Heart of the Beast ★★

Is the title of David Ayer‘s sentimental survival epic a reference to animalistic qualities in humans, or to human qualities in animals? Most likely, the moniker of the seasoned story of a brave man and his trusty canine companion fighting side by side to make it through an unforgiving wilderness is simply naming the reliable Hollywood narrative at the core of the minimalist plot. And admittedly, it apparently works, at least for those who love to see dogs as the better part of their humans, and don’t mind an uncomfortable undertone of militarism stalking a seemingly innocent tale.

It starts with former Special Forces officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt smirking into the camera) landing with his seaplane in the Alaskan wilderness, accompanied only by his retired combat dog Odin. Performed by four different dogs, Odey, as he is affectionately called, has suffered through traumatic injuries that cost him a front leg and his natural teeth. Both he and his owner suffer from episodes of PTSD in which they comfort one another. Belmont has brought them into the scenic landscape to admire nature’s beauty. This is pointed out by several scenes in which Belmont watches animals through the sniper scope of his hunting rifle.

Yet, he never shoots, since he is apparently done killing. The pair are out there, far from society, to escape the horror of war. Ironically, it’s Ayer and screenwriter Cameron Alexander who won’t let them. After suffering a heart attack mid-air in his plane, Belmont crashes. Though he and Odey survive without major injuries, they are now without proper shelter and limited supplies far from civilization, to which they have to find their way back. Their journey against impossible obstacles thrives on tropes established by Jack London, Hemingway, and Walter Huston, the third one finding his lookalike in an old gold digger (J.K. Simmons) showing up for a chat and a Belgian beer.

It’s a macho fairy tale of loner guys – a female character appears briefly at the end, but every single other individual is male, including the dog – toughness, and survival instincts. The dogs do fantastic work and are a pleasure to watch, though Pitt is rather too smug to believably convey his character’s trauma and disillusionment with mankind. The title also hints at an emotional kinship between the protagonists as psychologically and physically damaged creatures, trusting no one except each other. Like Odin, who stays loyal to his human even when giving in to his wild instincts might be better for him, flashbacks reveal Belmont acting heroically in the chaos of war.

On the surface, this old-school adventure is fairly enjoyable, despite some unconvincing CGI bears and moose. More disturbing than AI-generated animals are the ideological implications of a white man with sheer superhuman strength proving his superiority over all other nature. Additionally, James’ dog, Odin, is named after the Germanic god of war and death. Germanic lore and legends were an integral part of Nazi ideology, and naming dogs after threatening figures from Germanic legends is still a popular code for an affinity to right-wing extremism. Ayer might not have intended to include that message, but it’s there, nevertheless, in a movie myth of uncompromising loyalty until death.