On Screen: “Heart of the Beast”
Heart of the Beast
Symptoms of PTSD — Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder — permeate “Heart of the Beast,” a treacherous survival story about a military veteran and his combat dog in Alaska’s wilderness.
Yet it’s also a love story about the devotion between a man and his loyal canine companion, joining classics like “Rin Tin Tin,” “Old Yeller” and “Lassie.”
Retired after decades of deployment with Army Special Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, tough, taciturn James Belmont (Brad Pitt) has chosen to live a solitary existence, shared only with Odin, the beloved German Shepherd he’s raised since a puppy.
Both are haunted by recurring nightmares and sepia-toned flashbacks that resulted in physical, emotional and spiritual wounds. Battle-scarred Odin has titanium replacement teeth and a prosthetic leg.
Piloting his tiny Cessna seaplane from one remote campsite to another, James’ bird-watching and fly-fishing are only briefly interrupted by a friendly stranger (J.K. Simmons) who docks his canoe nearby for a night, gratefully sipping one of James’ chilled Belgian ales and warning him about an impending storm.
The next day — after taking off into the predicted bad weather — James crashes the plane into a frigid lake. Miraculously, he and Odin survive, although they face an arduous 58-mile trek to reach the nearest Alaskan road.
Resilient, resourceful James meticulously plots their path through the forested terrain, a danger-filled hike that eventually involves not only hardship but harrowing encounters with a grizzly bear and a howling pack of ravenous wolves, as they cope with perilous nature at its most primitive and unforgiving.
Bearded with a buzzcut, aviator glasses and camouflage gear, Brad Pitt delivers one of the grittiest performances of his career — outdone only by soulful, stoic, scene-stealing Odin.
Edgily directed by David Ayer from Cameron Alexander’s intense script with Mario Fiore’s spectacular cinematography, it oozes foreboding danger from the get-go, taking viewers along for the challenging adventure — with New Zealand standing in for Alaska.
And if you’re worried about the conclusion, just consult www.doesthedogdie.com.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Heart of the Beast” is a tender, poignant 7, playing in theaters.
Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood. Her natural father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a director and producer at M.G.M. and Columbia Pictures. Her adoptive father, Armand Deutsch, produced movies at M.G.M.
As a child, Susan appeared in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Margaret O’Brien, and Lassie. She attended Mills College in California, studying journalism with Pierre Salinger, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism.