El renacido (The Revenant)

The natural landscape and some of the scenes are overwhelming and spectacular! The camera-work is so immersive, you believe are a part of Hugh Glass' journey through the wilderness and back to civilization. Also with great performances not only by DiCaprio, but also Hardy, as the unsympathetic fellow fur trapper leaving Glass behind.

Story-wise, it is a bit thin for a 156 min picture. Glass' quest for vengeance is sometimes lost as he utters few words about his drive and is being more or less, chased himself. The story arc of the Indians quest for their daughter felt a bit out of place and strange. We also get to see the fur trappers p.o.v. that left Glass behind and the Captain way ahead of them. Which in my opinion takes a little bit of the magic of Glass' total perilous journey.

All my stars goes to the beauty, production value and performances alone! Regardless, this is one of those overlong movies one like, but would not sit out for another viewing!

Minimal Speaking. Visuals tell the story. Hardy is just as good as DiCaprio in this.

Take the direction of Alejandro González Iñárritu, combine it with the stunning cinematography of Emmanuel Lubezki and toss in Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy for their acting charms and what do you get? An extraordinary and masterful film.

Fresh off of 'Birdman,' Iñárritu moved straight on to 'The Revenant,' a western-epic inspired by the true-life experiences of frontiersman Hugh Glass in the winter-struck landscape of 1820s America. The film gained some notoriety in mid-2015 for its production problems and has thus been regarded one of the most challenging film shoots in the history of cinema. Rightfully so. The film opens with the soothing sound of running water, thrusting the audience into an almost meditative state, and then it strikes, an action-packed sequence ensues with a near single sweeping take. Now this is a spoiler-free review, so I'll leave the pleasure of viewing that scene to you.

This film heavily evokes reactions from the audience and does so well, whether it's staring at the screen in awe or gasping at the visceral violence, if you face this film with the right attitude and expectations, it will be a thrill ride like no other. Lubezki has proved that he is one of the most fantastic cinematographers of modern cinema, and the extensive use of natural lighting over artificial supports that statement even further, the film is beyond stunning. Supporting this is the score from the relatively unknown composers, believe me, when the sudden orchestral boom strikes your eardrums, it's mesmerising.

The makeup, the direction, the editing, the visual aesthetics, and of course the performances from a hopefully soon-to-be Oscar winning DiCaprio, 'The Revenant' is a visual treat for those who appreciate cinema and for those who wish to just get absorbed by the immense landscapes and poetic justice Iñárritu has given it. This is, for me, a modern masterpiece.

"The Revenant" is probably the most beautiful movie I have seen for a long time. This is not only due to the incredible locations, but also to the excellent (and by excellent I mean excellent) camera-work. Frequently I was just blown away by the sheer beauty of the rough terrain of Canada and how it was captured by the crew. However, there are a few drawbacks. Mainly the story (it is a very simple revenge story line) and the dialog (it is basically not existent :D).

When I first left the movie I was still blown away by all the great things I mentioned above (I was thinking about a 10/10 rating), but the longer I was outside the movie the more I recognized that "The Revenant" is a film that is incredible entertaining whilst sitting in the cinema, but also a movie I quickly forgot about when being at home again.

Still, the movie is definitely a must-see. Your money is well invested!

A favorite era of mine for film stories has always been the mountain man era in the American west. No white people in great numbers, just single shot weapons, they were the ones outnumbered so survival against the Indians was far more an even struggle than in the post Civil War west. The Revenant by dint of its many nominations has laid claim to being the greatest film about that era ever made. It goes up against such items as Across The Wide Missouri, The Big Sky, and Mountain Men, Jeremiah Johnson all pretty good films.

It would have been hard to deny Leonardo DiCaprio a Best Actor Oscar this time around. He's on screen for most of the time and with minimal dialog DiCaprio has to use facial expressions and body language to convey his emotions. He does it well and should share his Oscar with the cameraman who did all those closeups of him.

The plot is best compared to another mountain man picture A Man Called Horse that starred Richard Harris. DiCaprio who was guide to the expedition of fur trappers is badly mauled by a grizzly bear and is after being toted for quite a distance is abandoned by Tom Hardy who claims he died. DiCaprio just wants to settle the score. Unlike Richard Harris he does not find a friendly tribe of Indians to take him in. His survival is his personal story.

The Revenant also won the Cinematography Oscar for the shooting of the rugged winter country these men are in. It's so good the landscape, cold and forbidding, becomes almost a character in the film.

Like The Old Man And The Sea was for Spencer Tracy The Revenant is a personal film for Leonardo DiCaprio. Unlike Tracy who had that magnificent speaking voice for the narration, no narration here. Just anguished expressions convey what DiCaprio is feeling.

Leo got his Oscar and it was a deserved one for The Revenant. It's a great film, but very brutal at times.