Heart of the Beast: A Story of Friendship

Heart of the Beast – 「Listen to it」

An Emotional Survival Story

Brad Pitt decides to take an emotional route in his career, and most certainly, The Heart of the Beast delivers. Pitt plays a retired armed forces special agent who decides to go on a retreat into the wilderness with his dog and fellow soldier, Odin. Throughout the movie, the audience mainly sees just the two embarking on a journey of survival. After spending the night near a waterway, James and Odin awaken on a somewhat ominous morning in which a storm may be underway.

A Quote That Sets the Tone

A stranger whom they meet leaves them a book, urging them to read a quote:

“He had survived the worst the world could do to him. He had known the cruelty of man, yet he lives … and the love of man had taken root in his heart.”

James and Odin do manage to take off; however, during the flight, James suffers a heart attack and loses control as his plane crashes into the depths of the woods, which no one dares to explore. Odin falls out of the plane while it lands on the water. Despite suffering a heart attack, James manages to swim to safety, panicking as he searches for his friend. To his relief, he finds Odin alive, only knocked unconscious.

James and Odin take every step with careful attention, but despite that, danger still lurks around every corner. A simple misstep can cause them to fall into the river, or a sudden loss of direction can leave them vulnerable to an attack by wolves.

Two Heroes, One Journey

In college, we had exercises to learn how to evaluate movies. Many times, they were older movies; some were known as classics, and some were considered new. One can say that there are two heroes in this movie: James and Odin. Both are equally important because, if not for the other, neither would be complete. In retrospect, they lived through the trauma of war, the trauma of loss, and the aftermath after all they knew how to do came to a sudden end.

The Meaning of True Friendship

This movie isn’t appreciated as much as it should be. Man, and beast can both learn from one another, as no matter where the jungle is—the woods or the city—we are both shaped by the experiences of life. Finding that friendship, true friendship, is the purest form of gift.

Box Office and Final Thoughts

As of this moment, this movie has made about 60 million dollars worldwide, still quite far below its budget of 82 million. It needs to make more than roughly 200 million dollars to turn a profit. Though making a profit is a stretch, this movie is something human beings need. Despite the journeys we take, there’s always someone out there who understands us, whether another person or an animal, because emotional conditions are not to be taken for granted. Let’s spread the word about this great emotional thrill ride of friendship and love that rings true to the human condition. We all need someone, whether it’s family, a friend, or a dog, to be our emotional support. Through this, many times, a broken man can become whole again.