Heart of the Beast: Pitt and Pooch Battle Alaskan Wilderness in Thrilling Survival Story

By John Kirk

Rating: A

Before you watch Heart of the Beast, or even read this review, go hug your dog.

If you don’t have a dog, go find a neighbour’s and give them some love. I mean it.

There are a lot of things you won’t be prepared for when you see this film. The incredible panoramic and high-altitude cinematography. The breathtaking scenery of the epic Alaskan wilderness. And at its core, the heart of an incredibly noble creature.

In fact, I don’t think anyone who watches this film will be ready for the emotions it will inspire. All that and director David Ayer knows how to take a picture.

Ex-special forces soldier James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and his canine scout and best friend Odin (Uber) take a small plane to a remote lakeside camping location for some well-deserved alone time. It’s them, fish in the stream, rugged outdoor beauty and the chance to escape the PTSD demons of their service that haunts both in their dreams.

When a catastrophic crash ends their flight, they need to make it out of that wilderness and back to civilization on foot. Their years of comradeship and shared battles have created a resilience and a resolve greater than any simple pet-and-owner relationship. They are true friends and that friendship is measured — and tested — by the rigours of survival in the Alaskan outdoors. They know they can do it together.

It would be easy to dismiss this film as a simple heroic dog adventure. But this isn’t Rin Tin Tin. This isn’t a Jack London story when the hero is some hapless adventurer who depends upon the scrappy nature of a stray hound who rescues him in the last minute. This is a pure survival story, and the characters aren’t on some heroic quest. They’re simply trying to live, and in Alaska’s unforgiving country, they need each other’s strength to do that.

Pitt plays a deeply emotive role, simple in concept, but complex in portraying the extent of hardship Belmont experiences. There is a limit to human endurance and Pitt convinces us that he is capable of surpassing it. His special forces training allows us to that accept that conceit, but it’s Pitt’s performance that delivers.

The real star is Odin and I’m confident that Pitt would agree. Odin’s real name is Uber and Uber’s performance and emotional behaviour are truly convincing. His training is impeccable and one would believe that Pitt and Uber were extremely close outside of the movie.

There are surprisingly short appearances with the other members of the limited cast. J.K. Simmons plays an eccentric outdoorsman named Watkins who the pair briefly encounter in the wild. Likewise, Canada’s Anna Lambe plays Amber, a traveller who Odin meets at the beginning of the film.

Termed a thriller, the film is more than that. When life or death is divided by an extremely thin line, the term “thriller” connotes an adventure that has aspects of exhilaration to it. This film does not thrill audiences. It scares them with realistic threats in the wild that threaten to end Belmont and Odin.

When the audience sees what both are willing to do for each other, the story becomes more meaningful than that. It is a true survival story that includes sacrifice and illustrates the bond between these two soldiers.

When you hear a dog sob, a full-throated moan, not a howl but a mournful sub-vocalization, then you know real emotion. I’m pretty sure that Belmont’s line of “I love you so goddamn much, Odin” is echoed in the hearts and minds of the audience. I know I was saying it in my head, too.

Screenwriter Cameron Alexander knows the limits of the companionship a dog like Odin can offer. Military service dogs have a noble distinction for the roles they have played. But in general, dogs just don’t demand our love and loyalty, they deserve it. This is a film you need to see.

Another thing you won’t be prepared for: there won’t be a dry eye in the cinema. The emotion is heavy. Bring tissues. You’ll thank me.

Heart of the Beast. Directed by David Ayer. Written by Cameron Alexander. Starring Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, Anna Lambe, and Uber. In theatres September 25.