Whoa! If I had to pick one word to describe The Revenant, it would have to be “intense.” This movie has made something important very clear to me… people are crazy to live that far north! Grizzly bears, deadly snowstorm, treacherous frozen rivers… Why in the world would someone want to live in such a place?! I know I wouldn’t. Thankfully, it’s usually pretty warm on the internet with all the electric currents and what not. And what is their to fear? A few viruses, some snobby trolls? Bah, no big deal! With a backup server and a little mental toughness, there’s no problem!
Anyway, let’s get down to business. What does the Ephesian have to say about The Revenant? Well, here we go.
{Spoiler Alert}
First things first, what does “The Revenant” even mean? Is that a made up word? Nope! It basically means“one who returns,” though it usually has a context of coming back from death or the underworld. Now it’s easy to see why this story has that name. Glass practically comes back from the dead. One might hope for a kind of “Resurrection” story, but that’s not what we find here. Throughout the entire movie, the primary motivation of Glass is revenge –> Not exactly a Christ-like conquest over death. But! There is is a kind of conversion right at the end and that’s worth talking about.
Just what is the movie (through it’s lens) telling us to to think and feel about what we see? I’d like to focus on two keys scenes that kind of mutually inform each other: the vision of the broken Church and the final fight between Fitzgerald and Glass. First, let’s talk about the grueling, gritty fight between Fitzgerald and Glass
It’s messy, it’s ugly, its downright uncoordinated and awkward, but that’s a key thread running throughout the whole movie. This movie is gory, no doubt about it, but it uses gore well. Maybe I should use Flannery O’Connor’s take on “the grotesque,” but I don’t really know much about what she says, so google it if you’re interested. What I can say is this: there is a place for gore and violence in art, if it is used to expose evil rather than glorify it. This movie consistently portrays the ugly truth about life in the wild and the ugliness of combat. It does not linger over gory scenes or replay them slowly for the sake of exciting our inner bloodlust; it simply shows it as it is for what it is.
The gore is juxtaposed with a recurring theme of love and humanity seen in Glass’ relationship to his wife and son. Though his wife is dead, it is her words that continually strengthen him to push through the nasty realities he’s facing (communion of saints anyone?).
But, back to the point. Glass and Fitzgerald fight and Glass finally gets the upper hand and is about to kill his opponent when Fitzgerald says the most powerful line in the entire movie:
“You came all this way for revenge, but there ain’t nothing that’s gonna bring back your boy.”
And that’s just it. Revenge accomplished nothing. In fact, all it did was get Captain Henry killed because the Captain would never have found Fitzgerald and would never have been shot by him if Glass had just let him go. Hugh Glass does in fact realize this at the last moment (when Fitzgerald was already mortally wounded), but he had been given the chance to realize this much sooner, when he met the lone Pawnee warrior who basically saved his life.
Just a little before this scene, the man said “Revenge is in the hands of the creator.” This man, though a victim of terrible injustice, recognizes the futility of revenge and leaves it to God. Not only that, but he goes out of his way to help and protect Hugh Glass. This man is at peace and is able to love his neighbor because he is not blinded by revenge and hatred.
I’m not sure of everything the director and writers intended, but the other key scene I want to talk about is filled with material for reflection. In the midst of the Pawnee man’s effort to help him, Glass has some kind of dream or vision. In this vision, he walks into a broken church.
This Church is the last time he “sees” his son, and his son appears to be at peace. It is as if the Pawnee man’s kindness enabled Hawk to rest in peace and Hugh Glass to recognize that fact (freeing the souls in purgatory?). There are some other symbols at work, but I’ve already gone a bit lone so I’ll just list them for your own reflection:
Ask yourself ‘Why is the Church a broken one?’ (Perhaps we can tie it to the mess of a field hospital?)
Consider that the shot with Hawk features the Crucified Christ in the background.
Why is the bell constantly swinging but not making any noise?
This dream and the words of the Pawnee, which he basically repeats after Fitzgerald’s last taunt, serve as a sign of contradiction to Glass’ straining for revenge. Nonetheless, there is a kind of redemption in the fact that he does recognize his mistake. Even though he’s clearly directly responsible for Fitzgerald’s death, this last minute repentance is not fruitless. Not only that, but the fact that his kindness to the native girl Powaqa basically saves his life is a further confirmation (in a relatively subtle way) that his vengeance was futile and only love would bring him the peace that he truly desired. This is a peace found only in a reverence for life, not a desire for its end.
Finally, the movie ends with a bit of mystery. Glass sees his Pawnee wife walking up the hill and then stares intensely at the camera. Does he live or die right there? Has he found peace in his final moments and is so ready to join his wife in the afterlife? Or has he realized how alone he is and is thus wrestling with the sadness of it all? I’m not sure which side, if either, the directors intended, but it does remain ambiguous. There is a case for based on the twin themes of isolation and perseverance. Whatever the case may be for the movie, our choice in life should be clear…
Persevere! I’ll see you next time. Until then,