The Revenant - Who's Been? How was it?

[actaeon277]

Given how well the human body adapts to various climates, I wonder if prolonged exposure survivability/function varies based on long someone is used to that environment. I know it works that way for heat/humidity. You Yankees fall out all the time from a little heat... sweat like Hell, always needing water breaks, lol

Wouldn't that be "Y'all Yankees"?

 

[trucker777]

Just watched it. All sides treated fairly for the time. The only thing I found implausible is not freezing to death. Went out a day or so ago and had to use a torch to unfreeze my lock on the shed. Had to do much of it without gloves. When I got finished I found part of my thumb frozen. Heated it up with my car vent and it hurt like crazy. Can't imagine much of the movie would not have led to a frozen person.

This movie was certainly a stretch. A classic "tall tale" in modern big screen form. If the writers were trying to achieve that, then mission accomplished I say. I would think that (without giving away too much), that in reality there are very few people alive that could survive being mauled and trampled by a bear to the degree the main charachter was. Add to that crawling sometimes hobbling through a frozen and wet hypothermic landscape, the threat of infection and malnutrition, the ability and stamina to fend off attackers, set up camp/build fires/forage for food, and lastly do all this and still hunt down and bring to justice the one who murdered his son. Highly implausible imho, but excellent camp fire yarn...

 

[gregkl]

There are lot's of stories of real life men and women that survive extreme weather. Sometimes when the only option is to die, one finds a way to get through. I read a lot about WWII and my father was a WWII vet who served on the Russian front during the winter. He had plenty of stories of how they kept alive(and how some froze to death) during those times of waging war.

And acclimatization is a real thing. Even in a lessor sense my son who live in North Dakota where today it was -9 with a -23 windchill, he didn't think it was too bad. He once told me that you know you are getting acclimatized when you go out for a 3 mile run when it's 17 degrees and that feels warm.

I haven't seen it and since it is a movie, I can imagine that there is some over the top scenarios where people survive when in all likelihood they wouldn't in real life. But hey, it's a movie. I once thought that guys could not shoot so fast and so accurately like what is portrayed in some movies. Then I went to my first action pistol match and realized that, yes, some people can shoot that well.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Wouldn't that be "Y'all Yankees"?

Apostrophe in the wrong place but yes. I've been in Indiana so long, I'm adapting your lingo.... ugh. I heard myself say "you guys" the other other day do. Now if I start leaving out the phrase "to be," then I'm moving back home.
For those of you that don't know what I mean, Hoosiers say things like "my car needs washed," or "that dog needs fed." Where the Hell is the "to be?" Drives me crazy!

 

[churchmouse]

Apostrophe in the wrong place but yes. I've been in Indiana so long, I'm adapting your lingo.... ugh. I heard myself say "you guys" the other other day do. Now if I start leaving out the phrase "to be," then I'm moving back home.
For those of you that don't know what I mean, Hoosiers say things like "my car needs washed," or "that dog needs fed." Where the Hell is the "to be?" Drives me crazy!

Hoosier "Ebonics"

 

[RustyHornet]

Apostrophe in the wrong place but yes. I've been in Indiana so long, I'm adapting your lingo.... ugh. I heard myself say "you guys" the other other day do. Now if I start leaving out the phrase "to be," then I'm moving back home.
For those of you that don't know what I mean, Hoosiers say things like "my car needs washed," or "that dog needs fed." Where the Hell is the "to be?" Drives me crazy!

You're not listening well enough. It's warshed, not washed.

 

[eldirector]

I warshed my dawg in the crick, and warmed up by the far.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Que, most of the movie was shot in Alberta.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

Given how well the human body adapts to various climates, I wonder if prolonged exposure survivability/function varies based on long someone is used to that environment. I know it works that way for heat/humidity. You Yankees fall out all the time from a little heat... sweat like Hell, always needing water breaks, lol

You're exactly right. Good buddy of mine hunts all over the globe noted that very thing of the Inuits of the Arctic Circle. They did things gloves off he could never do. I'm sure none of us could do what Hugh did, if for no other reason, then for that one. We're just not conditioned for it.

draketungsten - it's a movie based on historical fiction. I too read the true account of Hugh Glass in Bridgers biography and there are very big differences in his true story and this one. But, as I mentioned about the Jeremiah Johnson movie, the true story differs greatly (best rendition in "Crow Killer", second to that "Mountain Man" by Vardis Fischer) but doesn't detract from the movie story as long as you realize it's not history. I thought the cinematography was second to NONE - how that film crew captured some of those shots I don't know. Breathtaking.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

This movie was certainly a stretch. A classic "tall tale" in modern big screen form. If the writers were trying to achieve that, then mission accomplished I say. I would think that (without giving away too much), that in reality there are very few people alive that could survive being mauled and trampled by a bear to the degree the main charachter was. Add to that crawling sometimes hobbling through a frozen and wet hypothermic landscape, the threat of infection and malnutrition, the ability and stamina to fend off attackers, set up camp/build fires/forage for food, and lastly do all this and still hunt down and bring to justice the one who murdered his son. Highly implausible imho, but excellent camp fire yarn...

Actually...the things you point out as implausible are actually what happened. The mauling should have killed him, but it didn't. The trip and exposure should have killed him...but it didn't. In and out of icy cold water is a BIG stretch, that probably didn't happen, but months in extreme weather injured from a mauling that should have killed him in the first place - according to the Bridger Biography - that happened.

 

[KittySlayer]

So I have seen a few books referenced. Anyone recommend one or two specific ones that are a good read?

Many times I find the historically accurate books are such slow reads as they are either littered with footnotes or such a dry read as the author makes such an effort to avoid embellishing the book with any excitement that lets you see these larger than life men in their true persona.

Hope to see the movie this weekend as I could use an update for my Jeremiah Johnson fix.

 

[draketungsten]

I read Jim Bridger's biography last year.

http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Bridger-M...F8&qid=1452740392&sr=1-1&keywords=jim+bridger

 

[Kurr]

Doesn't the cold slow the metabolism or something too? Wouldn't that be beneficial in that situation?

 

[IUprof]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but this was an interesting article

http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/inside-the-revenant-leo-dicaprio-on-the-toughest-movie-hes-ever-made-20151211

 

[Roland of Gilead]

So I have seen a few books referenced. Anyone recommend one or two specific ones that are a good read?

Many times I find the historically accurate books are such slow reads as they are either littered with footnotes or such a dry read as the author makes such an effort to avoid embellishing the book with any excitement that lets you see these larger than life men in their true persona.

Hope to see the movie this weekend as I could use an update for my Jeremiah Johnson fix.

The Berrybender Narratives by Larry McMurtry is awesome. It is a 4 book epic.
1. Sin Killer
2. The Wandering Hill
3. By Sorrow's River
4. Folly and Glory

It's great historical fiction that has an interesting connection to the Lewis and Clark expedition. Jim Bridger and Captain Clark even have small roles in the story and many others.

It is not a mountain man book per say, but a good tale that involves mountain men and a family and their adventures in the old west.

I listened to these on audiobook many times. The audiobooks are very well done. Books on tape is what I listen to while commuting, mowing grass and other mundane chores.

============================

A similarity of The Revenant and The Berrybender's is mountain men working as guides in the west. When you see this movie don't think Jeremiah Johnson, take it for what it is and enjoy.

 

[danielocean03]

Wife and I went and saw it last night. I thought it was an outstanding movie. (My wife liked it also, although it's a grittier movie not for the faint of heart crowd.)
I agree with others who have already posted, I've always been of the opinion that previous generations were tougher than us, and hearing the crowd's reaction to some of these scenes only reinforced that opinion.

Alternate title suggestion: "And Then Things Got Worse."

 

[308jake]

Alternate title suggestion: "And Then Things Got Worse."

Just when things were looking up....BOOM......far worse.

 

[KittySlayer]

Great movie. Definitely one to see on the big screen. Wife and I enjoyed it along with the incredible beauty (and harshness) of nature.

Not a big fan of subtitles, but they were limited and appropriate when used.

Just when things were looking up....BOOM......far worse.

Just the landscape would be disheartening. As tourist and recreational outdoorsmen we long for those scenic, overwhelming vistas. For these men struggling just to survive I cannot imagine the blow to your confidence to crest a mountain or exit a woods and see miles and miles of harsh nature still between you and safety. To say nothing of the two legged and four legged animals along the path.


Also so thanks for the book recommendations. Reading the Jim Bridger book now and it's a fast, entertaining read.

 

[danielocean03]

Great movie. Definitely one to see on the big screen. Wife and I enjoyed it along with the incredible beauty (and harshness) of nature.

Not a big fan of subtitles, but they were limited and appropriate when used.





Just the landscape would be disheartening. As tourist and recreational outdoorsmen we long for those scenic, overwhelming vistas. For these men struggling just to survive I cannot imagine the blow to your confidence to crest a mountain or exit a woods and see miles and miles of harsh nature still between you and safety. To say nothing of the two legged and four legged animals along the path.


Also so thanks for the book recommendations. Reading the Jim Bridger book now and it's a fast, entertaining read.

Very well said, I agree wholeheartedly. I found the wilderness to be breathtakingly beautiful, however they did a great job of capturing the raw brutality that comes with the territory.

It is a very different experience for us to venture out into the wild with our highly engineered technology and equipment, our warm waterproof insulated gear and 4x4's.

 

[danielocean03]

I'm going to remove some snow from my driveway. Without gloves.