What True Events Inspired 'The Revenant'?

"Revenant: Noun. One who has returned, as if from the dead" — or so the new teaser poster for 20th Century Fox's The Revenant boasts. Leonardo DiCaprio plays 19th-century frontiersman Hugh Glass in Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu's newest film — and if DiCaprio surviving a bear fight, hypothermia, and other things that could have/should have killed him doesn't make you want to see this film, I really don't know how to proceed here. Oh wait, yes I do. The Revenant is inspired by true events. There. Now you have no choice but to see the film, because everyone knows (the following sentiment is directed at the Academy) films based on true events deserve accolades. That's how this works! (That, and films with prosthetics.)

Anyway, excuse my thinly veiled campaign to get Leo an Oscar this year, and let's focus on the real treat at hand: The fact that visionary/auteur Iñárritu's new film is inspired by an actual, historical story. Now, envision for a moment all the possibilities that this holds: The wide angle shots of Birdman paired with the rugged, atmospheric scenery of white snow, red blood, and the great outdoors. Even the new teaser poster that was released via the film's official Twitter account is stunning:

In a rather unassuming size font, the poster reads: "Inspired by true events." It's not something we haven't seen before, but how much should we really count on The Revenant's historical accuracy? Especially coming from the man who most recently made Birdman? Let's take a closer look.

Hugh Glass Was a Real Person

The film centers around DiCaprio's portrayal of Hugh Glass, and yes, the man who was left for dead after being attacked by a bear was a real person, and an even realer badass.

John Fitzgerald Was Also Real

John Fitzgerald, played by Tom Hardy, was one of the men responsible for burying Glass alive.

Glass Did Get Left for Dead

According to rosyinn.com, after Glass was mauled by the bear, he didn't immediately die: His fellow Western frontiers decided to let him die — seeing as there was no way to resuscitate him at this point — and then bury him alive.

Glass Wanted Revenge

Glass would later tell others that the motivation behind his survival consisted of one thing: vengeance against thine enemies! (To be fair, he probably also wanted a bath and some hot food.)

Glass Faced Excruciating Conditions

Recently, it's been reported that DiCaprio got so into his role as Hugh Glass that, like the fur trapper, he ate raw meat and encountered miserable conditions in the snow. The actor told Yahoo! Movies, "I can name 30 or 40 sequences that were some of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Whether it’s going in and out of frozen rivers, or sleeping in animal carcasses, or what I ate on set. [I was] enduring freezing cold and possible hypothermia constantly." That and eating raw bison liver. Come on, guys...give the man an Oscar, already! 'K?

Of course, we'll never know exactly what happened to Hugh Glass during his time in the wilderness, but it does look like The Revenant's harsh and grim realism will be a far cry from Iñárritu's meta, fantastical Birdman. Catch all the glory when it hits theaters December 25.

Images: 20th Century Fox; Giphy (5)