Wanted to find out better definition of masculinity with 'Ad Astra', says Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt says it was his and director James Gray's endeavour to explore the modern definition of masculinity with their upcoming space epic "Ad Astra".

The film, being touted as a futuristic take on Joseph Conrad's anti-imperialist novel "Heart of Darkness", features Pitt as an astronaut who travels to the outer reaches of the solar system to find his renegade father.

According to Deadline, at a press conference on the sidelines of Venice Film festival, where the movie had its world premiere, Pitt said he grew up in a place and time where men, if they show signs of weakness, were not considered strong enough and, therefore, he wanted to find out if all of these values have a place in the modern world.

"Having grown up in an era where we were taught to be strong, not show weakness, don't be disrespected, and so on and so forth, there's certain value in that as far as entering into the world and holding your own, but there's also a barrier that's created with this kind of embracing of the self, because you're denying, to a sense, those pains or the things (that make) you feel shame, whether real or imagined, the regrets in one's life," the 55-year-old actor said.

"We were asking the question, is there a better definition for us? Does actually being more open provide you with a better relationship with your loved ones, with your parents, with your kids, and with yourself? At the end of the day, that's certainly what we were after," he added.

Meanwhile, Pitt was also asked whether he believes that "Ad Astra" will be able to earn him his maiden Best Actor trophy at Oscars as critics have lauded the film and praised his performance in it.

"Man, I just want to get this film out!" he replied instantly, before adding, "Every year, I see amazing talent getting acknowledged and amazing talent not getting acknowledged. And my feeling is, when your number comes up, it's great fun, and when someone else's number comes up it's usually a friend, so it's great fun still. How was that for a dodge?"