In 2014, director Alejandro G. Iñárritu wowed audiences with the impressive and experimental masterpiece BIRDMAN, which outside of being a great film also managed to deliver one of the most impressive performances of Michael Keaton’s career. This year he gives us THE REVENANT starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter in a brutal tale of survival and revenge based on real events. It’s a film that already has one of the most impressive trailers of 2015, but does the finished product live up to that brief look?

We open in the early 1800’s with Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) and his half-Pawnee son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) among a group of fur tracking soldiers who are attacked by Indians. Some of the men narrowly escape, including Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson), John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and others, along with Glass and his son. While taking refuge, Glass is viciously attacked by a bear in the woods and nearly killed. Fitzgerald suggest the best thing to do would be to put the man out of his misery, but Henry insists they do what they can to save him. The group carries him along the rough trail home, but at one point must split up due to difficult terrain. Fitzgerald is assigned by Henry to watch after Glass and his son, along with a young man named Bridger (Will Poulter). With Bridger away from the camp, Fitzgerald tries to quietly finish off Hugh, but Hawk intervenes and ends up killed. John buries them both, finds Bridger and leaves, claiming Indians were on their trail. With all odds against him, Glass digs himself out of the makeshift grave, and fights to regain his strength and get revenge… but the odds have never been more against him.

I’m always a sucker for ‘survival in the wilderness’ movies, and this is definitely one of the best to date. It’s a story that’s hit the big screen before in 1971 with MAN IN THE WILDERNESS starring Richard Harris. While the basic story is the same, THE REVENANT adds some additional story elements and presents things in a much more intense and spectacular way. Alejandro G. Iñárritu has crafted a cinematic masterpiece, and a showcase production for pretty much everyone involved. Every action in the film is felt with exceptional impact, whether it’s something as simple as a gunshot or knife stab, and even simple actions like running from danger are done in a dazzlingly dramatic fashion. The opening scene is one of the most intense ever put to film, and it doesn’t slow down after that. Many moviegoers will be talking about the graphic and impressively put together bear attack sequence, which is brutal and effective, and like many scenes in the movie will have you wondering “How in the world did they shoot that?” Perhaps the only shortcoming of the production is the lack of any straightforward narrative. This is a film about people trying to survive in the wilderness, and eventually a film about revenge, but not much more. There’s no standard character development and not much dialogue either, but the overall presentation is still nothing short of amazing. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a challenging role, particularly in that most of his story must be conveyed through body language, grunting and emotions on the face… but he portrays it brilliantly. This is the movie that will undoubtedly win him the Academy Award for Best Actor, even if it is a make up Oscar for not winning on THE WOLF OF WALL STREET. I honestly can’t think of many actors who would have pulled off this interpretation of Hugh Glass in the same highly effective fashion, at least none that would have given it the genuine stark realism Leo does.

Tom Hardy pulls off one of the best movie villains we’ve seen in a while, a sort of polar opposite of his “Bane” role in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES in that his Fitzgerald is a stubborn and uneducated man who isn’t above the darkest of actions, if only to cut corners. He’s a disgusting and loathsome human being, an unpredictable brute that anyone would fear going into the wilderness with, and it’s an inspired reading from the increasingly impressive actor. Domhnall Gleeson is also excellent as Captain Andrew Henry, a military man who wants to do what is right, no matter the odds. Will Poulter is also great as Bridger, a naive but well-meaning soldier with a good heart. And I have to mention the impressive debut of Forrest Goodluck as Hugh’s son Hawk, a small but important role that drives the story of the film, and is executed quite well by the fresh-faced star.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu knows how to pull the strongest and most daring performances out of his actors, while shooting scenes in ways that are mesmerizing. Simple acts like running through the trees or being chased while riding a horse are shot in spellbinding ways. This is not a film for the squeamish, gory and graphic in great detail, and rather unrelenting for its two-hour and 36 minute running time – which never feels slow. While the production itself is rather bleak and at times hard to watch, it does build up to a finale that is satisfying and powerful. THE REVENANT is quite simply the most incredible films I’ve seen in the entire year of 2015, even if it was pushed back to a January 2016 wide release. Do yourself a favor and see it on the big screen while you can, and prepare for a true cinematic experience unlike any other.

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