Posted on 01/09/2016 9:20:48 PM PST by nikos1121
Left work a little early yesterday to see a 4:30 showing of The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio. I ended up in the slowest ticket line, but eventually got my annual $20 refillable popcorn tub, a bottle of lemonade and walked briskly to the theater since by then it was 4:50. I thought for sure I had missed the beginning, which is one my few pet peeves. Nope, previews were still on. Is America the only country where movies never start on the time posted? Thank, God for it.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been to a movie, longer still since I went to one alone. The Revenant had some great pre showing reviews, and trailers looked cool. I heard too that it was a very authentic Indian movie.
The most noticeable change here in West Georgia is that everyone picks the seats in the upper half of the room. The most coveted seats for young lovers used to be in the very top row. Not anymore. Judging from the gray beards and camouflaged hats, I’d say it’s now for people who are legally packing heat.
This day, for the first time in my life I would be too—my legally concealed 38 revolver. Don’t know why I did this, but I figured all the characters on screen would be, so why not me, too.
I found a seat right in the middle in the row overlooking the main aisle, unlike Bill Hickok, my back wasn’t against the wall, but I could still see everyone coming and going. The main attraction finally starts. It’s 4:55 on the dot.
I’m not going to go into much of the story as I assume only those who’ve seen the movie will read this post, but I’m puzzled by few things, and much of this is because I’m a doctor whose practice includes advanced wound care. Some of it, is a bit of a stretch.
The movie is indeed probably one of the most authentic Indian movies you’ll ever see with attention to detail. They even speak Indian, with subtitles provided.
1. Does the director know anything about hyperthermia or frostbite? I mean how many seconds or minutes does one have, once they’re immersed in close to zero degree water? These guys ever see the movie Titanic?
2. The bear scene is pretty real looking, but where in the heck does Drudge get this crazy idea that the mama Grizzly “rapes†Glass, DiCaprio’s character? Rape as in how and what?
3. Glass, sustains wounds throughout that are beyond life threatening no doubt, including where he has a fistula going from his esophagus to the outside that he closes up with, gun powder? And he gets sewed up, and the sutures are in place for like more than ten days? Maybe longer? And they don’t get massively infected? Come on, man.
4. Fitzgerald and the young Bridger are walking aimlessly by foot until they come upon an Indian settlement that has been destroyed and ransacked. There is one survivor a young girl, and Bridger leaves her some food. Who is the girl? Is that Powaqa, the chief’s lost daughter? If so, how did she end up later with the French at their encampment where she is raped at will by them? If it’s not her, then what’s the point for the scene to begin with?
5. Where did Fitzgerald and Bridger get their horses all of a sudden? You mean to tell me, with horses scarce, the French left a couple there at the massacre site? Come on, Man.
6. Glass finds Powaqa eventually by chance, captured by the French; I assume these are the same French guys who earlier traded, the Indians, five of their horses. If so, that means they had Powaqa hidden in their campsite earlier in the film when the Indians, with Powaqa’s father, came there to sell them the stolen American hides? If not, this is a new group of French, but in this rescue scene they mention the five horses.
7. The French find Glass in their midst. They out man him like twenty to one. Glass fires “one shotâ€, just one shot, and they scatter? Come ON, man.
8. And where does Powaqa go? Why not at least a few minutes of her with Glass? I mean one encounter, and we’ll be convinced that she’ll remember who he is later at a distance?
9. Throughout the film you get the clear idea that bow and arrows can out fight soldiers and trappers who have to reload their “flint locks.†These guys from the onset of the film never miss, then in a scene the Indians attack him, dozens of them, and they’re missing left and right from close range. And who are these Indians, the same ones from the beginning who are searching for Powaqa, and if so was she with them when they attacked Glass, and if so why didn’t she recognize them.
10. Am I seeing things, while fleeing the Indians on bareback, in this scene, he shoots his flint lock pistol twice? Twice? Or does he now have two pistolos? How the heck did he reload, while riding bareback? Come on, MAN.
11. To flee the Indians Glass eventually falls over a cliff with his horse and his fall is cushioned by him sliding down a large spruce. So, in addition to all the wounds he already has, he survives the fall? COME on, man.
12. Glass strips down naked, yes naked, and climbs into his dead horse’s hide, after spending what seems like forever taking its entails out. He leaves his shoes, shirt, socks and coat outside. Next morning he stretches, pushes his way out, and then I assume puts on the same clothes that have been hanging out overnight in subzero temperatures. Come on, man.
13. Some lone French guy comes to the American encampment? Who is this guy? Is he one of the French who had kidnapped Powaqa? What is he jabbering about? He seems to know where Glass is. How? And why aren’t they a little bit nice to him, and offer him something to eat?
14. Then they find Glass, and after one hot bath, just one with all these wounds, most of them dehisced, he’s fit as a fiddle? Come on, man.
15. Then there’s the scene where for some reason the Indians, now with Powaqa, they recognize him and leave without killing him. So, now she recognizes him, and tells her, Dad, that’s the white man who rescued me, all this from 100 feet, and Glass has the same Cro-Magnon look every other mountain man has? And they walk by him without even a thank you? COME ON MAN!!!!
16. And why is it called The Revenant to begin with? You get the feeling that they left a lot of scenes out that may have cleared some of these questions, and for sure I would have liked to have seen a little more of Glass together with Powaqa, I mean at least spend one night together. Instead, for 120 minutes we’re watching a guy, in sub-zero temperatures, getting beat to a pulp from the elements and people and he lives.
DiCaprio does a great job showing us he can take punishment. He gets his butt kicked more than any other character that comes to mind, but you could have put just about anyone else in the role with the same performance. He doesn’t say much the whole time, just gets beat up and grunts. If he wins the academy award, it’s not because he’s in a great picture, it’s because he gave us the illusion that he can sustain multiple traumas, eat raw buffalo liver, speak Indian fluently without cutting the scenes, and sleep naked in a horse hide. In fact, that fleeting sight of his skinny @ss, in that scene will probably do it for him.
I give this 2½ out of 4 stars. I suggest you bring a blanket.
I dabbled in muzzleloading firearms many years ago and had begun to get into "buckskinning" when other things intervened and put an early stop to it. The American frontier is endlessly fascinating no matter whether it was along the Blue Ridge, the Mississippi or the Rockies.
Mr. niteowl77
Yes, a little knowledge spoils it. I bought my first pistol last year this Rugar 38. It took me six weeks to my license because the background check found some obscure FBI finger printing of me form college when I was rounded up with five other fraternity brothers for having a case of beed IN THE TRUCK of our car. We were 20 years old. I paid a 25$ fine. Anyway I had to go to the trouble of getting that scrubbed.
Anyway, I decided to take lessons from an active ARmy Ranger. It was great. About the third lesson, he shows up with an authentic British Flint Lock pistol. It was actually a repro, so I thinking this going to be more reliable than the real thing.
It fired once out of five times, mainly because the air was pretty damp. I can’t imagine what it was like in Revolutionary times, fighting the Indians. Technically, in the movie it didn’t look like flint lock pistols, but still, they didn’t convey the ordeal of what it’s like to fight an army of Indians with their arrows coming down on you.
My trainer told me that the British Calvary officers would have 5 to 6 pistols in various holsters as they rode into battle.
I think you need a balance in movies like this, a great story line, that includes a love story or touching scenes of a man and woman, (not in dreamscape mode like this one), followed by the epic proportions of the scenery.
For me one star movie is junk, some 2 stars are worth seeing, 3 star means you were thoroughly entertained and enjoyed it, got your mony’s worth. 4 stars means the movie sticks with you for several days and beyond.
This was a 2 1/2 for me, maybe a three.
Clint Eastswoods movies are always 3 and 4s. Even some of the od ones, like Buckskin Billy
I thought the movie was a masterpiece.
It depicts the brutal struggle for life that all living creatures undergo. The main character’s story is simply the metaphor.
That blood is spilled, flesh torn, each life dying in turn, and yet always gasping in desperation after just that one more breath; and this never ending struggle taking place in a silent universe of cold, eternal, unspeakable beauty— that’s what the movie is trying to tell.
To me it was cinematic poetry. Bravo to the filmmaker.
Thank you will do.
People don’t realize how utterly cruel Indians were to other Indians. You had these huge tribes that would beat up and capture the smaller ones and take them into slavery.
Yeah, we took their land, and we’re still paying their descendants who look about as Indian as I do, which is nil.
I read somewhere where Trump had brought that up. These casinos on Indian Reservations, pay no taxes? So the pay outs are better so they’re killing the gamblinb business.
Trump knows more about the behind the scene working of this country than just about anyone. But, I’m sorry this is about The Frontiersman. Thank you for the post. How did you italize that word? I know you use the HTML but what is it?
Don’t disagree with you, as it’s a real experience, that one would lose watching at home. I just had some questions about some minor things, and they should have added some new romance esp between Glass and Potaqwa.
I don’t think a lot of people will want to see it, except if they’re DiCaprio fans.
Bear scene was really real life, no?
Hahahahahahaaaa. And you’re right. All the Arnold movies, he NEVER runs out of bullets. Still arming a flint lock pistol while your fleeing a band of Indians, riding bareback is a stretch.
You might have wanted to note you describe the entire movie...there are people who don’t want to know the details of the movie.
Also, you buy the $20 popcorn for the whole year? But you haven’t been to the movies in a long time?
What does packing heat in a theater have to do with the movie?
haven’t you ever had snowflakes fall on your tongue?
Couldn’t believe when I read your post. I’m reading The Frontiersmen right now for the third time. Love that book. I’ve always wished they would make 3 movie series out of that book.
You might have wanted to note you describe the entire movie...there are people who don’t want to know the details of the movie. NOT TRUE AND I STATE AT THE BEGINNING THIS IS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE. IT’S A REVENGE MOVIE WITH ABSOLUTELY NO SURPRISES IN FACT A LITTLE BACKGROUND WILL HELP YOU, AND I DON’T GIVE THE ENDING. PLUS I’M ASKING TECNICAL AND CHARACTER QUESTIONS THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW BEFORE HAND. I THINK, ONE NEEDS TO PROBABLY READ THE BOOK OR SOME BACKGROUND FIRST, AS THE MOVIE CLEARLY LEAVES ALOT OUT. EG I’M TOLD HE DIDN’T HAVE A INDIAN CHILD. AND INFACT THE INDIANS HELPED HIM SURVIVE HIS ORDEAL.
I DISLIKE MOVIES THAT HAVE THE SAME MESSAGE ABOUT HOW “WE” AS IN YOU AND ME STOLE LAND FROM THE INDIANS ARE WERE MEAN TO THEM. ANYONE WHO READS EVEN THE SIMPLEST THING ABOUT AMERICAN INDIANS WILL COME TO FIND OUT SOON THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY TERRIBLE TO ONE ANOTHER, AND IF THEY CAPTURED A WHITE PERSON WOULD SELL THEM AS A SLAVE TO ONE TRIBE TO THE OTHER, ALONG WITH CONTINUALLY KILLING EACH OTHER.
Also, you buy the $20 popcorn for the whole year? But you haven’t been to the movies in a long time? I BOUGHT A TUB. I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE THEATER, SO YOU CAN GET REFILLS WITHOUT SEEING A SHOW. LONG TIME FOR ME IS LIKE 3 MONTHS.
What does packing heat in a theater have to do with the movie? IT’S A PHENOMENON. YOU’D GO INTO A THEATER AND PEOPLE ARE SITTING UPFRONT, MIDDLE RARELY THE TOP, NOW DAYS IT’S LIKE “EVERYONE IS SITTING IN THE TOP HALF” AND I’M SURE 2/3RDS ARE ARMED, AT LEAST AROUND HERE.
Yes. Was one of the best part of the movie.
Hey, BTW, what did you think of Trump coming to Burlington? I mean whatever you may think about the guy, what a gutsy thing to do.
I've read most of his works and many several times. One caveat is that he does embellish the research and readily admits to it at the beginning of each novel. Not a problem for me but for someone looking for an exact recollection of the times, they would be better off going to the referenced sources themselves.
As far as films go, I highly recommend Black Robe. Early North American history, beautiful and violent. Not for everyone and definitely not PC. Careful not to let the young'uns watch. There are things here that will cause nightmares.
Although modern Hollywood has made great leaps and bounds in presenting accuracy in visually recreating time-periods in terms of mise-en-scene, my problem is that they’ve gone further and further astray in reflecting the culture and attitudes of the times. They’ve a tendency to make ‘period’ pieces (even well into the 20th Century) seem so strangely stark and aloof. Omitting so often the importance of community, family, and the element of romanticism in their worldview. There’s almost always a weirdly unnatural dourness, which filmmakers seem inclined to impart on anything that takes place pre-1950s.
Just another Hollywood roller-coaster.
True, plug in the equation. I don’t see this making much money.
I was just being picky...cuz SOMEONE was going to point it out, maybe even beat you up a bit. :)
This has turned into quite a thread!
That is what I’ve noticed. They are 2010 people from New York City, wearing the clothes of the time and using the equipment of the time, but thinking and responding like 2010 city people.
I notice this most with respect to things like courage and religion. Army officers of the 1700s & 1800s put a high emphasis on being courageous and much less on trying to save as many lives as possible (including their own). For example, when someone speculates on why Custer didn’t wait for reinforcements, they betray a worldview set in post-Vietnam. No one wanted to be annihilated, but they would accept much greater risks than modern men would consider.
Religion is another area. People in the 1800s included some very rough and dangerous men, but even many of them had some concept of a Creator who might call them to account. It wasn’t that they were religious, but they didn’t tend to openly mock God. It is most conspicuous now by its absence. People who would not have considered doing something without a prayer now (in the movies) don’t know prayer exists. When they face hardship or the loss of a loved one, it is all about THEM and no reference is made to God or faith.
The movies now get the costumes right, or the sets right, but get the souls of the people wrong.
I should add that comic book heroes now infest all the movies. I notice it most when a 115 lb heroine drops a 250 guy with a single punch. But the chase scenes have become CGI-spectaculars, with no understanding of basic physics. A guy will fall off a 50’ cliff, stand up, shake himself, and move on. That is OK if the character is Superman, but unacceptable if it is supposed to be a real person!
The underground chase scene in the first Hobbit movie has become a typical Hollywood throw-in, and it looks even worse when humans are used than mythical dwarves...
Yes, but I’m embarrassed. I like the posts to be fairly coherent. I asked them twice to change it.
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