MovieChat Forums > The Revenant (2016) Discussion > Why was this movie such a big deal.

Why was this movie such a big deal.

posted 7 years ago by brux (14768)
5 replies | jump to latest

I saw it. I liked it, it had some cool landscapes and a very eerie primordial feeling to it ... until it just boiled down to another BS revenge chase movie. That is not bad, it is just the basics of too many movies that are boring. So Revenant classed it up with cool locations and visions of life in early North America ... but it was not a really good movie. It was all killing, grunting, low life scums ... and you know, they did not last long. In order to survive you could not have people like that around you, that you could not trust. Focusing on them in the "Old West" is cliche and boring.

I would compare this with say, "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" which had similarities, but it was heavier and deeper in plot and charactization. Today's movies are just so shallow and stupid. I thought the Revenant was entertaining, loved the visuals, but it was stupid as a story. Who cares?

[–] Patman111196 (1811) 7 years ago

1. The director won many awards for Birdman last year. 2. This was released right when award nominations were being called out. So that probably had a factor, especially considering Dicaprio. 3. Based on a "true" story. 4. People love to see beautiful and pretty effects and design.

Not that surprising IMO. It's certainly one of my favorite films, but I do see the flaws in this. It's way too long for most people and there are too many shots of the sky, and almost all of it is not really true. All I got from the violence is they were trying to push people's emotions, which really did for me.

[–] brux (14768) 7 years ago

I liked that it was long, and had a kind of "Dead Man" surreal kind
of feel to it. That was magic and art ... but to reduce it all down
to a cheap kill my -fill in the blank- and I chase down and kill you
through the whole film ... I just find that mindnumbingly maddening,
I hate it.

How many movies start out with these schmaltzy over the top scenes
of domestic marital bliss, and then they run into the bad guys who are
extremely sadistic and cold in the way to murder these people you just
say being so nice ... and then the whole boring movie begins ... you
just wait for the justice in the end.

I hate this kind of movie, and at the bottom of it all, that is what
Revenant was. So much effort into such a cool looking movie that
to me was just nothing after it ended.

One thing I notice is that if people have a cool idea or feeling in a
movie, even if it goes completely off the rail and "jumps the shark"
as they say, they still seem to like the movie. For example, Prometheus,
had great effects and some confusing scary stuff ... a great atmosphere
was created ... but the movie amounted to shite!

I cannot unsee what I already saw, and when I see stupidity in a movie,
I feel insulted and cheated.

[–] Redyetti (142) 7 years ago

You’re right.
The visuals and locations definitely took priority over the story, which was in constant rewrites throughout the entire production.
Often times script pages would come in the morning, and, since there was no electric lights used, it would be rehearsed till the light was correct.
Then, if the scene wasn’t completed, it would likely be rewritten again by the next morning.
Much more of the credit for the film should go to Lubeski than Inarritu, who lacked a coherent vision.

[–] TandyMan (11186) 5 years ago

I watched this again tonight, haven't seen it since it came out, and was surprised to realize it's just a Western. The film had an incredible marketing and hype campaign behind it. But gorgeous cinematography aside. It's just a Western. But the hype at the time made it feel like something more.

[–] brux (14768) 5 years ago

It was a boring chase movie, with spectacular scenery.