Review of Grizzly Man (2005) by Carlam. — 02 Oct 2005

Werner Herzog's documentaries stretch the boundaries of what constitutes "documentary" filmmaking. Somebody approaching this Herzog documentary as if it's a National Geographic documentary is just not going to "get" it.

You need to take an open mind with you when you go to see a film by this filmmaker. Woe to the viewer who doesn't. And if there are still some people out there who think that there is such a thing as an "objective" documentary, wake up! The very nature of film precludes this possibility--the filmmaker has to make choices.

His/her P.O.V. is inextricably entwined in those choices. That said, what Herzog's film did was really just confirm my pre-existing impression that Timothy Treadwell was quite thoroughly demented.

Treadwell is, in my opinion, a true "tragic hero". His fatal flaw (hubris) brought about his downfall (not to mention his girlfriend's and that bear's, to boot). It seems to me that Treadwell was so disenchanted with what life was dishing out to him (as if he didn't have a part in that) that he wanted to abandon his own humanity and "become" a bear.

Life was much "simpler" with the bears, as he pointed out. In my opinion, what this man needed wasn't to run off to Alaska to "protect" these animals but, rather, some serious psychotherapy.

Treadwell's own film footage is both wonderous and self-defeating. I mean, he got some remarkable footage of life with the bears and foxes in Katmai Nat'l Park, but he also showed us how egomaniacal he really was.

And Herzog's interviews with Treadwell's friends gave me the impression that they were as phony and self-absorbed as Treadwell was, himself. I think this is a fine film from one of the most interesting filmmakers working today.