No doubt, “Revenant” can surely be called one of the most long-suffering Hollywood projects of this century. The adaptation of the novel by Michael Punk of a hunter who survived a grizzly attack, back in 2001 has been first conceived by a screenwriter and producer Akiva Goldsman (“I am Legend” and “Hancock”). For various reasons the film was delayed for more than ten years, and it was just 2011 when Alejandro Inarritu and Leonardo DiCaprio joined the project. As a result — an impressive amount of awards and an undeniable visual masterpiece. The movie is striking not only for the enormous amount of job done but also as a perfect example of great group interaction. From light and landscapes to nomad images, the movie conveys beautiful locations and harsh reality of conflicts occuring there.
Jacqueline West — costume designer of the movie — created multi-layered designs, including leathers, pelts, and closures made from animal claws. In working with Inarritu, she revealed “it was my goal to give Alejandro the look for each of these characters that would create the emotionality that he was going for. All these costumes had to invoke for him the complexity of the character and invoke a certain kind of feeling from the audience.” One of the books that helped her to come up with final designs, as Jacqueline says later, was “40 Years of the Fur Trade in the Upper Missouri”.
Each element — from moccasins and hats to uniforms and coats was sewn according to historical drawings and descriptions. However, due to excessive wear in severe conditions, for the majority of actors had been made up to six copies, while DiCaprio had twenty, including several variations of wet fur that never dried out.
“Alejandro had only one requirement — everything should be realistic. As much as possible. After seeing my initial sketches and references he noted that after several years of travelling, as it happenned to characters in the film, it is impossible to distinguish the fabric of their clothes. It’s going to be all covered with fat. These words became a real mantra for me”, says Jacqueline. “As a result, we could not come up with anything better than wax, closely replicating a bear grease.”
Most of the main characters’ costumes were made for them exclusively using the finest fur ordered in Canada through special auctions. “The bear skin I can easily call an additional protagonist of the film”, laughs Jacqueline West.
The Fashion Crow 