Glass was a real frontiersman mauled by a bear and left for dead in 1823. The film accurately portrays his legendary survival. However, his motivations (revenge for a fictional son) and some specific actions are heavily fictionalized.

Fitzgerald was a real member of the trapping party tasked with staying with Glass. He did abandon Glass. The film's portrayal of his personality, motivations, and murder of Glass's fictional son is largely invented.

Bridger was a real (and later famous) mountain man present when Glass was abandoned. His youth and involvement are historical. His specific internal conflict and interactions are interpretive/fictionalized.

Henry was the real leader of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company expedition depicted. His role in organizing the party and dealing with the aftermath of Glass's abandonment aligns with history.

Hawk is an entirely fictional character created for the film. Hugh Glass is not historically known to have had a Pawnee son; this character provides the fictional revenge motive driving the plot.

A fictional character representing the disruption and violence faced by Native American groups due to intertribal conflict and interactions with Europeans (trappers).

The film accurately depicts the historical context of Andrew Henry's 1823 fur trapping expedition and the real attack by Arikara warriors that forced the party to abandon the Missouri River.

The core event is historical: Hugh Glass was severely mauled by a grizzly bear while scouting ahead of the main party.

Due to Glass's severe injuries impeding the party's movement, volunteers were sought to stay with him until he died; Fitzgerald and Bridger (then very young) were assigned this duty.

Fitzgerald and Bridger did leave Glass behind before he died, taking his rifle and equipment, believing his death was imminent and fearing attack.

This is a major fictional element. Glass did not have a known Pawnee son on the expedition, and this murder provides a fabricated revenge motive central to the film but absent from historical accounts.

The historical Glass undertook an incredibly arduous solo journey of survival over hundreds of miles after being abandoned, crawling part of the way due to his injuries.

While Glass undoubtedly used extreme survival measures, specific techniques like cauterizing his own neck wound with gunpowder are likely dramatized embellishments rather than documented facts.

This striking visual is likely drawn from Western legends or survival lore, not specifically documented in accounts of Hugh Glass's journey.

The character Hikuc and Glass's specific interactions with him are fictional. Historical accounts suggest Glass received some aid from friendly Sioux, not Pawnee, later in his journey.

This entire subplot involving the French trappers, the fictional Powaqa, and Glass's intervention is fabricated for the film.

After weeks/months of survival, Glass did eventually reach the frontier outpost of Fort Kiowa.

The film centers on revenge for the fictional Hawk. Historically, Glass sought Fitzgerald and Bridger primarily due to anger over being abandoned and the theft of his valuable rifle and equipment.

Glass did eventually confront both Bridger and Fitzgerald. However, he reportedly forgave Bridger due to his youth and found Fitzgerald had joined the army (precluding violence). The film drastically alters the confrontations.

The brutal one-on-one fight and the specific manner of Fitzgerald's demise (set adrift towards the Arikara) are entirely fictional. Fitzgerald was not killed by Glass or Native Americans as a result.

Captain Andrew Henry died years later of natural causes, not killed by John Fitzgerald.

The film accurately places the story within the harsh, largely uncharted territory of the Upper Missouri and its tributaries during the early American fur trade era.

Renowned for its cinematography, the film masterfully portrays the brutal beauty and extreme dangers of the North American wilderness in winter (blizzards, freezing rivers, vast distances).

Shows period-appropriate flintlock rifles, beaver traps, hide preparation, and the general methods used by Rocky Mountain Fur Company trappers.

Accurately reflects the complex and often volatile interactions between competing fur trapping groups (American, French Canadian) and various Native American tribes (Arikara, Pawnee shown) on the frontier.

Portrays the Arikara as a powerful tribe hostile to American trappers (historically accurate for 1823). Specific cultural details aim for authenticity but are viewed through the film's narrative lens.

Represents another Native American group. The helpfulness of Hikuc contrasts with the Arikara hostility, but specific cultural portrayal is limited and serves the fictional plot.

Represents the rudimentary forts and trading posts that served as vital links to civilization for trappers in the vast wilderness.

The film excels in its visceral portrayal of the physical challenges of survival against nature: finding food, shelter, dealing with injury, and exposure to extreme elements.

Effectively conveys the raw, often violent nature of life on the early 19th-century American frontier, far from established law and order.