The Revenant (2015)

A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.

Director:

Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Writers:

Mark L. Smith (screenplay), Alejandro G. Iñárritu (screenplay)

Stars:

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter

Won 3 Oscars. Another 88 wins & 185 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Hugh Glass
Tom Hardy	...	John Fitzgerald
Domhnall Gleeson	...	Captain Andrew Henry
Will Poulter	...	Bridger
Forrest Goodluck	...	Hawk
Paul Anderson	...	Anderson
Kristoffer Joner	...	Murphy
Joshua Burge	...	Stubby Bill
Duane Howard	...	Elk Dog
Melaw Nakehk'o	...	Powaqa
Fabrice Adde	...	Toussaint
Arthur RedCloud	...	Hikuc
Christopher Rosamond	...	Boone (as Christopher Rosamund)
Robert Moloney	...	Dave Stomach Wound
Lukas Haas	...	Jones

Storyline

While exploring uncharted wilderness in 1823, legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home while avoiding natives on their own hunt. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald, the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him.

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Plot Keywords:

survival | bear attack | native american | left to die | fur | 

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Taglines:

Blood lost. Life found.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong frontier combat and violence including gory images, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

USA Hong Kong Taiwan

Language:

English Pawnee French

Release Date:

8 January 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Revenant

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$135,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$474,560, 27 December 2015

Gross USA:

$183,637,894

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$532,950,503

Company Credits

Production Co:

Regency Enterprises, RatPac Entertainment, New Regency Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

156 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos Dolby Surround 7.1 12-Track Digital Sound IMAX 6-Track Auro 11.1 Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was the second Leonardo DiCaprio film released in China after Titanic (1997)'s 2012 3D release. However, it was the first DiCaprio film that was released with barely any edits made.

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Goofs

Throughout the movie you will hear Green frogs and Pickerel frogs vocalizing in the background. Both of these species range in the eastern United States/southeast Canada and therefore would never be heard in the North American Rockies. Not to mention, frogs are not active and do not call in winter.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Hugh Glass: [in pawnee] It's okay son... I know you want this to be over. I'm right here. I will be right here... But you don't give up. You hear me? As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe... keep breathing.

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the end credits: "The making and authorized distribution of this film supported over 15,000 jobs and involved hundreds of thousands of work hours."

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movie Characters Who Will Save You from a Serial Killer (2016)

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Soundtracks

Lachrimae
Written by Bryce Dessner
Performed by Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra and André de Ridder
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon GmbH
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Harrowing storytelling with a gorgeous cinematic backdrop, The Revenant is not for the faint of heart but will stick with those who make the journey.

Since the first trailers of this movie came out I knew it would be an experience. Following the incredible Birdman, director Alejandro G. Iñárritu had the public anxiously awaiting his interpretation of this bleak survival story, and much like Birdman, Iñárritu is also the star of this film. The Revenant has some of the most beautiful cinematography I've ever seen. It's cold, visceral, and almost entirely authentic from the use of natural lighting to the barebones yet powerful storytelling. You can tell Iñárritu poured his heart into this project and it pays off tremendously. This is not to discount the incredible performances of DiCaprio and Hardy (DiCaprio finally getting his well-overdue Oscar), but it's hard to imagine the movie being so impactful had another director been at the helm.

The story is as simple as it gets. In the 1800s, a group of settlers escape an ambush by an indigenous tribe, and during their travels one man gets separated from the group and gets brutally attacked by a wild bear and subsequently left for dead by his team. It's a revenge story more than anything. What it also highlights is human perseverance and the will to live. The things that happen to this man are truly horrific and difficult to watch. I'm not sure what parts of the story were embellished or Hollywoodized, but this film sucks you into this world and puts you right alongside this fatally wounded man desperate to survive. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a heart-wrenching performance as Hugh Glass, expressing a wide range of emotions despite the limited dialogue. Tom Hardy is also phenomenal as one of the most vile, wretched human beings on the planet. This guy is despicable to the core, and you forget you're watching Tom Hardy at times because he's completely absorbed in the role. The supporting cast is great as well despite their small time on screen. As far as performances and cinematography goes, The Revenant is flawless.

What prevents this from getting a perfect 10 is one particular storyline that I didn't think was needed, and it involves the wife of Hugh Glass. She's never developed as a character but she appears intermittently in visions and dreams and it almost sucks you out of the movie for a second because of how intense the main narrative is. But this is a very small gripe. From beginning to end this movie had me on the edge of my seat, my jaw on the floor and my eyes glued to the screen. The Revenant is definitely not for everyone, but it's impossible not to appreciate it for the breathtaking cinematic achievement that it is.