Florida's Film, Television and the Arts Magazine
Heart of the Beast
Heart of the Beast is a battle buddy story, with a twist. Between the two, these buddies have 5 legs. Sergeant Major James Belmont (Brad Pitt), a retired Special Forces officer, is on a much-needed trip to the Alaskan wilderness with his tripod companion, combat veteran Odin, a beautiful, well-trained German Shepherd. Odin and Belmont have been bonded brothers since Odin was a puppy, sharing years of horrible, life-threatening experiences. They each saved each other numerous times, and that continues throughout the film.
Odin lost his front leg during a failed mission in some sand-filled country, one in which Belmont’s entire team sacrificed their lives. Odin now has a prosthetic front right leg, which doesn't slow him down, as well as titanium replacement teeth from military combat injuries and a scarred snout. Both Odin and Belmont suffer intensely from PTSD. We’re treated to multiple flashback scenes of Belmont with his squad throughout the journey. A solitary, almost friendless man, Belmont now only opens up to Odin.
Belmont, a trained pilot as well as a survivalist, has flown with Odin into the heart of a pristine wilderness, to fish, drink beer, scout out moose and play fetch. Belmont is prepared for every emergency, except for the one he could not control. A sudden storm and a heart attack, both of which lead to a crash landing in the middle of nowhere. Their journey back to civiliazation is perilous. The scenery is gorgeous. The threats include shoulder-deep marshes, hunger, cold, rain and wolves.
There are some things in the film I found a bit preposterous. Such as Belmont's aspirin bottle, which never seems to run out of pills. How Belmont knew exactly what to put in his pack and Odin’s kit, from one stopping point to the next, paring it down to the bare minimum. I mean, who thinks to pack a splint? Well, perhaps a survivalist does. Also, does pounding on one’s own chest after a heart attack actually work? Food for thought.
Also, the wolves. With plenty of game available for the pack to take down, I’m not sure why they tracked the duo. Wolves have evolved into fearing humans. Now this pack may have been wolves who didn’t cross paths with humans much, if at all, but from what information I can find, this part of the story was a bit unrealistic, animal behaviorist-wise.
The wilderness definitely plays a huge role in the film, so I stayed through the credits to see the locations. I noticed that there were multiple groundskeepers/greensmen credited. They are the ones in charge of set dressing – planting trees, grass rocks, etc, fabricating the environments. So, although the movie says the plane nosedived into the Alaskan wilderness, a good bit of the environment must have built in the studio. The exteriors weren’t even shot in Alaska – they were shot in New Zealand.
I also wish there had been additional flashbacks between Odin and Belmont. The producers left most of them till close to the end of the film. You really didn’t need to see how much the pair bonded, that was apparent in their on-screen communication. I just feel it just would have enhanced the film, and given additional depth to their relationship.
Constant action, a perilous journey. There’s not a great deal of dialogue in the film, though the communication between Pitt and Uber, as well as Seeka, Ryker and Hondo, the other dogs who play Odin, is exemplary, intense and very moving. Both actors are beasts, with hearts filled to bursting with love for each other.
