# Question about "The Revenant" (Glass's blink) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235 "2016-06-01T14:36:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/1 "2016-06-01T14:36:04Z")
I watched _The Revenant_ in the cinema, and had in mind that Fitzgerald was something on a victim of fate: he’s scared of the Ree, realises that Glass won’t live long but may live long enough to get all 3 of the others killed, makes an appeal to Glass’s better judgement, which Glass accepts, gets caught by Glass’s son, who he kills in self defence, lies to Bridger to avoid getting hanged, (and so he can still claim $300, not saying he’s an angel). Effectively from the moment Glass took his deal and Hawk caught him, he did what he needed to to save his own life. This assumes that Glass took the deal though. My recollection from seeing it in the cinema was that Glass thought is over and then gave a clear slow unambiguous blink to show he accepted, someone else has said that Fitzgerald effectively waited until he could not stop himself, taking the first involuntary blink as acceptance, effectively saying there was no way he was not going to kill Glass. Glass says there was “no deal” at the end but he my have retconned that after Hawk’s death. I can’t rewatch it to make a judgement, so which interpretation is correct? ---
**Author:** ![turtlescanfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@turtlescanfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turtlescanfly)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/2 "2016-06-01T18:29:41Z")
I just watched this movie (finally) over the weekend. I remember watching that scene and thinking Fitz was a real dick. Glass was clearly trying not to blink, but eventually couldn’t help it. For him to think that Glass had agreed is self-serving to the extreme. Anyway, as I recall, Glass didn’t blink, but closed his eyes and kept them closed. Not a blink in my book. He clearly did not want to be left to die. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/3 "2016-06-01T19:00:37Z")
I agree with **turtlescanfly** - Glass wasn’t agreeing but Fitz just waited for something he could interpret as an agreement so wouldn’t feel so bad about killing Glass. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/4 "2016-06-03T06:15:26Z")
I took it as accepting. He knew Mad Max was right. If he hadn’t wanted it interpreted as accepting he could have closed his eyes and not blinked. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/5 "2016-06-03T07:12:22Z")
No, Glass does blink purposefully, closing his eyelids, leaving them closed for a beat, then opening them again. That wasn’t natural blinking. Did he kill Glass’ son (who didn’t exist in the real story and was added in the movie, by the way) in self-defense? Not really- Hawk was mostly just screaming for help. Fitzgerald killed him because he feared he would attract the attention of the Arikara. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/6 "2016-06-03T07:32:56Z")
I’m amazed to learn that some interpret the “blink” as agreement. He fights it as long as he can, and when he absolutely can’t hold it anymore (which has to happen at some point, and he held out for an impressive amount of time), he closes his eyes in a long deliberate way – something expressive(\*) and not like a blink at all. I thought DiCaprio conveyed beautifully through the whole sequence how much he wanted to rip Fitzgerald’s head right off his shoulders for pulling his stunt. (\*) …where the expression here would be “Fuck you if you think this counts as blinking. I just couldn’t hold my eyes open any longer, and you know it.” ---
**Author:** ![Dogged1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dogged1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogged1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/7 "2019-02-08T03:40:54Z")
I just saw The Revenant for the first time, and I think Pasta described beautifully [above] the first reason we know Glass was not blinking in agreement with Fitzgerald’s death trap. The second reason we know Glass wasn’t agreeing with it, is because when Glass’ Pawnee wife was murdered, Glass promised their son, Hawk, he would never leave him alone in the world. And the final reason we know Glass was not blinking in agreement - At the end when Fitzgerald claimed they had “had a deal” (trying to justify his evil acts), Glass unequivocally denied they had a deal. One thing the movie tells us about Glass - beyond the fact that he was one tuff son of a gun - is that Glass was principled, honest to his core. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/8 "2019-02-08T04:24:20Z")
The draft script has: > [@](#): > > ``` > FITZGERALD > (WHISPERS) > When are you gonna die, boy? > > Fitzgerald reaches out with the blade... gently touches one > of the threads holding Glass' throat together. And when he > does, GLASS' EYES FLY OPEN... focus on Fitzgerald. > > Fitzgerald doesn't even flinch... just holds that knife tip > there against Glass' throat. > > FITZGERALD (CONT'D) > I'm nearly a week behind Henry's > bunch on accounta havin' to tend to > you. Be easier on us all if you'd > take that last breath. > > The two men hold a stare... until Fitzgerald pulls back the > knife... grabs a bloodstained rag from beside them... balls > it up in his fist. > > FITZGERALD (CONT'D) > I could help ya with that if you'd > like. Muzzle ya right now... end > all this sufferin' quick and easy. > Nobody'd ever know you give up. > > Fitzgerald moves the rag over Glass' nose and mouth... holds > it there, just inches above. > > FITZGERALD (CONT'D) > You just gimme a blink if you want > me to do it. > > Glass locks his eyes on Fitzgerald's... both men unblinking. > > A DROP OF BLOOD hangs from the rag... finally falls... lands > on Glass' lips. > > Fitzgerald almost smiles, waiting for the inevitable... as > Glass stares back, fighting the urge to blink. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![Dogged1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dogged1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogged1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/9 "2019-02-08T17:36:52Z")
Yes, DPRK, well done! ---
**Author:** ![Dogged1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dogged1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogged1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/10 "2019-02-08T19:53:13Z")
Oh, and P.S., Fitzgerald’s primary motivation for murdering Hawk was because of how vocal a witness Hawk suddenly proved to be of Fitzgerald’s attempt to murder Glass. In the movie, Fitzgerald was clearly a sociopath, with no regard for the lives of others. (And yes, it is reported there was no Hawk in real life.) ---
**Author:** ![Dogged1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dogged1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogged1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/11 "2019-02-08T21:40:07Z")
I missed the beginning of the movie, but found a quote of Glass giving advice to his son, Hawk, at the start, “As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You keep breathing.” Case closed on Fitzgerald’s blink “deal.” ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-revenant-glasss-blink/756235/12 "2019-02-09T03:30:16Z")
Am I the only one who thinks it odd that, after spending the night in the gutted out horse, he didn’t hack off a bunch of horsemeat to take with him?