Movie Review: Grizzly Man

By Frank H. Woodward Aug 10, 2005, 11:31 GMT

In his mesmerizing new film GRIZZLY MAN, acclaimed director Werner Herzog explores the life and death of amateur grizzly bear expert and wildlife preservationist Timothy Treadwell.  Treadwell lived unarmed among the bears for thirteen summers, and filmed his adventures in the wild during his final five seasons.  In October 2003, Treadwell’s remains, along with those of his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were discovered near their campsite in Alaska’s Katmai National Park ...more

For those who only know director Werner Herzog from films like FITZCARRALDO or THE ENIGMA OF KASPER HAUSER, his new film GRIZZLY MAN is a perfect introduction to Herzog, the master documentarian.

Timothy Treadwell lived among grizzly bears for 13 summers.  He got closer than any other man to these majestic, yet ferocious creatures.  Of the 100 hours of video Treadwell acquired (some consisting the best grizzly footage ever), the final tape is his most intense and ironic.  It is the tape of his death. 

In 2003, his 13th summer with the bears, Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were mauled by a grizzly.  The very animal to which he dedicated his soul.

Treadwell thought he had conquered the beast inside the bear.  By taking on the guise of what he called the "kind warrior", he stood up to one particular family of grizzlies and gained a form of respect.  At least it seemed like respect.  To anthropomorphise Treadwell's relationship with the grizzlies is to fall victim to the same delusions he did.

In GRIZZLY MAN, Herzog corrects this fatal error. Though he allows us to see the bears as Treadwell saw them, Herzog never lets us forget their true nature. Are they beautiful?  Yes.  Powerful? Absolutely.  They are also deadly.  To achieve this, Herzog doesn't resort to suspenseful music or any artificial camera tricks.  He simply shows us Treadwell's footage.

Treadwell did more than study the grizzly bear.  He became a part of their family.  He even gave the bears names like Rowdy, Mr. Chocolate and Grinch.  The footage he yielded is magical and dangerous.  Herzog admires Treadwell as a true cinematic artist.  He was a methodical filmmaker who would do multiple takes of his rants as well as doing Crocodile Hunter type linking scenes. 

Herzog always keeps Treadwell's tragic death at the forefront of GRIZZLY MAN.  Coroners and friends tell us what they know to have happened from seeing the crime scene or, worse yet, hearing that final tape. One of the film's more intense scenes (respectably shot by Herzog) involves Herzog listening to only the audio of Treadwell's death (something Herzog has the good taste never to play for us).  Herzog then cuts to footage of two male grizzlies fighting for dominance.  This simple act of cinema reminds us of the raw power and savagery in Treadwell's subjects.

Did Treadwell lose sense of these animals?  Did he tempt fate for too long?  Herzog respects the man, but personally disagrees with his views on nature. Treadwell saw nature as harmony.  Herzog sees it as chaos.  If anything, the circumstances behind Treadwell's death supports Herzog's view, but Herzog doesn't edit Treadwell's footage to conform to his ideas.  Herzog lets us decide for ourselves.  The film never feels unbalanced, even with Herzog as the on and off screen storyteller (Herzog narrates and appears in the film). 

By the end of GRIZZLY MAN, audiences will have formed a definite opinion of Timothy Treadwell.  No matter what it is, the gravity of his accomplishments and failings will not be lost on any of them.

Access media from Grizzly Man.