Mauro Fiore makes the wilderness feel alive with ‘Heart of the Beast’

If you're watching Heart of the Beast for its survival story, keep an eye on the scenery.

The mountains, forests, glaciers, and valleys surrounding Brad Pitt and his canine co-star are not simply there to establish the film's remote setting. Through the cinematography of Academy Award winner Mauro Fiore, the landscape becomes part of the story, shifting in mood as retired Special Forces soldier James Belmont and his combat dog, Odin, fight to survive after their plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness.

Directed by David Ayer, Heart of the Beast was filmed in New Zealand, whose dramatic landscapes stand in for Alaska. But Fiore and Ayer weren't interested in making the wilderness look beautiful for its own sake. Instead, they used the scenery to mirror Belmont's increasingly difficult physical and emotional journey.

Landscape

One of the film's most noticeable visual shifts happens as the story progresses.

Fiore describes the filmmakers' approach as moving from “an impressionist dream” toward “an expressionist nightmare.” Early scenes are designed to feel poetic, expansive, and almost magical. As Belmont and Odin become increasingly isolated and vulnerable, those same qualities begin to feel more threatening.

Fiore says Ayer wanted audiences to question how much of what they see represents reality and how much reflects Belmont's subjective perception.

“By the end of the film, they are in purgatory. David wants the audience to be unsure of how much of what they’re watching is James’ subjective perception, almost dream imagery, and how much is reality,” Fiore said.

As Belmont's physical exhaustion and psychological strain intensify, the distinction between external danger and internal experience becomes increasingly blurred.

The wilderness may dominate the frame, but Heart of the Beast is ultimately concerned with the relationship between Belmont and Odin.

With Brad Pitt and the German Shepherd Uber carrying much of the film, Fiore had to make individual shots communicate character, tension, and emotion without relying on a large ensemble cast.

“It’s just Brad Pitt and four incredibly talented dogs. The focus and intensity were unparalleled. Every camera choice, every shot, the flow, the visuals, it was all critical,” Ayer added.

Antagonist

Fiore's visuals reinforce that struggle by making the environment feel simultaneously vast and confining. Wide shots emphasize the enormous distances the characters must cross, while the surrounding terrain can make escape or even simple movement seem impossible.

The contrast is part of what gives the film its tension: the same wilderness that looks breathtaking from a distance can become terrifying when you're trying to survive in it.

While the mountains and glaciers may be what first catch your eye, Fiore's cinematography gives them another job: showing what Belmont is going through without always having to say it.

Heart of the Beast is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

With Brad Pitt and German Shepherd Uber carrying much of the film, Fiore had to make individual shots communicate character, tension and emotion without relying on a large ensemble cast.