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Our take
The Revenant is beautiful to look at and punishing to sit through. The bear attack is long and brutal; raids, wounds, sexual assault and harm to a teenage boy add to the cruelty. Grief and revenge drive the journey, with little relief. We would keep this for 17 and up.
Uplifting themes
Endurance and love for family are at the heart of the story, with a clear warning about what vengeance costs. It also shows how greed and prejudice destroy people The hero shows devotion and grit, and a few allies treat him with kindness along the way. Many of the others he meets are cruel and selfish A fictionalised take on the 1820s fur trade and frontier conflict. Students could compare it with real history, as the film simplifies a lot
Story (may spoil tone)
In the 1820s, a frontiersman, Hugh Glass, sets out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling.
Details
Violence A grizzly bear mauling plays out in one long, brutal take, and raids br…
A grizzly bear mauling plays out in one long, brutal take, and raids bring arrows, axes, and gunfire into the camp. Men are stabbed, scalped, and shot in close, realistic combat. The cruelty continues through the whole survival story
Language The f-word, s-word, and racial and ethnic slurs come steadily from roug…
The f-word, s-word, and racial and ethnic slurs come steadily from rough trappers. Hell and damn are everywhere. The cursing is constant in the talkier camp scenes
Drugs / alcohol Whiskey, pipe smoking and a drunken celebration appear in the trapper c…
Whiskey, pipe smoking and a drunken celebration appear in the trapper camps. One man takes a drink for warmth. None of it is presented as glamorous
Frightening Ambushes, an animal attack, and a long, lonely trek through snow and ri…
Ambushes, an animal attack, and a long, lonely trek through snow and rivers keep the tension high. Nightmares and flashbacks show a burned village. The tone is bleak throughout
Self-harm / suicide A badly wounded man is told he should be put out of his misery, and oth…
A badly wounded man is told he should be put out of his misery, and others talk about giving up. No one takes their own life on screen
Sexual violence A woman is sexually assaulted by trappers in a scene that is hard to wa…
A woman is sexually assaulted by trappers in a scene that is hard to watch. It is brief and mostly shot at a distance, but the brutality and the grief that follows leave a mark
Child peril / abuse A teenage boy is caught in the violence while his father is helpless to…
A teenage boy is caught in the violence while his father is helpless to stop it, and young Native women face captivity and assault. The film offers little comfort to its young characters
Bullying / discrimination Native Americans are called savages and treated with open contempt, and…
Native Americans are called savages and treated with open contempt, and the film shows massacres and land theft against them. Racist cruelty is routine among the trappers
Gore / death / weapons Wounds are shown in close detail, including a mauled body, an arrow thr…
Wounds are shown in close detail, including a mauled body, an arrow through a neck, a scalping, and raw flesh eaten to survive. Corpses and a horse carcass used as shelter appear. The camera lingers
Dangerous behaviour Survival tricks such as cauterising a wound, eating raw liver, and slee…
Survival tricks such as cauterising a wound, eating raw liver, and sleeping in a carcass are shown. They are extreme and not meant as examples, but a curious teen could be tempted
Mental health A grieving father fights trauma and rage, and the central question is w…
A grieving father fights trauma and rage, and the central question is whether revenge is all that keeps him alive. Visions of his dead wife and son recur
Grief / bereavement The hero's wife and son are lost to violence and he keeps seeing them i…
The hero's wife and son are lost to violence and he keeps seeing them in dreams. Many people die and mourning is quiet and heavy. It is a bleak watch
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- The hero keeps going after terrible loss. What do you think keeps him alive, and is revenge the right answer?
- The film shows trappers and Native peoples both causing harm. How does it show the cost of greed and prejudice on the frontier?
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The Revenant
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