I SAW THE REVENANT FOR A SECOND TIME TODAY. THIS IS MY IMPRESSION.
Upon second viewing of The Revenant I’m struck by the fact that it has much more in common with director Alejandro G. Inñáritu’s older work like Babel then it does with his more recent Oscar winner Birdman. The general theme of it is similar and just as dark as Babel, and to put it simply: The human race sucks. They will do ungodly things to each other, and the things around them, but also can survive in the most desperate situations. It’s a boxing match between the human animal, and the human spirit. This all really occurred to me the second time watching the film because there’s a lot of other stuff in The Revenant to look at and see then the surface. Even though that’s pretty cool. Inñáritu’s film’s always have a metaphorical sense to them, and the first time (and probably all the times) that many people are going to see it they will watch the film for the sense of visceral, brutal, and bloody combat and the will to survive. That’s all well and good (the first time I watched the film I had the fun of parading from money shot to money shot), but it’s almost implored that you look under the surface here. Sure, that’s true of every movie, but especially poignant in films that are for all intensive purposes roller coasters of survival. What else is going to make them interesting? Eventually the visceral sense has to wear off...not that it does in The Revenant. The use of tracking shots, and choreography create a sense that the world the characters are living in is a place where nobody is good, and once I realized that I had more fun with the dynamics. Getting into the mindset that this is a different type of story being told where there’s not real protagonist, or antagonist just people trying to survive no matter what, some just with better intentions, than others, is a difficult place to put an audience, but once you get there the film is a better experience. Especially because by the ending Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) completely denies all of this, and turns against the conditions that the movie has set up. He leaves it behind creating his fulfilling arch. The Revenant by the way is about Hugh Glass, a frontiersman, who is left for dead by one of his comrades Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) after Glass is attacked by a bear. Fitzgerald on top of that kills Glasse’s son, and basically buries Glass alive. Glass is tasked with returning to civilization with a broken leg, and many other injuries to kill Fitzgerald. Of course that’s not all it’s about though because as in earlier paragraphs I just realed against looking at it just in that way, but still that’s the basic plot. The rest of it has to do with the people, and situations that Glass encounters on his journey only to further prove that humans suck. The result is rousing and interesting above all using violence for the sake of violence to prove utterly that people just do this stuff, and that’s just the way they are. It’s more fun to look at it the “violence is cool” way here, and I wouldn’t blame anyone who thought about it that way. The film is really served to you as a roller coaster of violent survival situations being bookended by two of the greatest fight scenes ever put to film. That’s actually enough too. The film almost seems like a variation on the Mad Max: Fury Road story school. Take simple story, and stretch it out through the cool stuff that happens while also having something to say. The Revenant comes out on top in that game because it’s simply more exciting to watch. Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography is probably some of the best ever achieved, and ever more impressive in natural lighting. Leonardo DiCaprio is intense, but seemless as Glass in a performance of little words, and Tom Hardy creates an excellent “pure evil, but also too much of an idiot to realize character”. This is a showcase for everyone aboard and a brutal look at human beings. Great film though. I give The Revenant a 10 out of 10.
0 Comments
The Revenant is less of a character movie then one might expect. For all the time that we spend with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Hugh Glass, the film seems more concerned with the comparison and contrast of the peaceful wild, and the violent people that inhabit it. The Revenant is instead a realistic, and riveting film different than anything you might see otherwise. After Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is attacked by a wild animal (that is much more interesting when you consider that the animal itself seems to be in a more playful and protective mood than anything) Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) kills Hugh Glass’s boy, and leave Glass for dead. It’s up to a wounded Glass to get back to society, and take Fitzgerald out. Now, again that sound’s like a close story for the characters, and it really would be if there was more to do with the dialogue of the film. It’s a good thing that most of the film is left up to the emotions of the actors though, but when they do talk it’s mostly to explain part of their feelings. An extended monologue at the beginning of the film makes for the most obvious example of this but it's not close to a deal breaker. A lot of great action is written like that though. It just separates the audience from feeling more intimate toward the characters. That also might be a good thing though as a genuine connection to the characters might have been utterly scarring to anyone sitting in that audience, not that the film isn’t already. The conflict mainly comes through the juxtaposition director Alejandro G. Iñarritu, and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki create through the peaceful imagery of the wild, and the violent things that happen it. The results are shocking. All of these detachment flaws though are made up by the acting and technical prowess shown which is good enough to make this film most certainly the best film of the year (not my best though). The opening action sequence is so incredibly staged that theres an awe to watching it, and Iñarritu direction has yet again found a spectacular match with Emmanuel Lubezki’s use of tracking shots. Lubezki’s floaty uncut sequences are so intense, and beautiful and that intensity is matched by Leonardo DiCaprio. His Hugh Glass is a man of little words, but it’s a spectacular performance still.. DiCaprio has always been an expert of method acting, and according to those rules he probably and apparently went through hell during the shooting of this movie. This performance would be tough for anyone else, and it’s beautiful to see DiCaprio do it with ease. Also spectacular is Tom Hardy. Here he’s not quite as good as he was in Legend, but he works his generally thin character into someone who’s truly despicable, but has interesting motives to him. Plus, it’s Hardy so he’s adding everything he can to the role. Inarritu has out done himself as well. It’s tough for a director on a hard shoot, and the fact that his vision has come out so blazingly is impressive. I’ve spent a bit of time during this review railing against the things that The Revenant is lacking, and fear I may have in fact sold it short. As above I think it’s probably the best film made this year...just not my best. Everything that was done to get this movie made was worth it. I can’t think of a more suiting display of filmmaking craft. I give The Revenant a 10 out of 10. To those in St. Louis The Revenant is playing at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. 1. Bridge of Spies: Steven Spielberg is like Meryl Streep for Directing. No matter the the manner of his films he's getting nominated. He deserves this one though. Bridge of Spies is a film of conversations, and it's one of the years most riveting.
2. The Big Short: I don't get all of Adam Mackay's The Big Short, an all out condemning of the big banks in America, but after a couple more viewings it's the type of film I could really get into. 3. Brooklyn: Brooklyn was a special film. A ravishing romance that had a colorful, and rich quality to it. The performances were exquisite. 4. Mad Max: Fury Road: While not quite as good as it was initially hyped Fury Road is an incredibly fun action film, and the direction from George Miller deserves to win. 5. The Martian: This was a good, but not exactly fulfilling film. Still pretty damn perfect though. 6. The Revenant: Just like last year I haven't seen one of the nominees. I'm seeing it Friday. 7. Room: The most emotionally wrenching film of the year Room is not perfect, but the strong emotion makes up for that. 8. Spotlight: The one absolutely perfect film of the year Spotlight is my pick for the winner out of this bunch. I would have given a nod to the best Steve Jobs, but seeing the nominees this is my pick. |
Archive
December 2017
CategoriesAuthorHello welcome to FilmAnalyst. My name is Stephen Tronicek, and I really like movies. This is a way to get my opinions out to people. Thank you for visiting. |