Oscar front-runner The Revenant dramatizes the incredible, real-life tale of early-American fur trader Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his relentless will to survive after being left for dead following a brutal bear attack during the winter of 1823. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and based on the 2002 book by Michael Punke, the harrowing story has proven to be a huge hit at the box office as well as a serious awards-season contender, earning 12 Oscar nominations, the most of the year.
Whether or not The Revenant wins big at the Oscars on Feb. 28, it’s sure to inspire future movies about unbelievable outdoorsmen and women. Which frontier figure should Hollywood turn to next? Yahoo Movies spoke with historians Paul Hutton of the University of New Mexico, Jon Coleman of Notre Dame, and Jay Gitlin of Yale to get some ideas. Below are some under-sung American folk heroes just waiting for their moment on the big-screen.
A Real-Life Warrior Woman
Depending on how her story is adapted, 19th-century Apache warrior Lozen could be a fantasy-action heroine or a character grounded in historical realism. Legendary Apache leader Geronimo — who himself has been portrayed many times in movies and on TV — called Lozen “Warrior Woman,” and her powers were mythical. A prophetess among the Chihenne Chiricahua Apache, she fought alongside her brother, a chief named Victorio. She was a key weapon in his arsenal because she could sense impending danger. “She had this special prayer song that she sang and would hold her arms up to the sun,” explains Hutton, who writes about Lozen in his upcoming book, Apache Wars. “The direction in which her hands would tingle was the direction the [opposing] soldiers were located.”
Lozen’s story even has a tragic, highly cinematic twist: At one point, she took an injured young woman back to their reservation, breaking away from Victorio’s warpath to Mexico. “Because she’s not with them and can’t foretell that the troops are coming, Victorio and all of his warriors are killed in a last stand in Mexico,” Hutton says.
Whether or not The Revenant wins big at the Oscars on Feb. 28, it’s sure to inspire future movies about unbelievable outdoorsmen and women. Which frontier figure should Hollywood turn to next? Yahoo Movies spoke with historians Paul Hutton of the University of New Mexico, Jon Coleman of Notre Dame, and Jay Gitlin of Yale to get some ideas. Below are some under-sung American folk heroes just waiting for their moment on the big-screen.
A Real-Life Warrior Woman
Depending on how her story is adapted, 19th-century Apache warrior Lozen could be a fantasy-action heroine or a character grounded in historical realism. Legendary Apache leader Geronimo — who himself has been portrayed many times in movies and on TV — called Lozen “Warrior Woman,” and her powers were mythical. A prophetess among the Chihenne Chiricahua Apache, she fought alongside her brother, a chief named Victorio. She was a key weapon in his arsenal because she could sense impending danger. “She had this special prayer song that she sang and would hold her arms up to the sun,” explains Hutton, who writes about Lozen in his upcoming book, Apache Wars. “The direction in which her hands would tingle was the direction the [opposing] soldiers were located.”
Lozen’s story even has a tragic, highly cinematic twist: At one point, she took an injured young woman back to their reservation, breaking away from Victorio’s warpath to Mexico. “Because she’s not with them and can’t foretell that the troops are coming, Victorio and all of his warriors are killed in a last stand in Mexico,” Hutton says.
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