THE REVENANT
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| BLOOD LOST. LIFE FOUND. |
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Duration: 156 minutes
Duration: 156 minutes
Plot: a frontiersman on a fur trading expendition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.
Analysis: let's talk about the Mexican wonder boy, the only director in the history of cinema who managed to win the oscar for best direction in two consecutive years. Let's talk about Alejandro Inarritu. Apart from some short films, television series and documentaries, Inarritu has directed only six movies during the past twenty years. In almost all of them (e.g. 21 Grams, Babel and Birdman) he uses in excess a plethora of sentimental and spiritual references, thus rendering its films lovable by the critics yet difficult, unappealing or even unpleasant for the vast majority of the audience to watch.
However, in Revenant Inarritu chose to follow a different path, concentrating mainly in the action scenes and the plain description instead of the sentiments. The result is brilliant. Each and every scene of Revenant is abound with such a raw realism and so many meticulous details that actually makes the viewer feel like being part of the movie. The cameras being closely focused to every single movement (from a hasty chase to the slow fall of a snowflake) greatly boosts that feeling. The landscapes are breath-taking and the colors of the scenaries (or, to be presice, the complete absence of colors since the white of snow dominates everything) add a cold beauty to every image.
Αpart from its direction, Revenant may also feel extremely proud about its cast's performances. Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio. Two of the greatest (if not the greatest) actors of their generation. Regarding DiCaprio, we can simply say that he was prepared to do anything to win that oscar. Literally anything. From eating raw meat and frozen dirt to sleeping inside a dead horse's stomach. His lines are limited but the expressions of his face are limitless. Hardy, on the other hand, has plenty of dialogues. And it is a true delight to hear him speaking with his brutal, rustic accent. I still cannot believe how he lost the oscar for best supporting actor to Mark Rylance of Bridge of Spies.
Summing up, Revenant is an unvarnished and realistic film, where violance and cruelty overthrown the feelings. And even though this may sound a little tough, you should know that violence is given with such a marvelous grace and cruelty with such a poetic elegance that will manage to captivate your attention, keeping you sitted in your couch until the very end of the movie.
However, in Revenant Inarritu chose to follow a different path, concentrating mainly in the action scenes and the plain description instead of the sentiments. The result is brilliant. Each and every scene of Revenant is abound with such a raw realism and so many meticulous details that actually makes the viewer feel like being part of the movie. The cameras being closely focused to every single movement (from a hasty chase to the slow fall of a snowflake) greatly boosts that feeling. The landscapes are breath-taking and the colors of the scenaries (or, to be presice, the complete absence of colors since the white of snow dominates everything) add a cold beauty to every image.
Αpart from its direction, Revenant may also feel extremely proud about its cast's performances. Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio. Two of the greatest (if not the greatest) actors of their generation. Regarding DiCaprio, we can simply say that he was prepared to do anything to win that oscar. Literally anything. From eating raw meat and frozen dirt to sleeping inside a dead horse's stomach. His lines are limited but the expressions of his face are limitless. Hardy, on the other hand, has plenty of dialogues. And it is a true delight to hear him speaking with his brutal, rustic accent. I still cannot believe how he lost the oscar for best supporting actor to Mark Rylance of Bridge of Spies.
Summing up, Revenant is an unvarnished and realistic film, where violance and cruelty overthrown the feelings. And even though this may sound a little tough, you should know that violence is given with such a marvelous grace and cruelty with such a poetic elegance that will manage to captivate your attention, keeping you sitted in your couch until the very end of the movie.
Things to notice:
- Inarritu's marvelous direction,
- the stunning performances of DiCaprio and Hardy and
- the bear!
Oscar awards (2016):
- three (3) oscar wins for:
a) Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role,
b) Best Achievement in Directing and
c) Best Achievement in Cinematography.
c) Best Achievement in Cinematography.
- nine (9) oscar nominations for:
a) Best Motion Picture of the Year,
b) Best Performanc by an Actor in a Supporting Role,
c) Best Achievement in Film Editing,
d) Best Achievement in Costume Desing,
e) Best Achievement in Makeup and Haistyling,
f) Best Achievement in Sound Mixing,
g) Best Achievement in Sound Editing,
h) Best Achievement in Visual Effects and
i) Best Achievement in Production Desing.
c) Best Achievement in Film Editing,
d) Best Achievement in Costume Desing,
e) Best Achievement in Makeup and Haistyling,
f) Best Achievement in Sound Mixing,
g) Best Achievement in Sound Editing,
h) Best Achievement in Visual Effects and
i) Best Achievement in Production Desing.
Personal Evaluation: 8.2/10
Should be watched tonight if: you are curious to find out how badly Lio wanted that oscar.
Trailer
