Alejandro G. Inarritu's The Revenant and Birdman were both massively successful and are often considered to be among the greatest movies of the 21st century. Both were praised by critics, earned a lot at the box office, and even won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Director for both.
But even though the two movies are quite different from one another, fans keep comparing them and trying to figure out which is superior - or even which one of the two is Inarritu's best. To determine this, it is necessary to look at each of their aspects one at a time.
The Revenant: The Lead Actor Stands Out More
Michael Keaton does an incredible job playing Riggan Thomson in Birdman, but Leonardo DiCaprio's Hugh Glass in The Revenant simply stands out more.
Both characters have to go through incredible hardships in their own ways, but even at the end, they are not completely triumphant. It's obvious that the two actors would be celebrated for their performances - and they were, but DiCaprio won more awards compared to Keaton, which only shows that his performance stood out more.
Birdman: The Plot Is More Entertaining
But even though the main characters both have to go through many challenges, it's Birdman that excels when it comes to plot while The Revenant seems to be a bit lacking in this department.
In Birdman, there are constant twists and turns while The Revenant's story seems to be more linear and determined, with not many big surprises on its way.
The Revenant: The Supporting Actor Does An Outstanding Job
Even though Leonardo DiCaprio was celebrated for his performance, many noted just how good Tom Hardy was in his own role in The Revenant as John Fitzgerald.
His character feels like someone who could betray the whole team at any moment if it would benefit him - and that's kind of exactly what he does. And yet, his actions are still largely unpredictable for the viewer.
Birdman: The Supporting Actress Does An Equally Good Job
That being said, the supporting actor in Birdman, Emma Stone, does an equally good job with her own role as Riggan's daughter Sam.
Her frustration with her father and her own past addiction is perfectly recognizable in her every action. It also seemed that the critics believed Emma Stone put on a convincing performance, with the actor going on to earn her first Academy Award nomination.
The Revenant: The Cinematography Is More Exciting
Thanks to the efforts of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, both movies look incredibly good. He manages to contain the signature look of Inarritu's movies while also making the two movies special in their own way.
Though it's definitely hard to choose between the two, the cinematography in The Revenant feels more exciting. Birdman immerses the audience into its world, but The Revenant excites the viewers with its camera work.
Birdman: The Score Is Absolute Gold
Another important part of both movies is the music which helps get the audience into the right mood and serves as the background for what's going on on-screen. And even though The Revenant's score is quite good, Birdman's is absolute gold.
The drums add the kind of unique vibe that sets Birdman apart from all the other movies. At the same time, the classical pieces used throughout the movie introduce the play that Riggan is working on and help set its world apart from the world of the movie.
The Revenant: The Costume And Set Design Immerse Viewers Into The Story
Though it might seem like the two aren't all that important at first, the costume and set design actually helps to immerse viewers into the story even more by visually creating an environment for this different world.
For The Revenant, this was especially important because the movie is so different from what most people are used to in their daily lives. It's amazing just how authentic the costumes look and how real the set design seems.
Birdman: The Jokes Are Very Clever
Unlike The Revenant, which is a completely serious movie, Birdman is actually a black comedy-drama, with some very clever jokes sprinkled all about.
Whether it's the situations Riggan finds himself in and the way he deals with them or the way his daughter doesn't even conceal any of her feelings towards him - all of it is funny but sad and true at the same time.
The Revenant: The Themes Are More Interesting And Obvious
Though both movies clearly introduce some very interesting themes, The Revenant does it in a more obvious way and explores less common themes than those of Birdman.
Birdman is mostly concerned with the fate of an artist while The Revenant talks about mortality and morality, perseverance and revenge, exploration and suffering - among other things.
Birdman: The Social Commentary Makes Important Points
That's not to say that Birdman doesn't have any themes - it does have them. Moreover, the movie also uses social commentary to make important points about the different aspects of society.
For instance, the current state of theater and criticism are two painful topics for this movie while also commenting on Hollywood, social media, and so on.