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The Revenant, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, is nominated for a staggering 12 Oscars including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Picture. The Revenant takes you on the adventure of fur trapper and navigator Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) through 1800s American wilderness after being badly mauled by a grizzly and left behind by his fellow trappers. Barely surviving his wounds and after crawling out of his own grave, Glass is driven partially by the will to survive and partially by a thirst for revenge as he endures the frigid winter, searching for the man who did him wrong (Tom Hardy).

Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio

The Revenant brings DiCaprio his sixth Oscar nomination, and though he’s not shy about reminding people that he suffers physically for his art, this movie showcases his true ability to perform and his passion for his work. In the movie, DiCaprio plays Hugh Glass, a fur trapper who gets mauled — not once, but twice — by a bear and is left for dead by his fellow men. During this attack, his throat is cut, causing him to barely speak throughout the movie. Not many people can emotionally connect with an audience through physical acting alone as DiCaprio did, especially during the scene when Glass was watching his son be murdered and was unable to help or scream for help.

The moments in The Revenant when he cries out while setting his own neck on fire, or the scene in which he throws up raw bison, or when he sleeps inside a horse carcass (all which he did in below 0 weather) ultimately set apart DiCaprio from the average actor. DiCaprio embodies whichever role he plays, but The Revenant, in my opinion, really hit home emotionally through telling the history of our country.

Best Supporting Actor –Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy nabbed his first-ever Oscar nomination for his work opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant as his main nemesis. Hardy gave an impressive performance as John Fitzgerald in The Revenant bringing sanity to the laws of nature back in early America. Hardy’s character has a do-or-die attitude towards life and will do anything to survive, even “kill” his fellow man. John Fitzgerald was a real person who actually did murder fellow trapper Hugh Glass’s son, buried Glass alive and left him for dead.

Hardy’s performance as Fitzgerald drew audiences in with his schemes on how to get rid of Glass, his journey to make it back to the fort in one piece, or simply survive back in 1800s America at all costs. Hardy’s performance brings the viewer inside a raw world just as much as DiCaprio does, the difference being that Fitzgerald is much more in control of his own fate. It’s a struggle between DiCaprio and Hardy’s performances that are so captivating, especially since the audience is inclined to cheer for Glass against Fitzgerald.

With the help of DiCaprio and Hardy’s performances, there is no doubt that the 2016 Best Picture Oscar nomination of The Revenant is due to the film’s ability to capture the world of early America from all aspects and the journey of human nature through the eyes of DiCaprio and Hardy. The Revenant is an instant classic that demands to be seen.