Inarritu says "The Revenant" an "homage to great filmmaking"

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - With its savage landscapes and
tough filming conditions, survival drama "The Revenant" is an
"homage to great filmmaking", Academy Award-winning Mexican
director Alejandro G. Inarritu says.
Inspired by real events, "The Revenant" tells the story of
fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), who on an expedition
in the 1820s was mauled by a bear and left for dead by his team.
He survives and sets out to exact revenge on those who
abandoned him.
To give the film an authentic feel, Inarritu, who last year
won the best director and best picture Oscars for "Birdman", cut
back on special effects, using natural light.
"This is (an) homage to how the filmmaking was done in the
origins and the great filmmaking of going to the real places and
not modify ... or play with pixels and computerised images," he
told Reuters in an interview in London.
"The Revenant" was filmed in Canada and Argentina; cast and
crew endured tough outdoor locations and harsh weather
conditions.
"It was not a comfortable shoot at all," Inarritu said.
"But in that sense it's what the film is about and it has
its rewards ... it really portrays nature as it is, not in the
way we see it in a park but as it is for real."
Will Poulter, who plays Glass' young apprentice Bridger,
added that the trying conditions allowed for a more authentic
performance. "As hard as it was, I think we also were very, very
grateful though that we were getting such a real experience.
"There was less around to take you out of the actual
environment that your characters were operating in," he said.
The film, which hits UK cinemas this week, looks likely to
be an Oscar frontrunner after picking up three awards at
Sunday's Golden Globes -- best drama film, best drama actor for
DiCaprio and best director for Inarritu.