Review of Grizzly Man (2005) by Faisal A — 28 May 2012

What initially appears to be a nature documentary, goes deep into the shadows of the unbalanced mind of a man confronting the world and himself.

Timothy Treadwell was a deeply troubled soul who tried to exorcize his inner demons and find some transcendence by becoming the âguardian of the bearsâ?. Was he naïve, irresponsible, narcissistic, crazy (I donâ(TM)t know what that means anymore) or simply an eccentric who needed to live on the edge, and boldly decided to make his own rules, living his life as he saw fit, perishing in the jaws of a bear but ultimately saving himself from inner emptiness and a downward spiral of substance abuse?

I believe that he really loved those bears, deep within felt he was protecting them, and was perfectly aware of the danger. His view of the natural world may have been rosy and shortsighted but he lived free and fully for 13 years following his heartâ(TM)s calling.

The combination of Treadwell's own footage, Herzog's editing and interviews make for an extraordinarily beautiful and moving film that becomes a perfect vehicle to study the invisible barrier between men and wild nature .