Revenant: not astonishing, but emotionally charged

For this year’s 88th Academy Awards, Leonardo DiCaprio received his fifth  Oscar nomination for best actor in “The Revenant.”  

In the past month, he has won the Golden Globe award for best actor.

Like the majority of DiCaprio’s roles, his performance in “The Revenant” does not disappoint.

“The Revenant,” directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, follows the true story of Hugh Glass’s compelling journey in the North American wilderness. The film is based on the novel “The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge” by Michael Punke.

While the film does not consist of astonishing surprises, it engages the audience with its gripping sequence of action packed events and the breathtaking landscape in which the story unfolds in.  

The film begins with an altercation that takes place between Hugh Glass’s (DiCaprio) team of hunters/fur traders and the Arikara Native Americans. It leads Glass, his son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) and the hunting party to seek refuge elsewhere.  

It is important to note that Hawk is of Pawnee Native American descent, which is an essential underlying element in the film and explains Glass’s proficiency in the language.

Though Glass encounters numerous brushes with death, it is his insatiable desire for justified revenge, along with the assistance of a Pawnee Native American companion, that allows him to endure the battle for survival.

The film is not recommended for those with weak stomachs, as it contains graphic violence and many disturbing scenes.

Each sinister moment is imperative in conveying the emotionally charged experience that Glass undergoes. With each riveting situation that transpires, the audience is left contemplating whether Glass will accomplish his mission by the end.

Glass’s pursuit for retaliation against the perpetrator reveals how deranged one can become when the matter involves family. Glass feels so inclined to fulfill retribution for the sake of his son that he is willing to jeopardize his own life in the process.  

Though some critics grumble about the prolonged duration of the film, the conclusion makes  the two-hour-and-30-minute run time completely worth the anticipation.