“The Revenant” is Pretty Good, But It Doesn’t Come Close to “The Faculty”
Every few years, a film comes along that blows away expectations and resets the standard of cinema. In 1941, Citizen Kane gave us the groundbreaking life story of a media mogul. Three decades later, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather defined the gangster genre. And now, with its emotionally charged revenge narrative set against the frigid backdrop of the American wilderness, The Revenant could well go down as one of the best films in decades so long as you don’t count the classic 1998 sci-fi flick, The Faculty.
Honestly, it’s not even close when you stop to think about it.
I mean, sure, the opening sequence of The Revenant jumps right into the action, barely giving the audience time to meet fur trapper Hugh Glass, played brilliantly by Leonardo DiCaprio in what is arguably the performance of his career. We’ve only just got our bearings before the film thrusts us headfirst into a chaotic battle between the sleepy settlers and a group of Arikara Native Americans. Our hero escapes, and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu briefly rests only to linger at the majesty of the snow-covered landscape before we witness Glass viciously mauled by a grizzly. It is a powerful scene, and difficult to watch. Yet, amazingly, all of this is merely the setup for the film’s true narrative, as we witness fellow trapper John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) viciously stab Glass’s son in cold blood, kicking off a sprawling epic that at its conclusion leaves the audience as physically drained and emotionally exhilarated as its leading man.
On the other hand, the horror of helplessly witnessing the murder of your only child pales in comparison to attending high school in a sleepy rural American town. Things are bad enough: you’re awkward, you don’t know what your future holds, and everywhere you look you’re surrounded by corn. Endless goddamn fields of corn. Now on top of all that, the teachers are aliens? It’s that classic tension of growing up in an uncertain world that gives The Faculty its timeless charm. And with an ensemble cast that screams star power with staying power thanks to the likes of ’90s heartthrobs Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood and Usher, this Body-Snatchers-meets-John-Carpenter mash-up is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. It’s no secret that Robert Rodriguez captured lightning in a bottle with this one, and Hollywood has been desperate to recreate its winning formula ever since.
Like, take for instance, the moment the gang is confronted by the infected Mr. Furlong, portrayed by Half-Baked star Jon Stewart. It’s a harrowing bit of filmmaking. As the tension slowly builds, the teens realize something isn’t quite right with their once-joyful science teacher. It’s here that Marco Beltrami’s subtle yet haunting score really elevates the film into a league all its own. Fun fact: that little shrug Stewart gives when his motives are questioned? Completely. Ad. Libbed. The script originally called for him to just blink nine times in rapid succession. And yet, the move brings a depth and complexity to the character that ties the entire scene together. When Hartnett’s Zeke finally stabs him in the eye with a pen filled with illegal homemade drugs, the audience, like the kids themselves, knows things have changed. There’s no going back. Gone is their childhood innocence, melting away like Mr. Furlong’s now-decaying corpse on that dirty classroom floor. It is a poignant comment on how fragile one’s teen years are, and a reminder to cherish them for all their worth.
Compare that to a bearded DiCaprio eating a stupid fish in a river and it’s no contest. They just don’t make ’em like this anymore.
Of course, it’s not like The Revenant doesn’t have its merits. The photography is beautiful, with the stripped down scenery an incredible juxtaposition against visceral battle sequences. The film’s deeper exploration of a lone man’s sheer perserverance in the face of overwhelming odds is a noble one. It speaks to the testament of the human spirit. And the film’s use of the character’s long-dead love interest as his guiding light is a refreshing and powerful narrative device if you’ve never seen any of DiCaprio’s other films that did the exact same thing.
But just when I feel myself leaning toward Team Leo, I remember Robert Patrick as the stoic Coach Willis, mercilessly charging across the teacher’s lounge to infect the unsuspecting school nurse and also get a cool refreshing cup of water from one of those big blue jugs you used to see behind the checkout at the grocery store. Not since his days as the T-1000 have those ears of his looked so menacing. And I, for one, am thankful I got to experience them on the big screen when I had the chance.
The world can be a frightening place, full of breakups and predatory lending and bee stings. And also, like, this ISIS thing is getting pretty nuts, huh? But our ability to rise above any obstacle is what makes us unique. It’s what gives humanity its enduring spirit. We are survivors no matter what the situation, whether digging your frozen body out of your own shallow grave by your fingernails or executing your high school principal because she looked at you funny and also might be the Queen. It takes a great film like The Revenant remind us of that fact, to make us feel like we can overcome anything, and a better film like The Faculty to make sure we pass that lesson on to the next generation.
