Review of Grizzly Man (2005) by Stuart K — 25 Mar 2009
Werner Herzog has always found time to do documentaries between his films, and this is one of them, exploring the life of bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell, which makes for compelling viewing, both upsetting and enthralling to watch, but it shows wild grizzly bears in their natural habitat, and Treadwell is just as wild, but he paid the price for getting so close to the animals he loved.
Treadwell spent 13 Summers living in the wilds of the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. He would live in the wilderness amongst the bears, although he was warned that they would harm him, he continued to do it, filming his expeditions on camcorder as he went along, but tragedy struck in October 2003, when Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed by grizzly bears.
His life is told from a selection of the 100 hours of video footage Treadwell shot, and interviews with Treadwell's close family and friends by Herzog. It is a fascinating film about a boy who accidentally grew into a man, he was a man of lost ideals and broken dreams, but he loved bears, and he chose to live with them.
It is a sad story of a true eccentric. You can't help but feel for what he believes in, but you can tell he's hurting inside. Herzog paints an amazing picture of a remarkable and tortured soul.
This review of Grizzly Man (2005) was written by Stuart K on 25 Mar 2009.
Grizzly Man has generally received very positive reviews.
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