Cast: In descending order you've got Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Domhnall Gleeson, and of course, the bear, which makes for as strong a quintet as any 2015 had to offer.
Plot: Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) is the guide for a group of fur trappers who are attacked by a Pawnee tribe. As they make their way by foot to the nearest settlement for protection, Hugh is attacked by a bear. He is left for dead and betrayed by one of the trappers (Hardy). Somehow, he has to survive and get his revenge.
Thoughts:
This is a brutal movie. Everything about it. It's set in South Dakota in the winter, snow everywhere. I don't know how everyone didn't die back then. Alejandro Inarritu (impressively only a year removed from the Oscar-winning Birdman) creates a punishing world for all the characters, but especially DiCaprio's. The bear mauling has received the most press for the movie and for good reason. It's pretty savage. I don't know how they shot that. I assume CGI, but it's hard to tell in a lot of places.
The movie weaves in an out of about four narratives, all starting and ending together. There's Glass' struggle to survive. That splits from Fitzgerald (Hardy), who betrays Glass, and a young trapper named Bridger (Poulter), trying to get back to the nearest fort. The least time probably goes Captain Henry (Gleeson) and the rest of the trappers who think Fitzgerald is protecting Glass and venture ahead of them. Finally, there's the Pawnee tribe who attacks the trappers at the beginning and continue to track them down. This really might as well be called "A Million Ways to Die in the Midwest" though, because the primary focus is on how Glass keeps almost dying. It's a Job story at its core.
DiCaprio is impressive throughout. It's not a flashy performance. Glass doesn't talk much. DiCaprio sells it all in the ways he struggles. It's odd because Glass isn't driven by desperation. He survives partly to seek revenge, but largely as a reaction. Glass survives because it's what he does. DiCaprio makes knowing what to do next look easy without the actual tasks appearing easy.
Hardy makes a good villain. You can understand his perspective on the world without ever rooting for him. Poulter is mostly reactive to Hardy. He and Gleeson both exist to show that there is honor among these men. As hard as this world is on everyone, many keep their humanity.
I'll admit that the themes of the movie are a little lost on me. There's definitely messages about survival and revenge. Mostly, it's just a fantastic survival story. I cannot stress enough how beautifully shot it is. All the actors blend nicely into the world, and despite the long run time, it doesn't drag as much as it could've.
Bear in the Room: But about the bear? I'm sorry to say that there's not as much bear as I hoped. It's not The Grey, where he's being stalked the whole time. The bear happens early, ugly, and quickly. It still deserves second billing though.
To Sum Things Up:
If all Inarritu wanted to do was make a gorgeous movie about how much it sucked to live in the 1800s, that's fine by me. There's greater depth to this if you want to find it. Regardless, the cinematography and performances will keep you engaged. It's pretty grim though.
Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend
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