Review of The Revenant (2015) by Lachlan D — 10 Aug 2017
A lot of the scenes are handled great in terms of tone. However there are also some scenes that are quite hokey and with DiCaprio in the lead these do stick out a little bit as the actor is known for occasionally being over-the-top and corny.
Everyone is saying the film is brutal and their are parts that definitely are, don't get me wrong. An anecdote I would like to relay in terms of my qualms in the film involved the time my mother was watching Donnie Brascoe; I was 10 at the time.
There was a scene in which some mobsters were shot before being dismembered with a saw. My mother looked away in shock and I remarked "what are you turning away for, its not that bad". My mother said "Lach, in real life you would freak out if someone pointed a gun at you.
" She was right. And since then I've had a strong appreciation for films that have made me feel shock, horror, disgust and even memories of physical pain from an injury during moments of violence.
Examples of how the Revenant succeed in this manner involve the bear mauling scene, the opening fight scene, many of the hiking scenes where characters massage their blistered bruised feet, as well as the cauterization scene.
The death of the protagonists son as well as flashbacks of the death of the protagonists spouse and son's burning injury did not conjure the reaction. These were somewhat glossy and unfortunately did seem to sort of romanticize the events in an attempt to be a tear jerker.
Other than that, a very strong film for the most part.
This review of The Revenant (2015) was written by Lachlan D on 10 Aug 2017.
The Revenant has generally received very positive reviews.
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