By: Kasey Vangelov
The Revenant was visually a masterpiece, but the first half was lacking emotion.
The film was directed by Alejandro Inarritu; it was entertaining and the acting was good, but Inarritu emphasized feeling before the viewer was given a chance to care for the characters.
In the movie, Leonardo Dicaprio played Hugh Glass, a man who is seeking vengeance for his son after he was killed by Tom Hardy’s character, Fitzgerald.
The film followed Glass through the wilderness on his mission to find and kill Fitzgerald. Sometimes the grandiosity of his journey seemed unbelievable, but the acting and cinematography made up for this. While it was the nature shots were gorgeous, and the CGI bear attack was disturbingly realistic, Glass’s motivation for revenge was lost until the latter half of the movie.
The beginning was rushed, losing the horror of the murder and empathy for the son, causing Glass’s feelings to not seem believable until his entire past was explained through flashbacks.
Once the movie picked up, it certainly got more enjoyable, making the film one worth seeing. The ending was satisfying, and the director did a good job of not leaving any major plot-holes open.
Overall, the great acting and cinematography makes up for the awkward pacing of the first half, making this a movie I would recommend. I would give this movie a 7 out of 10.
