How far will a father would go to avenge his son? The answer, he would rise from his own grave after being immobilized by a bear attack and travel across the winter woods and hills of frontier South Dakota whilst being hunted by a hostile Native American tribe.

“The Revenant” is the story of Hugh Glass played by Leonardo Dicaprio, a frontiersman working for fur trappers to help them navigate the frontier. He travels with his son Hawk who is half white half and half Native American Pawnee.

After the fur trapper camp is ambushed by Elk Dog and his tribe the Arikara as he searches for his daughter Powaqa, they must flee down river and are later forced to abandon the boat much to the distaste of lead antagonist Fitzgerald, played by Tom Hardy.

The crew travels through the woods, avoiding their hunters, as Glass is attacked by a bear. The gruesome encounter leads to Glass clinging to life as he waits for his opportunity to kill the bear. After the encounter the group finds Glass and decides to carry him as they continue to evade the Arikara.

Once Captain Henry, leader of the expedition decides that carrying Glass only slows them down, Hawk, Fitzgerald, and a young man named Bridger stay back and watch over glass. Their orders, wait for Glass to recover and make their way back to the group, or wait for Glass to die and give him a proper burial.

Fitzgerald had other plans, he attempts to suffocate Glass while he is immobilized by his injuries. Glass’ son Hawk tries to intervene, but Fitzgerald kills Hawk before his father’s eyes. Bridges returns to the scene unaware of the events as Glass cannot speak due to his injuries.

The next morning Fitzgerald tells Bridges that the Arikara are near and that they must leave Glass behind and run. Fitzgerald then literally drags Glass to his grave and leaves him there assuming he would die and they leave.

This improper burial leads to Glass rising from his grave with one intention, avenge his son, and kill Fitzgerald.

What many people do not know is that “The Revenant” draws various similarities to Man In the Wilderness (1971) starring Richard Harris. But it is also based off of Michael Punke’s novel The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge.

Alejandro GonzA?lez I A?rritu delivers yet again after his critical success with Birdman to provide this gruesome tale of the distance a father would go to avenge his son. But this is more than your average revenge story.

“The Revenant” is ultimately a revenge tale, but it is much more than that. It is a story of grit and endurance as Glass treks the wilderness of a cold eire South Dakota frontier with nothing but the clothes on his back and a canteen to hunt down a single man.

With beautiful scenery filmed under natural lighting, a beautiful soundtrack, gorgeous pans that convey the intensity and beauty of the environment and a stunning performance from Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hardy, “The Revenant” is a movie that will not soon be forgotten. If this does not win Dicaprio the Oscar which has eluded him for so long, I don’t know what will.