The Revenant (2015) is an incredible film. That, I must admit. The cinematography is genuinely remarkable. The landscapes and settings in which the scenes are shot were supposedly developed with the help of Sahnish (Arikara) and Pawnee advisers and are, thereby, incredibly faithful to the “early 19th century reality” (Govaerts). The acting is similarly visceral and, in my opinion, the most impressive part of the film. DiCaprio and Hardy are tremendous in this movie; their performances couldn’t be more “real”. The scenes where Hugh Glass, played by Dicaprio and central character of the film, gets violently mauled by a bear and the very first after the title sequence where the fur traders are raided by the Arikara could not seem any more realistic. This is the problem.
It’s important to mention that nowhere is it said that this film is “based on a true story” or “real life”. This is an important distinction, but, even with that being the case, I’d say that this story being “true” is inferred. The characters, the shots and, by and large, the narrative all seem “real”. And yet, the story isn’t. It is historical fiction. Hugh Glass definitely existed and, as far as we can tell, was mauled by a bear while retreating to fort Kiowa after a raid by Arikara, but everything else was made up (Harrod). This isn’t implicitly bad. Inserting fictitious elements into a story and attempting to make it seem “historically accurate” to audiences isn’t necessarily negative. It just happens to be the case in this instance. This, as one may expect from a Western, is because of its depiction of Native Americans. Specifically, the grievances are directed towards the Pawnee and, most significantly, the Sahnish.
I’d like to preface by saying that the depiction of Native Americans in this film isn’t as disrespectful or harmful as it is for many other Westerns. The disrespect is not overt in any way, rather it is subtle. This subtlety, in a sense, furthers the harm committed by the film because it plays into certain stereotypes and notions that some may be accustomed to. What I mean by the disrespect not being apparent is that, unlike some other westerns, Native Americans in this film are presented as normal human beings. It seems almost ridiculous to say this but, in a way, the filmmakers should be commended for this. The film begins, as stated earlier, with an Arikara raid on a band of fur traders. At first glance, this scene could have been interpreted as problematic seeing as audience members are not given a reason as to why. This could have been interpreted by audiences that the attack was unprompted and that the Arikara were “savages”. Thankfully, we are given the perspective of the Arikara shortly after the raid and learn that their reasoning was that the Arikara’s chief’s daughter was kidnapped. Naturally, there never was a “chief’s daughter”. The Arikara war was a real conflict between the Sahnish and the United States government. It was not caused by the kidnapping of one individual. It was the result of decades of sustained tensions caused by encroachment on Native land by settlers, as well as the poaching and theft of Native American game and materials. It is important to mention that this conflict was the first to the west of the Mississippi river and, in a way, signified a new stage of the United States continued mistreatment of Native American peoples. So, in effect, although The Revenant succeeds in avoiding the “savagery” trope, which I admit is perhaps the worst of all of them, they effectively fall into “the chief’s daughter” trope in doing so (Govaerts). This trope is harmful because it minimizes the harm afflicted upon the Arikara and, thereby, weakens the justification of their response. It turns their noble vie for freedom into an uncomplicated desire for revenge. In a few words, it simplifies something complex. While it definitely could be worse, to say that it gives a correct impression of the Arikara war and the Sahnish would be to lie.
As a second, shorter point, I’d like to focus on Hawk, Glass’s half Pawnee son. His character, as a very concept, is highly inappropriate. Hawk did not exist, Glass had no son, let alone one born of a Native American mother (Friedman). His character is purely false and should not have been included in a film where realism seems to have some sort of importance. That being said, it is made even worse when considering Hawk’s role in the film. It is two-pronged. His first role is to die. His death serves as the primary justification for Glass’s revenge. So, in this sense, he doesn’t actually matter as a human being. He is a thing that needs to die in order to move the plot along. The second role is to serve as the connection between Glass and the Native Americans. He is meant to serve as the link between them, which allows him to trust the Arikara and for them to trust him in turn. In fewer words, his connection to a Native American son validates him as a “savior” for the Native Americans. While it definitely is less plain to see than it is in other Westerns, The Revenant exploits Native American characters in order to glorify White ones.
I would very much like to give this film five stars. It is a gripping, visceral experience and is absolutely worth watching for the cinematography and acting alone. With context, though, I find it hard to even give it three stars. The use of Native American characters irks me in a way that is difficult to explain. If the filmmakers has made an effort to be more historically accurate, or at least make it clear that the story is fictitious, I doubt I would have felt this way. So, with a heavy heart, I give The Revenant a two out of five star rating.
Bilbliography
Friedman, Steve. “The Real Story of ‘the Revenant’ Is Far Weirder (and Bloodier) than the Movie.” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2023, www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/real-story-revenant-is-far-867620/.
Govaerts, Lotte. “Real Stories behind the Revenant: The Grand River Arikara/Sahnish Villages – Rogers Archaeology Lab.” Real Stories Behind The Revenant: The Grand River Arikara/Sahnish Villages, 26 Feb. 2016, nmnh.typepad.com/rogers_archaeology_lab/2016/02/real-stories-behind-the-revenant-the-grand-river-arikarasahnish-villages.html.
Harrod, Horatia. “Best Served Cold: The Terrifying True Story behind the Revenant.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 3 May 2016, www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/04/14/best-served-cold-the-terrifying-true-story-behind-the-revenant/?ICID=continue_without_subscribing_reg_first.