Heart of the Beast review: Brad Pitt shines in emotional survival drama

Grief is the great equaliser in Brad Pitt’s Heart of the Beast. Its presence is almost invisible, often sneaking in through the otherwise pristine eyes of the adorable German Shepherd, Odin (Uber). As a highly trained, endlessly sensitive combat dog, there’s a reflection of great humanity in Odin, who suffers from the worst of nightmares from his intense wartime exploits.

Odin stays forever connected to his comrade, James Belmont (Brad Pitt), an ex-army man struggling with his own claim of PTSD from war. The two share these disturbing flashes and bear witness to each other’s vulnerabilities.

The innumerable scars on their bodies carry the sign of immovable resolve with the amputee leg of Odin being a constant reminder of what was lost and what remains. The recurring trauma of war has silently deepened into grief. All that these ‘beasts’ have to carry on is the unmissable spark in their hearts.

That begins to rupture when James suffers from a heart attack while being airborne in his plane over the mountains in Alaska. Odin takes a hit as the plane gets separated in two with James landing inside water.

The two are stranded in the wild, miles away from human contact as James gets injured and manages to revive the canine. Putting his military experience into use, James marches along in the right direction as Odin follows, battling wild wolves in collaboration, arduously trekking over violent river streams and further getting fatally injured.

Running on a rather straightforward design, the simplicity of Heart of the Beast is surprisingly enticing, as it goes back to the basics to cherish smaller moments over bigger joys.

A rugged Brad Pitt anchors the survival drama with quiet restraint, while Odin emerges as the emotional heart of the film.