For a guy who endured months upon months of arduous shooting on location, dealing with sub-zero temperatures, the capriciousness of natural light, and well documented production troubles, Alejandro G. Iñárritu sure is smiling a lot. And he has good reason to. “The Revenant” is out of the gates with strong buzz (read our review), with the gritty film looking to be a player at the upcoming Oscars. But as noted, it was a journey that was not without struggle.
The director recently stopped by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and talked at length about “The Revenant” in a post-screening Q&A. In good spirits, Iñárritu talked about how the project came his way, the great work of Emmanuel Lubezki, that bear attack sequence, casting Leonardo DiCaprio, and more. But for all the grit of the picture, the director reveals it still has a very personal core.
“I had a couple of friends dealing with cancer and a friend who lost a very close family member and feel this is very similar. We’re exposed to a lot of [metaphorical] bear attacks. We lose our jobs and go bankrupt or we have a disease. The film is about that, about resilience, about endurance,” he told Screen Daily.
“The Revenant” arrives on Christmas Day in limited release. Watch below.