The Revenant took top honours including best film on Sunday at Britain’s BAFTA film awards.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu scooped best director for the movie, and Leonardo DiCaprio won best actor for his leading role as grizzled trapper Hugh Glass. The film also took the awards for cinematography and for sound, giving it a total of five British Academy of Film and Television Arts gongs.
“I AM OVERWHELMED,” SAID THE REVENANT DIRECTOR ALEJANDRO INARRITU, AS HE ACCEPTED THE AWARD AT A STAR-STUDDED BAFTA AWARDS IN LONDON. “I’M SHOCKED AND AMAZED, HONOURED. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH NONE OF THIS WAS EXPECTED,” SAID LEONARDO DICAPRIO, WHO WON LEADING ACTOR FOR THE MOVIE.
Leonardo used his speech to wish his mother a happy birthday and thank her for supporting him as a child.
“I grew up in a very rough neighbourhood in East Los Angeles. And this woman drove me three hours a day to a different school to show me a different opportunity,” he said. “I’m shocked and amazed, honoured,” he said of the award. “To tell you the truth none of this was expected.”
The actor and the crew of the film had a tough time capturing the drama in harsh weather conditions as the director insisted on shooting only in natural light.
DiCaprio, 41, however, does not regret the discomforts of playing Hugh Glass, a role that saw him sleeping in a horse carcass and eating raw bison liver. “I suppose I was submerged in the ice a lot more, but look – it was a team effort, we all knew what we were getting into,” he said. “We knew we weren’t going on a tropical vacation in Hawaii and the Maldives, we were going to be submerged in the wilderness like this. But at the end of the day we have a great piece of art to show for it, so we’re all excited to be here.”
After already winning the same awards at last month’s Golden Globes, the film is now seen as a leading contender for Oscar in Los Angeles on February 28.
Cant tel you how happy I am that this genius got his #BAFTA award not only that thanking his mum #LeonardoDiCaprio pic.twitter.com/rolJEtFSD5
— Jake Hall (@Jakehall01) February 14, 2016
Aaaw @LeoDiCaprio thanks his dedicated mum who dreamed of a better life for him! She must be so proud! #LeonardoDiCaprio #EEBAFTAs
— TV Psychologist (@HoneyLJames) February 14, 2016
5 #BAFTA s for #TheRevenant or did I lose count? Congratulations #AlejandroInarritu and #LeonardoDiCaprio on a truly amazing piece of #art
— Roland Crick (@RolandCrick) February 15, 2016
Congrats @LeoDiCaprio Well deserved! @BAFTA #EEBAFTAs #BAFTA #LeonardoDiCaprio #TheRevenant
— Alenka Arya (@AlenkaArya) February 14, 2016
Best director, best actor, best film! Rightfully deserved too! #TheRevenant #EEBAFTAs #BAFTA #LeonardoDiCaprio – get him that Oscar!
— Shuj Starr ☆ (@S11UJ) February 14, 2016
