Where do I start with ‘The Revenant’? I have so many biases for and against the movie, I’m mixed up on how to review it. My pro bias is that I am a great admirer of Director Alejandro González Iñárritu (fresh off his Oscar win last year). His movie ‘Birdman’ was a fantastic and innovative film among all the cookie cutter Hollywood blockbusters. My con bias is that I am not a fan of what I consider “Made-for-Oscar” films. This film has that written all over it, relying on shock values and intensity over anything else. I also have another bias in which I will go out on a limb. I don’t like when filmmakers try to mirror other Director’s artistic style. This film had the feel of a Terrence Malik film, without the preponderance of poetic themes. Malik’s films (The New World, Tree of Life, The Thin Red Line) have garnered immense respect for their artistic value amongst Hollywood Directors even if they rarely reflect in box office receipts. ‘The Revenant’ had the same feel of Malik’s visual aesthetics and minimalist dialogue. What it did lack was Malik’s permeating ethereal qualities (which ‘The Revenant’ did attempt in a few scenes, but lacked his poetic effectiveness). I did admire Iñárritu’s ability to capture vast wilderness landscapes, but all I could think of after seeing similar scenery in Tarantino’s ‘The Hateful Eight’ is that I wish he would have shot this film in 70 mm in order to better capture the majesty.
While I acknowledge that this film will be this year’s Oscar darling, I’m not going to jump on the bandwagon and proclaim this a great film. I admire Leonardo DiCaprio’s dedication to his art, but I found the film to be more an exercise in human survival and suffering than anything else. The plot was a simple revenge plot and the scenery was breathtaking, but other than that, I didn’t find much to sink my teeth into. Leonardo Di Caprio brings an intense and respectable performance to the story of Hugh Glass, a trapper guide who is left for dead after a vicious bear attack, only to survive and face great hardships as he works his way back to civilization to exact revenge on the man he holds responsible. The bear scene which everyone talked about was brutal to be sure, but hardly worth the buzz it has been generating. This felt more like an endurance marathon of seeing how much trail and tribulation one man can endure and still survive. After one finishes wincing at all the gore and trials of pain, I’m not sure what else this film has to offer.
Despite my lackluster appraisal, I will say that Tom Hardy is the true stand out of this film. He plays the antagonist John Fitzgerald and has received a well deserved Oscar nomination for the performance. I’m always impressed when an Englishman can do an undetectable American accent, but Hardy nails a turn-of-two-centuries ago Texas woodsman accent so well that I didn’t even realize it was Tom Hardy playing this character until the credits. I think he, along with Michael Fassbender, are the two greatest actors out there today. I have mixed feelings because i want Stallone to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but Hardy clearly displays a superior performance. Fitzgerald makes questionable and arguably immoral choices, but in the context of what is happening, the viewer understands why Fitzgerald is making these choices. I think this makes a better villain as the viewer wonders what choices they would make in a similar situation. Now that I can sink my teeth into.
Back to the story, I find it hard to know what else to say. As I have stated, with such minimal dialogue and plot, I don’t know where else to go with the film. It’s beautifully shot and Leo is intense, but that about sums it up. Shock value is not something that impresses me. I also think Iñárritu is an incredible artist and his attempt to mirror another Director’s style does himself a disservice (my opinion of course). I often judge a film, fairly or unfairly, if I am waiting for it to end or if I’m disappointed that it’s ending. I found myself looking at my watch throughout, so if that tells you something… I have no desire to see this film again or recommend it to someone else. I’m going to give this film a star greater than I think it deserves, because I won’t take away from the artistic aesthetics that Iñárritu has given us, but that’s the best i can do. I’ll probably be shown to have an opinion in the minority when this film sweeps at the Oscars, but I need to be honest in my opinion.
I give this film *** stars
No comments:
Post a Comment