The Revenant: What To Expect Based On The Epic Trailer

DiCaprio + Hardy + Inarritu = the most promising film of the year.

The Revenant DiCaprio
20th Century Fox

A long time in the making, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's follow-up to his Best Picture winner Birdman - The Revenant - finally has a teaser trailer. And you can bet it was worth the wait.

Shot using only natural light over the course of nine months, The Revenant is a revenge western based on the true story of Hugh Glass, a fur trapper mauled by a bear and left for dead by his colleagues in 19th-century South Dakota, who dragged himself across America to dish out retribution to those who abandoned him.

It's a hell of a story, and there's a hell of a team behind the making of it: Leonardo DiCaprio, playing Glass, at the peak of his powers; Inarritu, fresh off winning Best Director and Picture for Birdman; Emmanuel Lubezki, the recently double Oscar-winning cinematographer; and a supporting cast that includes Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter. Now the trailer's here, and the sheer talent behind and in front of the camera is there for all to see.

It's easily one of the most impressive teasers of the year, promising a unique take on the American west that strikes a balance between grungy realism and poetic stylisation. Here are some things you can expect to find in the film based on the trailer.

6. Awe-Inspiring Cinematography

The Revenant DiCaprio
20th Century Fox

If you win the Oscar for Cinematography two years in a row, you're not going to start phoning it in. And lo and behold, Emmanuel Lubezki has returned, after bringing his astounding visual sense to Gravity and Birdman, with what looks like another immersive experience, and an intensely beautiful display of lensing.

What you have with The Revenant appears to be a combination of what Lubezki did on his two Oscar-winning projects: there's the elemental, precisely-framed survival drama of Gravity, and the roving, single-take intimacy of Birdman. There are single shots in the Revenant trailer, however, that eclipse even some of those in Gravity for awe-inspiring artistry, and of those in Birdman for sheer boundary-breaking ambition.

Check that grandiose opening shot, of DiCaprio staring up at the snow-capped mountain dwarfing him into near-insignificance, or the escalating, down-and-dirty battle scene in the woods and onto a fleeing boat, which looks suspiciously like a single tracking shot chopped up for the sake of this preview. On the basis of these few shots alone, don't for a second doubt that Lubezki could be in the running for his third Oscar in as many years.

Contributor
Contributor

Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1