The Revenant Review: Fantastically crafted, yet hollow
I'm 19, so I'm sure you can extrapolate that I didn't get to see The Revenant when it premiered in theaters. However, with its anniversary upon us, it was time for me to check out Iñárritu's masterwork for the first time. Did this film captivate me and suck me in like it did during its craze years ago? That's what I, Brighton Nelson, for The Reel Ranker, will be answering and expounding upon today. Thanks for joining the community! Grab a snack, a significant other, or whoever/whatever you'd like, and get ready to have a good time today as we kick this review into full gear.
While I want to say, as a Spanish-speaking linguist, that my favorite part of this film is el apedillo hermoso que es Iñárritu, that's probably super weird and a little irrelevant. But, come on, una verguilla, un accento, and a rolled R right in a row? Beautiful, beautiful surname.
Anyway, I gotta stop messing around and wasting your time. The first thing I have to mention about this film is its wonderful cinematography, which plays on the beauty and horror of winter at the same time, giving the film an equally melancholy and magical flavor. This film is a visual treat! It doesn't do anything groundbreaking in its production design (or at least not to my knowledge), yet it executes its environment with an elevated excellence.
As much as I adore this film's beauty, nothing about this film is better than DiCaprio's performance. While he isn't even talking for a ton of the film, he perfectly portrays a man on a mission, out for both revenge and survival. While DiCaprio perhaps deserved an Oscar for many other roles more than this, some may say this performance's win makes complete sense. It's raw, real, and revenge-bent.
Playing his opposite very well is Tom Hardy. Known by me mostly for his role as Venom (forgive me, please), I was completely surprised to see him play a hateable, cold-hearted bastard—a stark opposition from the lovable, charismatic performer I know him as. His range is truly incredible, and I can't wait to see what else he can do as I continue to chip away at my backlog.
However, as much as I love the performances and style on display here, the rest of the film is just... good. I think the revenge, survival, and historical elements here all pale in comparison to many much better films. While some I've seen have hated on the film a bit too much, I am really satisfied with how it lands on Rotten Tomatoes: 78%. It's a solid film, executed phenomenally, but it's an overly basic story at its core, missing much of what I expect from an award-winning experience. It's not a particularly memorable watch either, and while I like it a lot more than many Oscar nominees, it feels like it lacks the ambition I was hoping for from the film. It feels like a solid book adaptation that DiCaprio and Iñárritu took super seriously, but it doesn't quite elevate the book to the next level. This past weekend, I checked out Project: Hail Mary, a film adaptation filled with ambition, soul, and love. By comparison, even with its expert craft and care, The Revenant feels empty and cold, like the winter it portrays. Like winter, it's an aurorean time, but maybe not one that is quite enjoyable for everyone.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Unreel
The Reel Ranker Score: 68%
Letter Score: B+
Star Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
While The Revenant is masterfully acted and shot, its narrative never really exceeds being a good film: it simply lacks the sauce that makes for the best cinematic experience. Nevertheless, Iñárritu, DiCaprio, Hardy, and everyone else involved did a wonderful job bringing to life something that's simply an adequate story, and I don't feel the blame really falls on their shoulders, but the fact that the story may not have been captivating enough to make a film about in the first place.
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Brighton Nelson
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