Film Review: The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio & Tom Hardy

Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest role in The Revenant has bagged him a spot in the Oscar nominations for actor in a leading role. With an Oscar long overdue for Leo, I think this year will finally be his year.

The Revenant is inspired from true 1820’s events and sees Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) on an epic adventure of survival. The film starts off with an instant attack from an Indian tribe who believe Powaqa (the leaders daughter0 has been abducted by Glass hunting team.

I’m quite squeamish and managed to watch it through my fingers but it got slightly better from there. The hunting team, lead by Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson), sailed away from the attack with very few men and thus the story began to evolve.

A flashback showed us that Glass had become close to an Indian girl who was sadly murdered by a team/tribe. Whether it was Glass I’m unsure but she had a son and Glass took on the role as his father. Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) didn’t like the idea of an Indian skinned boy travelling with them, which sparked the first argument between the two. With use of a second language, the two bickered until they were told.

However, this wasn’t the end between these two.

Glass sets out into the woods for food and finds a family of bears. Unfortunately, the bigger bear is behind him and the two get into a bit of a fight-cue the gory details.

There are gun shots and claw marks and literally blood every where. No one is going to fight off a bear. It even tastes the human blood and walks away. It gives Glass a second chance. However, the hunger comes over him and Glass shoots back at the bear and round two happens. Why would you do that? Who would be that stupid?

The team get their food and skin the bear eventually, but Glass can’t move as he has a sliced neck and bite marks absolutely everywhere.

The next two hours of the film focuses on Glass’ survival. He can’t talk, he can’t walk, does that really deserve an Oscar?

Tom Hardy is also up for one, for supporting male in The Revenant. Although the two don’t get on at all through the film, they definitely make a great double act in real life. Wow… The two spark again when Fitzgerald kills Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) – Glass’ son – right in front of him, knowing he can do nothing to save him.

The rest of the film is definitely inspiring, knowing that it’s a true story. To recover from those injuries and crawl through all weathers and ice cold water with an Indian tribe is pretty phenomenal, but it drags really bad.

A three hour film needs to keep me entertained and at points I switched off. It may be because it’s not my usual type of film, but I knew that it wasn’t before I started watching. To be truthful, I only wanted to watch it because Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio, and because I wanted to see if it was Oscar worthy. It’s that long of a film I completely can’t remember some parts.

There is so much more I could say about The Revenant, but I don’t want to completely spoil it as it’s a fairly new film.

Past all of the gruesome scenes, extremely numb bum syndrome and lack of speech, the dedication to the role is what won me over with Leo’s performance.

After the numerous disputes between Glass and Fitzgerald, a few people will probably be let down by the end of the film but, to me, it was a nice way to say that everyone gets a second chance.

Without seeing the other films that are in the same category as Leo and Tom for the Oscars, I’m probably biased to say that they both deserve it because it’s the only film I’ve seen out of the selection.

But it’s Leo’s time, it was his time a long while ago with Titanic but are people just saying that because they feel for him? Or was his performance in The Revenant definitely worthy? I believe it was Tom Hardy also.

Are you hoping the pair take victory at the Oscars this year?

The Revenant already tops the nominations list and is in cinemas now.