Will The Revenant Sweep Up At The Oscars?

With Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ‘Birdman’ sweeping the 2015 Oscars, is his latest movie ‘The Revenant’ set to do the same?

The buzz around the film is certainly strong, with Leonardo DiCaprio edging ever closer to his first ever Oscar. Whether you’re a fan of his or not - and let’s face it, why wouldn’t you be? - there’s a lot of people willing for the Academy to award him for his efforts.

And to be honest he more than deserves it. Other contenders, such as Eddie Redmayne’s superlative effort in transgender drama ‘The Danish Girl’, are worthy. Redmayne could be Leo’s nearest competitor to walk away with the gong (and it’d be a second in as many years for the Brit who won one for ‘The Theory of Everything’ last time).

But Iñárritu’s epic, bleak tale of one man’s struggle to merely survive in the harshest of conditions is nominated for an incredible 12 Oscars.

Aside from DiCaprio’s outstanding effort and Tom Hardy’s brilliant portrayal as the story’s antagonist, ‘The Revenant’ is in the Best Picture, Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume, both Sound Mixing and Editing, as well as Visual Effects.

It’s easy to acknowledge that, even from the opening shot, ‘The Revenant’ is stunning. Visually, it grabs you and doesn’t let go until the credits rolls at the end. Iñárritu’s direction is sublime and for some of the lengthy, authentic-looking scenes is worth the accolade alone.

While great acting and directing sort of go hand in hand, the beauty and success of how a film is told heavily falls to the responsibility of its cinematographer (in this instance Emmanuel Lubezki) and Editor Stephen Mirrione, not merely the writer and or director. Both are former Oscar winners, with Mirrione winning in 2001 for ‘Traffic’ and Lubezki for both ‘Birdman’ and ‘Gravity’.

It’s all these elements combined that do in fact shape a film. Without one, other areas would inevitably struggle, and I believe this applies to any of these key acting, directing, editing, or cinematography cogs in the epic machine.

But what can ‘The Revenant’ really walk away with? What are its chances against the likes of ‘Spotlight’ and ‘Room’ in the Best Picture stakes? Both are hard-hitting, highly acclaimed works, so it all depends on what floats the Academy’s boat. There’s every reason this should be noted for its achievement because it’s like nothing I’ve seen before. It’s certainly the most intense, anxious and engaged I’ve felt in a cinema for a long time.

While Michael Fassbender is excellent in ‘Steve Jobs’, it’s unlikely that he’ll emerge as the favourite amongst voters, leaving Leo to square off against Redmayne, it would appear.

Hardy’s support is impressive, but a lot of punters are already backing Sly Stallone who won the Golden Globe for reprising his role as Rocky Balboa in ‘Creed.’

Both Lubezki and Iñárritu stand solid chances of winning in the cinematography and directing categories respectively because they are individually outstanding. Editing-wise, Mirrione is less assurd to waltz off with the statue, but that, along with the remaining categories it’s nominated in, could still sweep up if the Academy decide to look favourably upon Iñárritu.

Having swiped the spotlight last year with ‘Birdman’, it’d be no surprise to see ‘The Revenant’ walk away with half a dozen or so Oscars, if not more. It’s that good that it deserves them.

But as a whole, the film genuinely feels like it takes on a life of its own: every moment of every scene convinces that it’s real and for the most part appears faultless, which surely puts it in good stead against its contenders.

At present, it’s got the best odds to win Best Actor and Director, and isn’t far off the favourite for Best Picture, which is ‘Spotlight’. But any of this so-called certainty can change, so don’t be surprised for an upset along the way.

Personally speaking, ‘The Revenant’ deserves to win a majority of the awards it’s up for. Sure, there is stiff competition, but as unlikely as ‘Birdman’ was to end last year’s big night with four major honours, we could yet see the same sweep take place next month.

‘The Revenant’ is in UK cinemas nationwide now.

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Picture credits: New Regency Pictures