OC-01-23 Revenant and ITHOTS

The Outback City Express, February - April 2016, Page 23

THE WORD ‘REVENANT’ is derived from a French word ‘revenir’meaning to return. Its meaning has come to be interpreted as ‘toreturn after a long absence’ or ‘to return from the dead’.The director Algandron Inarritu has done a stupendous job with this

fact based story of Hugh Glass, an American frontiersman. Set in theearly 1800s it tells the true story of Hugh Glass (played by LeonardoDiCaprio – his performance is outstanding) who is with a huntingparty in the wilds of North America when a grizzly bear attacks them.The men fight it off but Hugh Glass is very badly injured. A decision ismade by the hunting party to move on leaving two volunteers to staywith Glass until he dies – and then the two men would give Glass aproper burial. Tom Fitzgerald (played by Tom Hardy of Band of Brothers and Inception

fame) is one of the two men (he is 23 years old), and the other a youngnineteen year old Jim Bridger (brilliantly played by Will Poulter). Hawkealso remains with Glass (Hawke, by the way is a fictional addition tothe story – nevertheless it works into the drama of the film). When the

hunting party disappears Hawke is promptly shot by Fitzgerald.After shooting Hawke, Fitzgerald buries Glass (alive) then catches up

with the hunting party announcing Glass had died. The younger man,Bridger, follows along with his more violent companion. This is one of those tales where truth is stranger than fiction. Glass

awakes from his grave and with severe injuries and near to death andovercome with grief as he becomes aware of his friends’ betrayal, hemakes a decision. He will survive and chase down the men who lefthim to die. To have survived his awful injuries is amazing but to survivein the brutal wilderness of those times, alone, injured with noresources, is nothing short of a miracle. To have gone through such terrible human suffering to live shows how

remarkable humans can be if there is real motivation (whatever themotivation is – good or bad, revenge or love). It is no wonder thereare numerous books and articles written about this incredible story. Amovie titled Man in the Wilderness based loosely on Hugh Glass wasreleased in 1971 starring Richard Harris (which my mother claims tohave seen).The visuals of the wild scenery are jaw dropping and breathtaking.This is a violent movie and carries an R rating – so be aware.I’m giving it four stars.

hunting party disappears Hawke is promptly shot by Fitzgerald.

Movie ReviewSBy Angela Dean

WHAT a movie! Let me catch my breath. If I didn’tknow it to be a true event, I would not believe it.Ron Howard, director, is to be congratulated inbringing this momentous tragedy to the screen.The film follows the true story of the whaling ship

the Essex which set out from the Nantucket Islandwhaling port in 1820. It sailed down the coast ofSouth America, round Cape Horn, up the other sidethen out into the Pacific Ocean - and off the map.During the pursuit of a pod of whales the Essex wasrammed by a massive 85-ton male sperm whale. Theship was crippled and the crew left in three smallwhaling boats. As the Essex began to sink, so beganthe biggest ocean tragedy prior to the Titanic.

Ron Howard has used the technology of the dayshowing how frightening it would be surviving theocean wilderness. The 15 year old cabin boy, whosurvived the Essex disaster, gave an account statingthat to be in a small boat, in a storm and betweentwo vertical 40 foot walls of water, was terrifying. These men were tough and relentless and the

death of a whale, a magnificent creature of the sea,was cruel beyond imagination.Be aware, content and images can be overwhelming

particularly when you realise it to be a true story. It’sthe old adage - fact can be stranger than fiction.Nevertheless - I’m giving it 4 stars.

THE REVENANT

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA

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