Summary

• DiCaprio's portrayal in The Revenant's bear scene was more of a mauling than a fight, showcasing raw realism in cinema.
• Alejandro G. Iñárritu's meticulous preparation for the bear attack scene led to a visceral and innovative depiction of primal fear.
• DiCaprio's commitment to authenticity in The Revenant included climbing inside an animal carcass and eating raw bison liver for realism.

In 2015, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's The Revenant is based on the true story of frontiersman Hugh Glass, and the film is a masterclass in storytelling and visual artistry, anchored by Leonardo DiCaprio's stunning, award-winning portrayal of Glass. Its exploration of human resilience against the backdrop of nature's untamed beauty and brutality resonated deeply, earning critical acclaim and a host of awards.

The Revenant's production was monumental. Iñárritu's commitment to authenticity led the cast and crew into some of the most remote and harsh environments on Earth, utilizing only natural light to shoot the film. This approach not only heightened the film's atmospheric intensity but also posed significant challenges, pushing everyone involved to their limits. DiCaprio's immersive performance in The Revenant, coupled with the team's dedication, resulted in a film that is both a testament to the power of the human spirit and a landmark achievement in cinema. However, the Revenant bear scene was more real for DiCaprio than audiences realized.

Leonardo DiCaprio Said The Revenant Bear Scene Wasn't A Fight; His Character Was "A Ball Of Yarn"

Though DiCaprio Was Initially Confused After Reading The Revenant Screenplay

The Revenant bear scene, in which Leonardo DiCaprio's Hugh Glass is attacked and left near-dead by a grizzly bear, stands as one of the most intense and memorable sequences in modern cinema, largely due to its brutal realism and the visceral fear it evokes. However, after reading the script, DiCaprio was initially unsure of how to approach the bear fight. The actor commented on his confusion (via SAG-AFTRA Foundation):

You read the screenplay and it’s like, Hugh Glass fights the bear. I was like, ‘So what do I do? Do I give him a right hook? How do I fight a bear? It’s not a fight at all, you’re just being mauled and it’s like a giant cat throwing around a ball of yarn around the forest.

This realization shifted the approach to filming the scene, moving away from the concept of a fight to one of a mauling. The technical execution of the bear attack scene was a complex blend of practical effects, CGI, and innovative filmmaking techniques. No real bear was used in the making of this scene; instead, a combination of a stuntman in a bear suit and computer-generated imagery created the terrifyingly realistic mauling. This method not only ensured the safety of the cast and crew but also allowed for a more controlled and precise depiction of the attack.

DiCaprio's reflections on Alejandro Iñárritu's preparation for the scene reveal the director's meticulous attention to detail and dedication to realism, noting that Iñárritu watched 100 different bear attacks. DiCaprio added (via LA Times):

Alejandro watched over 100 different bear attacks. What he creates in that sequence is almost like virtual reality. It awakes the senses. I think that sequence will go down in the history of cinema as an amazing visceral, tactile sequence that makes people feel like they were there.

The director's exhaustive research and creative vision resulted in a sequence that is not only a technical marvel but also a profound exploration of the primal fear of being hunted. This dedication to authenticity and innovation is a testament to the filmmaking team's commitment to pushing the boundaries of cinematic storytelling. The seamless integration of practical effects and CGI enabled the filmmakers to craft a scene that was both visually stunning and emotionally impactful, setting a new standard for the portrayal of animal attacks in film.

DiCaprio's Other Revenant Scenes Were No Less Harrowing

The Actor Climbed Inside An Animal Carcass & Ate Raw Bison Liver

In The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio's commitment to authenticity and his methodical approach to embodying the character of Hugh Glass were demonstrated in two particularly visceral scenes: when Glass climbs inside the carcass of a horse to keep warm and when he consumes a raw bison liver. These moments are not just memorable for their shock value but also for how they encapsulate the film's raw depiction of survival and human endurance. However, those scenes weren't just movie magic; DiCaprio actually did those things. The actor explained (via Yahoo):

Whether it’s going in and out of frozen rivers, or sleeping in animal carcasses, or what I ate on set. [I was] enduring freezing cold and possible hypothermia constantly.

DiCaprio's willingness to physically and mentally immerse himself in these extreme conditions speaks volumes about his dedication to his craft. Climbing inside an animal carcass, a scene that could have easily been simulated using CGI, was instead portrayed with harrowing realism by DiCaprio. This act, inspired by true survival stories from the era, symbolizes the primal instincts that humans can revert to when faced with life-threatening situations. The authenticity of this scene added a profound layer of realism to the movie, allowing audiences to feel Glass' desperation and sheer will to survive.

The consumption of a raw bison liver, on the other hand, was a moment that DiCaprio chose to undertake, diverging from the jelly-based option initially proposed (via Vanity Fair). His reaction to the liver was genuine disgust and struggle, captured in real-time and kept in the final cut of The Revenant. DiCaprio later reflected on this experience, stating:

I certainly don’t eat raw bison liver on a regular basis. When you see the movie, you’ll see my reaction to it, because Alejandro kept it in. It says it all. It was an instinctive reaction.

This moment goes beyond mere physical endurance; it's a testament to DiCaprio's dedication to delivering a transcendent performance, venturing into a realm where few actors are willing to go. It is this unyielding commitment that finally garnered DiCaprio the Oscar. His win was more than a recognition of a single performance; it was an acknowledgment of a career defined by a relentless pursuit of transformative roles that challenge both actor and audience to explore the depths of human experience. DiCaprio's Oscar for The Revenant was a long-awaited validation of his status as one of his generation's most talented actors.

Other Movie Shoots That Were Notoriously Harrowing

Animal Attacks, Real Warfare, And The Loss Of Lives Contributed To Some Of The Most Dangerous Movie Shoots

The Revenant’s intense filming experience certainly sounds harrowing, but there have been several movie shoots that proved even worse. While DiCaprio had the luxury of contending with a CGI bear for his Oscar-winning performance, the actors in 1981’s Roar were not so lucky. The movie followed a family that owned an African safari, and production used real untrained animals for the shoot which resulted in several of the actors and crew getting significantly injured. Cinematographer Jan de Bont was even scalped by one of the lions and child actor Melanie Griffith nearly lost an eye (via THR).

Unruly animals were not an issue for Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, but the filmmaker seemed to run into just about every other problem imaginable during the shoot. While a lot is made about Marlon Brando showing up to the filming wholly unprepared for his role as Colonel Kurtz, that was a small drop in a bucket of endless obstacles.

Lead actor Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack while filming, making him unavailable for a period of the shoot. A real-life battle against rebels in the Philippines meant the production's helicopters were regularly being used. Scott Glenn even revealed his role in the movie was beefed up after he saved Coppola when his boat was nearly capsized (via THR).

Of course, there are some dangerous movie shoots that have actually cost people their lives. While work accidents happen on movie sets just as they do on other types of worksites, there have been some extreme moments in which the question of professionalism and preparedness has come up as having contributed to these tragedies. In Twilight Zone: The Movie, director John Landis was overseeing a sequence involving actor Vic Morrow and two child actors when a helicopter crashed and killed the three performers.

Even going back to the silent era, such accidents have happened with the 1928 movie Noah’s Ark using 600,000 US gallons of water to carry out the giant flood, resulting in three extras drowning and many more injuries (via Variety). While The Revenant was certainly a harrowing shoot, it was at least conducted safely and responsibly, which reduced the risk of such terrible incidents occurring.

Source: SAG-AFTRA Foundation, LA Times, Yahoo, Vanity Fair