Abstract
Though superficially The Revenant is an expertly written, acted, and directed new age Western about one man's wild quest for revenge. It is all of those things to be sure, but this critical review essay goes deeper and explores the ideological dimensions of the film, arguing that the film's main antagonist is actually a capitalistic hero representing the mindless application of the endless drive for profit and wealth. Furthermore, this essay concludes with the dialectical assertion that it is precisely because of the audience's situatedness within the ideological confines of capitalism that they are able to view the antagonist as the villain of the film.
Highlights
When we watch a film, how do we know who the protagonist and antagonist are? While these terms have technical meanings in a narrative, our recognition of them often comes down to who the “good guy” is and who the “bad guy” is
This essay concludes with the dialectical assertion that it is precisely because of the audience's situatedness within the ideological confines of capitalism that they are able to view the antagonist as the villain of the film
The Western genre has a history of throwing that heuristic out the window with their notorious anti-heroes—protagonists with major moral flaws and whom often commit crimes and other acts of disrepute. In his first Academy award winning performance in The Revenant, which takes place in the mid-nineteenth century in the northcentral United States, Leonardo DiCaprio portrays our protagonist Hugh Glass, and we know he is the protagonist because it is his story that the movie follows, his trial and tribulations, but really, come on, it’s Leo, we knew he was the protagonist before the movie started
Summary
When we watch a film, how do we know who the protagonist and antagonist are? While these terms have technical meanings in a narrative, our recognition of them often comes down to who the “good guy” is and who the “bad guy” is. Abstract Though superficially The Revenant is an expertly written, acted, and directed new age Western about one man's wild quest for revenge.
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