By William Van Zyl

Published in October 2022.

Listen to the Podcast of this article: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-za7fb-12da550

Hugh Glass – the legend – survives.

His friends leave him behind in a shallow grave.

Will he forgive them?

At last, he gets him.

They are both bloodied, exhausted to death—the tomahawk slices through some of his fingers. The assailant looks at his hand in disbelief. He is missing a couple of them; blood starts to trickle from the exposed flesh. It tints the white snow ruby-red. The white finger bones of Fitzgerald are visible, but only for a few seconds. Instinctively he tears off a piece of his shirt – with his right hand. He wraps the dirty, shredded fabric around his hand, ready to continue the fight. The pulsing blood from his hand is under control. They are both lying on the ground. Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) can’t get up; he has a severe stab wound to the back of his upper leg. His hamstring twitches from the trauma. He grabs his leg and screams.

‘AArrggghh!’

He had been chasing down John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) in the frozen water and melting snow of the mountains in Nebraska. Hugh Glass, the legendary fur trapper who survived a grizzly bear attack, had been trekking through the snowy terrain to track down the man who betrayed him – Fitzgerald had killed his son. He will pay. Glass shows the same bear-survival- determination he had modelled months ago. Glass became a legend for surviving a grizzly bear attack, left for dead, and for walking 320 Km back to the fur-trading and military camp.

Glass is ruthless, fearless, and unforgiving. Like a groaning grizzly bear, his eyes are locked onto his target – Fitzgerald. He will destroy him. He is obsessed with taking him out. Fitzgerald has to pay for taking the life of his young son. Glass will avenge his son’s death. John Fitzgerald will pay with his life.

As you’ve gathered, the true story and the legend have been turned into a movie. I watched this movie, The Revenant, in September of 2022 on the Maori TV Channel in New Zealand. The film was released in 2015, and DiCaprio won an Oscar for the leading actor’s role in 2016 at the Hollywood awards. Leonardo made a stunning speech on the night, calling for action. Over and above the list of people he thanked graciously, his focus was on saving the environment. See the 49 million views on YouTube of his speech. ‘We have to take action for our environment,’ he said.

Julianne Moore presented Leonardo DiCaprio with the Oscar® for Best Actor for his performance in “The Revenant” at the 88th Oscars® in 2016.

It is 1823. In short, the story goes like this:

While exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) sustains life-threatening injuries from a brutal grizzly bear attack. When a member (Tom Hardy) of his hunting team kills his young son (Forrest Goodluck) and leaves him for dead, Glass must utilise his survival skills to find a way back to civilisation. Grief-stricken and fuelled by vengeance, the legendary fur trapper treks through the snowy terrain to track down the man who betrayed him.

Link to a well-written summary of the Revenant: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-revenant-2015

The movie’s backdrop has stunning views of snow, ice, mountains and beautiful forests. The indigenous Indians with fabulous horses add extra depth to the film. It is a spectacular display of nature in its rawest form—worth watching just for the scenery. Ensure you watch or re-watch it on a quality screen.

You may ask what the word revenant means. I’m glad you’ve asked.

Revenant means a person who has returned, especially supposedly from the dead.
Example: “He was three hundred years old, a terrible living revenant”

About the legend of Hugh Glass:

Hugh Glass (1783 – 1833) was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, trader, hunter and explorer. He is a legend for his survival – and forgiveness – after being left for dead by companions when a grizzly bear mauled him. In the movie, The Revenant, he is portrayed as a person that can’t forgive. In fact, according to the actual story, he forgave the people who left him behind for dead—namely, Jim Bridger and John Fitzgerald.

Fearless: The brawny and bearded Hugh Glass, an expert marksman and hunter, earned his herculean stature after battling and surviving an attack by a massive female grizzly bear during an expedition – part of the American fur trade — to the Rocky Mountains in 1823. Credit: Wikipedia & The Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3346383/Savagely-mauled-female-grizzly-Hugh-Glass-trekked-200-miles-broken-leg-exposed-ribs-maggots-ate-flesh-True-story-frontiersman-inspired-new-Leonardo-DiCaprio-movie.html

In the true story, Britannica reports that after recuperating, Glass set out to kill Jim Bridger and John Fitzgerald, the men who had left him to die after the bear attack. When he finds Bridger, Glass forgives him because Bridger is only 19 years old. Some say that Fitzgerald had joined the army and was thus safe from retaliation by Glass. Others claim that Glass forgave Fitzgerald as well (Britannica.com/biography/Hugh-Glass).

From the author’s sketchbook. A bear attacked the legendary Hugh Glass in the 1800s. He survived the ordeal and walked 320 km to the nearest camp. Quick sketch – Ink, ink-wash and watercolours *(inspired by a sketch on the net)*. Credit: William Van Zyl.

A rendition of Hugh Glass the frontier man *(inspired by a sketch on the net)*. See the bear pelt over his shoulder. Bear fur consists of two layers, the underfur and the outer guard hairs. The underfur is soft and is used mainly to insulate. The outer guard fur is thick and long and quite coarse. Taken from the author’s sketchbook.

However, in the movie, fiction was included. Glass’ son was murdered because Fitzgerald and the men had to move on. They could not carry Glass; it was over 320 km back to the camp – Fort Kiowa, present-day Chamberlain (South Dakota, US). Reportedly Hugh was left in a shallow grave, and they took his weapons. The other threat was the hostile native Indian tribes in the area – The Pawnee.

What is the meaning or message of The Revenant?

The ending of the movie leaves the fate of DiCaprio (Hugh Glass) somewhat ambiguous: he has achieved his goal of revenge. After killing Fitzgerald, he is back again at death’s doorstep. He is alone in the middle of the wilderness. He is alive with a stab wound to his leg – ready to fight on. But will he survive again? We don’t know – the movie ends before we find out. My questions are: Has he found peace after the retaliation? He successfully avenges the death of his son. What is he thinking? What are the emotions he is experiencing? Seeing the dead body of the man he just killed floating down the icy cold river will it bring him peace?

I reason: No, it will not.

Have you ever been rejected, double-crossed, or pushed out? I am referring to emotional hurt. It takes time for those emotions to heal. Usually, the cycle includes shock, disbelief, and feelings of rejection. Then it transfers to ‘I will get them back!’ Several creative ideas could cross such a person’s mind. Retaliation and revenge usually surface in the heart of the victim.

Look at these words of King David – harmful thoughts:

^6.Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!
^7.Let them vanish like water that flows away;
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
^8.May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
    like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.

Psalm 58: 6-8

Usually, after being hurt, we go through a process. And, that is ok. Here David deals with the shock of what just happened to him. His enemies have hurt him. However, he can’t camp out in that hurt. He has to move on.

Here are the words of the Creator, the One who designed us. He knows our thoughts. He knows the harm unforgiveness brings. It is a consuming fire. It will eat away your soul; it will contaminate your spirit. It will make you sick. It will leave you empty. If you continue to entertain those harmful thoughts, you will be emotionally drained. Those unhealthy thoughts will sap all life from you, and then your body will respond to those thoughts. Ailments and sickness will follow. Hatred and unforgiveness will start eating away at the core of your soul.

Here is the antidote, the solution:

43. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.…(Matthew 5: 43 & 45).

Berean Standard Bible

Luke 6:27-37

“But you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6: 14 & 15

The best thing we can do is to forgive. Do it as quickly as possible. It is difficult in the beginning – after the shock and trauma phase. But, in doing so, it will save you. It will take you out of ‘prison.’ Here is an excellent quote on unforgiveness.

Unforgiveness is like drinking poison yourself and waiting for the other person to die (Marianne Williamson).

The Revenant was filmed in the most beautiful locations with stunning views of snow, pristine rivers and mountainous terrain. The locations include Canada, Argentina, and the United States. The filming took place at the Kootenai Falls, Montana; Fortress Mountain in Alberta; and Mammoth Studios in Burnaby. Kootenai Falls.