Based on the book by Michael Punke, which is based off of the real life events of frontiersman Hugh Glass, “The Revenant” stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Glass and Tom Hardy as fellow frontiersman, John Fitzgerald.

After being mauled by a grizzly, Hugh is left for dead by his hunting party, namely Fitzgerald. Motivated by sheer will and a thirst for justice, Glass must navigate the uncharted American wilderness and survive a harsh winter if he wants to get revenge on the man that betrayed him.

Directed by the masterful Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and filmed by the talented Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Revenant” is a cinematic smorgasbord for the eyes.

Using some of the techniques seen in Inarritu’s last film, “Birdman” (the sweeping pans, the continuous, single-shot takes) the harsh wilderness of America is a fully involved environment.

You don’t just see the characters on screen during a scene; the camera follows them as they move throughout the scenery.

Another amazing aspect is that the whole film was shot using natural light, increasing the vivacity of the scenery. It is incredibly impressive filmmaking.

The actors as a whole performed very well, even with some surprise talent in the mix.

DiCaprio puts forth an incredible performance as Glass, albeit not one of his best, but the effort and talent is still commendable. Hardy is superb as Fitzgerald.

Domhnall Gleeson, who plays Andrew Henry and the captain of the hunting party, puts forth a surprisingly memorable performance as the young, conflicted officer who must choose to follow his own judgement or the advice others give him.

Overall, “The Revenant” is a gritty, manly tale of revenge and the American frontier, but it is not an action movie. Yes, there are battle scenes and blood abound; however, what the movie aims for is something of more philosophical depth. And that’s where “The Revenant” falls short.

There are a lot of unspoken motifs and metaphors shown mainly through the cinematography; the sweeping, gorgeous landscape shots and the panning of bloody battles all point to a larger message in regards to both God and man. The themes that it reaches for are touched upon, but the impact isn’t as lasting as one would hope.

“The Revenant” is still an entertaining, thoughtful movie with engaging performances by skillful actors but the dramatic depth that it was aiming for is just barely scratched.