Revenge is a dish best served cold. In the case of “The Revenant,” revenge is best served after a deadly bear attack, the murder of your son and being left for dead in the cold, harsh tundra.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film “The Revenant” has been garnering much deserved critical acclaim since its release, earning Academy Award nominations for best director and best actor. Whether it is for Iñárritu’s grand direction style or Leonardo DiCaprio’s magnificent acting performance, “The Revenant” is a violent fable that will inspire and frighten audiences.

The movie tells the true story of Hugh Glass, played by the always impressive DiCaprio, an American pirate and fur trader in the early 1800s. Glass is part of a hunting party sent to collect pelts in the unsettled and unknown Louisiana Purchase.

Along the expedition, Glass is attacked by a rogue grizzly bear that strikes conflict between the other members of the hunting expedition. The hunting party is faced with the decision of caring for Glass, which would slow down the expedition and make them all vulnerable to more danger, or to leave Glass behind and continue on with their mission.

When greed and pride get in the way, Glass is left to fend for himself and grasp at the pieces of the life he once had.

Glass is by no means a hero, but he is no villain either. He is simply a man with nothing left to lose. This makes his story increasingly more visceral to the audience, as one can feel and witness his hardships and understand his mental and physical struggles.

DiCaprio perfectly captures this Glass’ strife and gets lost in this role of a lifetime. The enigmatic persona of DiCaprio is completely removed as the filmgoer forgets the actor and observes only the character.

This is a near entirely physical role, and DiCaprio executes it with extreme precision. With hardly any dialogue, DiCaprio communicates Glass’ struggle through mere facial expressions. It is an exceptionally nuanced performance worthy of acclaim and recognition.

The fluid direction of Iñárritu is essential to the story telling of this film. Known for the grandness of “Babel” and the grittiness of “Birdman,” Iñárritu crafts a story that is large in scale and proficient in evoking emotion.

By taking advantage of long, flowing shots that pull the audience in to the movie. The landscapes that form the film’s backdrop are spectacular, allowing “The Revenant” to really be viewed as a piece of art.

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the film is the role of Native Americans throughout the duration of the plot.

One witnesses the Native Americans’ pain and agony as European settlers claim land that has no right to be claimed and kill wildlife for monetary and personal gain. The settlers’ abuse of the Native Americans inspires such an emotional response at realization of the history of our nation.

“The Revenant” is a harrowing tale of a father’s love and the lengths he is willing to go to avenge it. This story is told exceptionally through the disciplined direction and acting, producing a vindictive fable of revenge in the early American Midwest.