Although it wasn’t my typical kind of movie, I really enjoyed it. The overall feeling reminded me of Grey starring Liam Neeson (my secret lover) released a few years ago. Set in the early 1820’s, The Revenant is loosely based on the true story of a trapper called Hugh Glass who survived a bear attack in the wild. The lead character played by Leonardo DiCaprio is not expected to survive and until help can return, he is left in the care of two men, one of whom decides to speed things up by burying him alive and leaving him in hostile Indian country. Nasty business. DiCaprio manages to escape from his shallow grave and crawls, limps and otherwise hauls himself back to the fort where he partially recuperates before seeking revenge on the man who abandoned him. I won’t divulge any more of the story.

The beauty and appeal of this movie for me was in the filming. Shot in the Canadian Rockies during winter, the scenery is brilliantly depicted with a harshness that is almost palpable. The shop steward from the actors’ union and the insurance company must have been apoplectic that DiCaprio performed so many of his stunts himself. He floated down a freezing river, ate raw buffalo innards, wrestled and rolled around in real snow, ice and freezing water amidst the gore of (fake) blood that made the ground look like a cherry slushie. It was a textural, visual feast superbly directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. I recommend it for the visuals alone.