So there’s a little film called The Revenant coming – maybe you’ve heard about it. Leonardo DiCaprio goes through all sorts of nonsense in the true-life story of 19th century explorer Hugo Glass, including battling a bear, enduring freezing temperatures, and being buried alive. The actor in search of an Oscar immersed himself fully into the role of a man who is pushed to the edge – sleeping wrapped in an animal’s carcass, eating a bison’s liver raw, and swearing off supermodels for months.
But what does the title of the move mean? In reference to the film’s infamously troubled production, at least one smartarse thinks the word is French for “living hell.” In fact, it means “one who has returned, as if from the dead.” Hang on, you mean like this? The studio has helpfully included the definition of the word in the film’s poster (this must be a first, right?) Perhaps they don’t want a repeat of The Shawshank Redemption: the title confused audiences and is said to be part of the reason why the film originally did poorly (Tim Robbins still gets asked about his role in The Scrimshaw Rebellion.) The Revenant opens on Christmas Day.
