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The Revenant
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After bearing the cold and putting method acting to the test, Leonardo DiCaprio finally took home his Oscar for his performance in 2016’s The Revenant. And while the movie is already nearly five years old, it remains a wintertime favorite — what better way to pass a snow day than to watch one man trek through the unforgiving wilderness from the warm comfort of your couch?
With the East Coast pummeled by a snowstorm yesterday and most of us still coated in drifts of white this afternoon, there’s no better time to revisit The Revenant. DiCaprio stars as an 1800s frontiersman named Hugh Glass who’s been attacked by a bear and must fight for survival after being abandoned by his own crew of hunters. It’s a compelling tale, but is The Revenant a true story?
Well, sort of. According to The Hollywood Reporter, some of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film is actually based on a 2002 work of fiction about Glass’ journey. But the main plot points of the film are real: Yes, Hugh Glass existed, he did get attacked by a bear and survived. But details like his fall from a cliff while on a horse or his use of the dead horse as shelter from the cold aren’t proven. And no, he didn’t really eat raw liver (probably), nor did he have a son with a Native American woman.
The real Glass began his journey when he was forced to join a pirate ship and eventually escaped after years onboard, and became an honorary Pawnee when he reached the land. After answering an ad to join a crew setting off to trap beaver, Glass set off on his trip, where his famous bear attack took place. While picking berries, he was approached by a bear that grabbed him and took a bit bite out of his butt. While he was rescued by his crew, they eventually left him to be, figuring he was near death.
But unlike in the film, nobody tried to suffocate Glass, and he likely lay by a river, where he had been left, for days, eating rattlesnake and slowly gaining the strength to crawl, then limp, in search of revenge. Eventually, Glass did find the men he was searching for, but he didn’t serve them the same cold justice as in the film, although he did get that rifle back.
Head to The Hollywood Reporter for the full true story of The Revenant.
