When all is lost, you fight. This tagline captures the theme of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s upcoming western thriller The Revenant. A new, visceral trailer has been released for the film, and if it doesn’t get your blood pumping, then absolutely nothing will. Check the trailer out below.
Set in the American frontier in 1823, The Revenant – based on a 2003 novel by Michael Punke – follows fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) after he recovers from a bear attack in the Dakota Territory. His companions – led by fellow powerhouse actor Tom Hardy – murder his son and leave him to die, unaware that he survives the incident. The rest of the film will follow Glass’ journey through the treacherous wilderness to find his former partners and seek revenge. Along the way he encounters violent Native Americans, vicious animal attacks, and a generally unrelenting world that wants to see him dead.
This isn’t the first we have seen of The Revenant, as a dialogue-free teaser came out some months ago, but this is the first we have seen that gives us any insight into the story of the film. Right from the get-go it becomes patently obvious that The Revenant is not your father’s western. The film looks gritty, and unrelentingly violent, but also seems to lean heavily on the notion of persistence and not giving up in the face of overwhelming odds. At first glance, the film seems to possess a relatively straightforward story, which actually works to the film’s advantage when we see just how stylistically the filmmakers were able to execute the project.
All across the board, the performances look amazing; it’s entirely possible that The Revenant could be the film that finally garners DiCaprio his long overdue Oscar win. Aside from DiCaprio and Hardy, the film boasts an impressive cast that includes Domhnall Gleeson (Frank, About Time) and Will Poulter (The Maze Runner, We’re The Millers). Behind the camera, the film reunites director Alejandro G. Iñárritu with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki – the two previously worked together on Oscar winner Birdman, so the film will most certainly include some captivating visuals.
One thing is for sure: this trailer for The Revenant has us undoubtedly wanting more. If you haven't checked it out yet, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. We will keep you posted with more updates on the film as they come up. The Revenant will hit theaters on Christmas day to make it eligible for Oscar consideration, and will get a wide release on January 8 of next year.
