‘The Revenant’ and other films.
Previous Alejandro G. Iñárritu films, such as “21 Grams,” “Babel” and the Oscar-winning “Birdman,” have not lacked for pretension and self-importance, so it comes as something of a pleasant surprise, possibly even to the director himself, that what he’s come up with in “The Revenant” is a classic B picture fortified with all manner of Grade A resources.
It’s not that this inspired-by-fact story of celebrated scout and mountain man Hugh Glass and his battle for survival after being chewed up, spit out and left for dead by a particularly enraged bear completely avoids inf lated moments, including dreams, visions and folk wisdom of “the wind cannot affect a tree with strong roots” variety.
Rather, it’s that the combined exceptional work of star Leonardo DiCaprio and nonpareil cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki creates so much verisimilitude and beauty that it compels us to pay more attention to this glimpse of a dark, unsettling kill-or-be-killed world more than we otherwise would.
The cinematographer can’t save “The Revenant’s” uncertain ending and unimpressive dialogue, but it’s not for want of trying.
“The Revenant.” MPAA rating: R for violence, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity. Running time: 2 hours, 36 minutes. Playing: In general release. Reviewed Dec. 25. Full coverage at la times.com/entertainment/ movies/