Art 101 - Two Movies: One Paper

Kenneth W. Mikell

ART 101 – A05

Art Movie Paper

October 19th, 2018

Two Movies: One Paper

Throughout our history, there have been films to make the big screen, and there have films that have never even been seen before. Why is that? Well, simply put, some movies just suck. That is just the truth. Whether it is show biz or the movie biz, you got to put the money where your mouth is. Ironically, that is what both the film crew and staff do for Master and Commander and The Revenant, they mastered cinematography so well, that the pictures are both so elegant, no matter what year of production they were made in. That is what also makes a good movie, no matter how much of a budget you have, you can still squeeze out a wonderful pie of art, all it takes is a little time and dedication. These two movies are more in common than most may think in terms of cinematography and acting, et cetera.

So, The Revenant works as a dystopian narrative precisely because it neither demonizes white settlers nor idealizes Indigenous culture, attempting instead to present an allegory for the still-fraught relations between the settler and Indigenous cultures in the Americas. Unable to side with the ways of colonial settlers, while still embodying them, Glass has a stake in protecting Indigenous people, though he can never quite grasp what it is like nor atone for what has been done, despite his blood ties to Hawk and his late wife. In the end, all that remains is a trail of carnage and a quiet acknowledgement that revenge/justice is only partial and remains deferred.