Heart of the Beast Review: A Tribute To Service Heroes

Introduction

Not all survival movies are about conquering nature. Others actually revolve around the events that occurred before you were thrown into the wilderness.

Heart of the Beast is a movie that definitely belongs to the latter. Directed by David Ayer, the movie features Brad Pitt as James Belmont, a retired Special Forces operator.

He heads off to the Alaskan wilderness together with his well-trained German Shepherd dog named Odin, who was his battle partner before.

What starts out as a pleasant excursion and fishing quickly turns into a struggle for survival.

This is not the only danger faced by James and Odin. They both have scars from their military career.

Those scars turn out to be the key theme of the film. Heart of the Beast is not the movie that celebrates the war.

Instead, it shows how people have to live after the battle is over. The film deals with trauma, loss, loyalty and the problems of coming back to the normal life.

First of all, it demonstrates that such experience does not apply to human beings only. Odin is a military dog.

He knows about battles, and he suffers from his experiences, just like James does. In this way, the film provides quite an interesting view on post-traumatic stress.

A Story About What War Leaves Behind

There have been many films made on war. Most of them are about battles, courage, and relations created amidst wars.

But Heart of the Beast is unique in its approach. One of the most important questions in the film is what happens after all the battles are over?

James has stopped fighting. Odin has stopped fighting in battles. However, none of them leaves their experience behind.

Their relationship shows that trauma does not leave a person even after coming back home. Trauma is present in memories, reactions, and relations.

Thus, the film depicts post-traumatic stress in both James and Odin.

While James has the psychological trauma of what happened to him overseas, Odin has physical and emotional trauma.

The film does not aim at making one of them a symbol. It rather lets their actions convey what they are going through.

This is why some of the quiet scenes are very effective. Even just a glance can tell more than words. A pause can show fear.

A moment of physical contact can communicate years of shared experience.

That is one of the reasons the relationship between James and Odin feels so convincing.

The Bond Between Comrades

The connection between James and Odin forms the emotional core of the film. This is not just a man with his pet.

This is a partnership. They have fought side by side. They have faced dangers side by side.

They have endured hardships that could never be matched in a normal friendship. Their shared experiences give depth to the connection.

James knows Odin. Odin knows James. Neither one needs to say everything. This becomes even more important as Odin cannot talk.

The filmmakers must get across their connection in action and behavior. Luckily, they know how important it is to hold back.

There are times when James just watches Odin. The dog looks back. Nothing needs to be said.

Yet you understand that these two have been through something together. That is difficult to achieve convincingly.

Here, it works remarkably well.

Brad Pitt’s Performance

Brad Pitt delivers one of his subdued performances as James. Very few elements of showmanship can be seen in him.

He lets the fatigue and exhaustion of the character take control.

The character of James looks like an individual who has been shouldering a burden that is hard to put down for years now.

Brad Pitt conveys all that with subtle nuances in his performance. Most of the time, his facial expressions reveal more than what his lines convey.

The interaction between him and Odin also seems extremely convincing. One actually gets the feeling that these two individuals have spent years with each other.

It becomes very important because the movie is highly dependent on this connection. Otherwise, the entire story would have been full of sentiments and emotions.

Pitt keeps everything in check. There is strength there, but also vulnerability.

That combination makes James more interesting than a typical survival-film protagonist.

He is capable and experienced. However, he is also carrying wounds that cannot simply be treated with a first-aid kit.

And Then There Is Odin

But Odin is the one who steals the limelight. That’s something you can’t deny. Even if Brad Pitt is the star in the movie, the dog is most likely to dominate the screen.

And the most remarkable thing about Odin’s role is that it is acted mostly by an actual German Shepherd called Uber.

The registered name of the dog is Mako von Heisenberg. Uber was born in 2018 at New Zealand working-line breeder.

Also, his pedigree makes his appearance in the film very unique. Prior to becoming an acting dog, Uber was employed as a mountain rescue and search dog.

He was familiar with challenging settings and stressful situations.

This was beneficial when it came to shooting a movie.

Apparently, he could handle helicopters, machinery, and action shots.

All this made him a perfect choice to play the role of a former military working dog.

In addition, it is worth noting that director David Ayer’s choice to use a real animal instead of a predominantly CGI character named Odin is quite evident.

One can see the presence of the dog throughout the entire movie. His movements look natural. His reactions look spontaneous.

What is more important, his scenes with Brad Pitt look like true interaction with the man. Preparing Uber for this part was not an easy task.

Andrew Simpson, an animal trainer, found Odin in New Zealand and got him ready for shooting in about twelve weeks.

His other three sons also joined Odin in acting.

The dogs Honda, Sika, nicknamed Seeka, and Riker, nicknamed Ryker, helped act different parts of the movie.

This is yet another interesting fact about Odin’s on-screen performance because of the family ties.

But at the same time, this fact serves as evidence of the huge amount of work put into building the animal character.

And all these efforts are not noticeable while watching the movie.

There is much in the performance of the character through small gestures. For example, one look. Or turning his head. Or changing posture. Or just one second of hesitation.

All this contributes to the amazing performance of the character. I couldn’t help but think of last year’s Good Boy.

The films know that dogs don’t require human speech to become interesting characters.

All they require is to act realistically.

Odin’s acting skills are remarkable because the role of the dog requires to create emotional background.

The film has to make us think that the dog understands James. The film has to make us think that their past is important.

Fortunately, their relationship seems believable. It’s no wonder that Odin often becomes the emotional center of the movie.

Knowing that a real working dog is responsible for such acting skills makes those scenes even more moving.

Uber doesn’t just pretend to be a military dog. He was already a dog who had experience of working in a challenging environment.

This realism is difficult to reproduce using only CGI technology. And perhaps, that is why the easiest scenes with James and Odin are so moving.

A glance between the characters can tell you years of experiences. They don’t need to say anything.

You can feel that these two have been through everything together. That’s an impressive accomplishment for both Brad Pitt and his canine companion.

Animals and the Effects of War

One of the fascinating themes explored in the film concerns the impact of military life on animals.

Military dogs undergo rigorous training to enable them to handle challenging roles.

They work hand-in-hand with service men and women and are subjected to the same level of risks.

However, their stories are not always told. Heart of the Beast focuses on the relationship between man and animal. Odin is not just a dog. He is also a veteran.

His scars are a reminder that animals are also affected by their surroundings as humans do. It does not use this theme to deliver an exaggerated message to the audience.

The film uses its central character, Odin, to tell the story. This adds weight to the theme.

In addition, Odin’s relationship with James showcases the role animals can play in the recovery process of the person.

James and Odin carry trauma in their minds. It helps them to have something familiar to hold on to.

In this case, Heart of the Beast turns into a story of survival of two veterans, one who has four legs.

The Film Does Not Glorify War

It is perhaps the best theme I enjoyed. Heart of the Beast features memories from military service. The experiences that James and Odin have undergone are captured.

But the movie is definitely more concerned with the aftermath rather than the glamour of war. The movie portrays war as something that alters people.

There are scars that can be seen. There are scars which are invisible. This is very crucial. James can heal any physical injury. But he cannot put a plaster on his memory.

Odin too has many visible scars. But there are other scars as well. This is why the movie clearly draws a line between surviving the ordeal and overcoming the ordeal.

Just getting back home does not mean it is all over. Some people have just begun their ordeal. That is why Heart of the Beast is more than just a survival thriller.

The Alaskan Wilderness

The film’s cinematography by Mauro Fiore is another major strength. The wilderness of Alaska is shown as something gorgeous, terrifying and overwhelming.

The landscapes are beautiful. Mountains, forests, lakes and open spaces add enormous visual scale to the movie.

But this beauty adds to the atmosphere of threat. The scale is so great that James and Odin seem very small in comparison to it.

This makes the threat even more desperate. The wilderness is not just a scenery for the film.

It is one of its characters. It provides peaceful moments. It also provides constant uncertainty.

Weather changes. Animals can come. Distances are hard to evaluate. Even the direction becomes unclear.

This duality is well understood in the cinematography of the movie. The landscapes are gorgeous and frightening at the same time. That contrast gives the film much of its visual power.

Beauty and Isolation

There seems to be something very powerful about putting these two characters in such a huge landscape.

The emotional isolation of James and Odin is already present. The wilderness adds to their physical isolation.

There is nobody there who can help them. They cannot easily get out of there. There is just a vast landscape all around them.

The result is that the landscape comes across as symbolic without being too obtrusive.

James is struggling to navigate the wilderness. At the same time, he is navigating his own past. Odin does the same thing.

The past is carried along with the future as they move forward. The landscape thus acquires a meaning beyond its physical presence.

A Film About Two Characters

One of the most amazing things about Heart of the Beast is the amount it accomplishes despite the small cast.

For much of the time, the film is actually a two-person piece. There is James. There is Odin. This would make for an incredibly monotonous story.

But the chemistry keeps it going. Everything that James says to himself matters. Everything he says to Odin has meaning.

It is not necessary for new people to be introduced all the time. And that is a hard balance to strike. There is just a bit of uneven pacing at certain moments.

They are not really too long. But I consider these things to be minor in nature. The film revolves around two individuals.

One of these individuals happens to be a dog. This makes it impossible to take the story into many different directions.

Despite this, the film still manages to maintain a great pace.

The Ending Will Divide Audiences

The ending is one part of the film which might create division among the audience members.

Some might think that the ending is too sentimental. Others might look for an obvious resolution in it.

However, in my opinion, it was much more complex and had some meanings. In my opinion, the main theme of the ending was about Odin.

Without revealing the spoilers of the film, I would say that the ending of the film could be taken as the choice made by Odin of a new life.

This is a big deal because Odin has spent all of his life undergoing training and service. He has participated in fights. He has received injuries in his body.

He has experienced trauma alongside James. Thus, Odin’s journey in the wilderness could symbolize more than a physical journey.

This is about moving on from the past. It is not about forgetting James and the past incidents. It is about continuing life after the trauma.

This adds a touch of bittersweetness to the ending of the film. The ending involves both loss and freedom.

More importantly, the ending of the film represents the hope for the future. I think that gives the final moments more meaning than a straightforward happy ending would have provided.

What Works

The best thing in the movie for me is the connection between James and Odin. Brad Pitt brings emotion to the movie. Odin gives it heart.

They form a credible bond that moves the entire plot forward. Cinematography is one more point that deserves mentioning.

The wilderness is shown beautifully. The scope of the landscape itself adds to the sense of danger.

There are less clichés about war than I thought. The movie does not just tell that war is traumatic.

It shows it by means of its characters. That helps deliver the message. Also, the role of animals should be mentioned.

Odin is not just used to make people cry. He is another part of being a soldier. His story gives the film a perspective that many war dramas overlook.

What Does Not Work

This movie is not without its issues. The pacing could have been better at times. At times, the survival experience becomes rather tedious.

The use of CGI animals can take you away from the movie. They are not always believable. The ending might frustrate some viewers looking for a conclusive ending.

It might be too sentimental to some people emotionally. However, to me personally, the ending makes sense symbolically.

It leaves things open to interpretation. This may not please everybody.

But I feel there is something to be gained in an ending that makes you reflect on the experience of the characters.

Final Thoughts

Heart of the Beast is a survival film but there’s much more to it than just bringing two characters back home.

It’s a story of trauma. It’s about the wounds inflicted by war. It’s about the camaraderie.

Most importantly, it understands that that camaraderie could extend to human-animal relationships.

Brad Pitt offers a convincing and understated portrayal of James. However, Odin is the one who often steals the movie.

Their bond seems very sincere. You understand how much these two have been through together.

You understand that they share an emotional connection that is profound. It’s this emotional connection which is the film’s greatest asset.

The cinematography is also brilliant. The Alaskan scenery is stunning, but its vastness makes the characters look extremely vulnerable.

And the sometimes subpar CGI in the film occasionally ruins this effect. There are some minor pacing issues too.

But these are really just some minor issues in the film which is centered around its two main characters.

What stood out to me the most about the film was its approach to the war. Heart of the Beast is not a celebration of combat as an adventure.

It focuses on what remains afterwards. James and Odin have both survived war. Now they must learn how to live beyond it.

That makes their journey feel larger than the physical trek through the wilderness. It becomes a journey towards acceptance.

It becomes a story about letting go without forgetting. And perhaps most importantly, it becomes a story about choosing to live again.

For me, that is what gives Heart of the Beast its emotional power. It may be a film about survival.

But ultimately, it is about finding a reason to carry on.