Louisiana Purchase in 1823, Hugh Glass leads a group of trappers and hunters on an expedition for pelts. When Hugh is attacked by a bear and seemingly near death, he is left behind with his son and two trappers, Bridger and Fitzgerald, to see that he passes peacefully and buried properly. Yet Fitzgerald betrays Glass, murders his son, and leaves him buried alive. Miraculously clinging to life, Glass sets out on revenge.
From the get-go let's talk about it's biggest positive. It's visually breathtaking. It's strikingly shot and creates a spectacle with every frame. It contributes to the narrative to have such a masterfully constructed backdrop rich with authenticity and a visceral world for the characters to thrive in. That's Oscar number one for The Revenant: Best Cinematography. I expect nothing less from the director of Birdman, who has quickly established his distinct style.
With that authenticity comes more aspects. Magnificent production value, costume design begging for challengers, and a graphic realism to compliment the formalist values. It's difficult to watch at moments given some of the events that transpire, but it's necessary. The music directly attunes to the moments that occur. It won't sweep, but you'll hear the name being called for a number of technical awards on Oscar night.
Except the bear attack. In a grippingly real world, it takes you out of the moment. Not the attack, but how it looks. One is nearly reminded of the Hulk's comical assault on Loki in The Avengers. The bear attack looks simply too cartoonish.
Now we come to the story. It's told extremely well with strong dialogue, and powerful acting to compliment the screenplay. But it's nothing groundbreaking. It's more or less a tale of a revenge journey with a few new moments here or there, but it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what will happen next. There is also a subplot involving French traders and Native Americans that it's stretched far too thin and takes painstakingly long to payoff in the principal narrative. And even then you have to look for why it does. The story is fine, but it's just not up to the level of the rest of the film.
It's much like Avatar. It's not a brilliant story, but you're willing to forgive that given the rest of the film.
Now we come to Mr. DiCaprio. He truly does put it all on the table. His actions are true, he's fully immersed in the role, and he's drawn you into his world. He's not given the freshest storyline to work with, but that's to his strength. He makes the most out of the weaker moments and keeps your attention when it starts to wane, and states his case for why he was the best choice for this role. Everything DiCaprio does, even in silence, shows how hard he is pushing himself and his character. If DiCaprio wins an Oscar in his life, this is his best chance.
On a different level not needing the amount of painstaking effort, but still undeniable strong is Tom Hardy. This is a man who also immerses himself in his characters and embraces their motivations, and this is why he is one of my favorite working actors. You hate his character as you're expected to, but Hardy shows you his cards as to why he does what he does. He won't be nominated for any Oscars for this, but in the same film as Leo's knockout performance, Hardy isn't one to be written off.
The Revenant is wonderfully rich, slightly flawed, and a bit graphic. But it's worth it all to see the artful design and the role that may finally get Leo the gold.
A-
