Leonardo DiCaprio plays a hunter/tracker whose encounter with a bear is only the beginning of his struggle for survival in the frigid American northwest of the 1800s. This brutal journey is intensified by director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s masterful vision for capturing the harshness of nature and malevolence of men. Some of the sequences are technically astounding. Add to that the incredible scenery and immensely beautiful (mostly available light) cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki. DiCaprio suffers with extreme commitment, but it’s the almost unrecognizable Tom Hardy, whose menacing villain is the acting standout. Even with the 3-hour running time, the intensity never slacks and the skillful storytelling creates a harshly compelling cinematic tour de force.
(5 / 5)