A gory, true tale of the struggles of an 1800's trapper stuck in the wild. 9/10 BEWARE OF SPOILERS
In between periods of naps, sitting on the edge of my seat, and munching on popcorn, I was able to truly enjoy this movie.
The scenery of the American West is truly stunning. The director makes that the defining aspect of the movie, the sheer beauty and wildness of this era.
Complimenting this beauty is other side of the story, the gritty story of how everything went wrong for a fur-trapper (acted by Leonardo DiCaprio). Native Americans display their culture and true savagery when attacking the trapper's group but the movie does a good job of allowing for watchers to sympathize with their cause and mistreatment. Setting his group on the run, the trapper and his son guide his group through the forest until he is violently torn apart by a wild bear. Left for dead, he is taken for a dead man by some but is still stretchered away to get back on the road. Unable to talk or interact. He silently watches in vain as his group splits and he is left with a few members. I an act of true sin, one man kills the trappers son and leaves DiCaprio for dead in the forest. This is where DiCaprio's vast acting experience comes to light. He ablely portrays the pure, blind anger of he trapper. Slowly healing, he traverses the wild alone to find the man who killed his son. Ultimately outwitting him and ending his life. In between, the journey is what truly makes the movie the remarkable story it is today.
The only con I can think of is the sheer length. This feature easily exceeds 3 hours and at times seems to slow. But it eventually builds to a very satisfying end.