Grizzly Man
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Movie Reviews of Grizzly Man
Movie Review: get some context and facts first then see this film
Summary: 5 Stars
Many reviewers show their ignorance and prejudice regarding this film: in the chauvanism re: Amie's death (that a 37 year old woman with relevant wilderness and bear experience was somehow not capable of making her own choices, even a mistake--to go back too late in the season when they were at the airport ready to leave--all contextual facts left out of Werner's film); in the smug arrogance that just because someone is bipolar they are somehow not credible human beings much less the geniuses they really in fact are; and in the lack of wilderness experience and knowledge of the natural world that urbanites simply cannot comprehend that allows them the smug delusion that Tim "asked for" or "deserved" the death he happened to experience, or that he "intruded upon" the bears territory or even that he "broke the law." True, without context and some pretty darned important facts (facts Werner couldn't or wouldn't squeeze into his film or bonus features) most viewers of the film wouldn't know any better and might easily come to these or similar misguided and misinformed conclusions about Treadwell's life and death. But knowledge is power and knowing more about Tim and what other bear experts and native people thought of him, the outtakes Werner's film omits, enhances the experience of Werner's film. It allows the viewer to see Werner's POV as Werner's and not the only or definitive approach to Treadwell's life or experiences.
The film also poignantly reveals our own prejudices and ignorance about nature and ourselves as a species, part of nature herself. Tim, like his friends, behave trippy dippy in the film, and in other interviews, in ways that non-Californians perceive as classically Californian. I live in CA and know lots of trippy dippy types, but that should not discredit Tim or his friends' perspectives on him. It's reflective of non-Californian arrogance that allows others to take specific human distinctiveness as a broad credibility cue. Tim was bipolar and his choice to not medicate is legitimate. Lots of bipolar people make that choice so they can function with their genius. On medication they're "flat" and cannot work or be creative. I realize that terrifies non-bipolars but such fears are their problem and they ought to get over their fear of what they don't understand in people who are wired differently from them. Will BPers off meds make bad decisions? Sure. A good e.g. is that Tim went back to the Maze when he should have headed home and, in fact was at the airport on his way home. An altercation with a "farmer" mindset airport agent set him off and he made a poor choice to go back. Amy made a choice to go with him. They died as a result. That's life, plain and simple. It takes an urban mentality to judge that negatively or to insist it must be negatively judged. It would have been great for Werner's film to mention that level of contextual detail. It doesn't but that's okay too.
I wish there was more bear footage from Tim's library. I hope Grizzly People release more of that along with the 1000's of still images he created out there. Still, Werner's film is a good one, and the humorous stuff like the goofy coroner... what a howl! Well worth purchasing. But read about Tim, listen and pay attention to the controversies and the agendas and you'll see everyone's darker, fearful sides... then see the film and it'll sit better. If the death and all that still freaks you out... you live indoors too much. I've been in bear country many times, and only once had a bad encounter. Yes, it scared, and still scares the crap outta me, but that's just part of being alive. If you are truly human you must, absolutely must, accept that risk of death, and your fears, real or imagined, and get on living in spite of all of that; it's all just part of being human. I had to laugh at the Alaskan reviewers who defame Tim and the film, basing this on their "wilderness" clout--clout obtained with a gun, and experience not much more than that of their urban cousins. Their own agenda is showing. And that's a very good thing. It gives us experience as important as the film itself: context.
Movie Review: Grrrrr...
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by admitting that the high rating is mostly due to the film's "fascination factor". But don't get me wrong, it's content is gripping and educational (factually educational in a loose sense). Werner Herzog himself recounts Alaskan grizzly bear activist Timothy Treadwell (and to a much lesser extent, Timothy's friend and companion Amie Huguenard) as he spends months at a time in the Alaskan wilderness amongst the wildlife. Rather than re-recount what happens, here's my take:
I don't tend to dismiss or minimalize Timothy's passion for nature, in fact it's something to be celebrated, and it's a passion that friends & aquaintances of his will corroborate, and also one that often comes through in his video diaries. It's quite obvious he felt deeply for those bears... however misplaced those feelings were. As Herzog himself says on multiple occasions, Timothy lost the ability to differentiate between humans and the animals he spent time around and was infinately fascinated with. One thing that bothered me during Timothy's video confessions was the characterization of him being there as "research". Now, I have no doubt his observations were genuinely a learning experience for him, but it's apparrent that he was simply a layman. The grizzly expert on Kodiak Island put his into glaring perspective. His sobering attitude and expertise in the field couldn't be more at odds with Treadwell's cavalier behavior. Herzog's own commentary late in the film concerning the very bear that may have killed him just days later as it dives deep into the river to scavange for salmon carcasses provides a insight into the grizzly's behavior that Treadwell seemed to miss completely. Or one he ignored.
His attitude also flied in the face of the reality he was living, and manifested itself into the worst of conclusions. He was pompous and arrogant, at times, toward the very environment he claimed to hold in the highest regard. Treadwell was clearly manic-depressive, if not a touch insane. Fascination turned to empathy, which morphed into a sort of pity. For the sake of full disclosure, maybe it was his physical appearance that provoked the comparison, but I saw the same attitude in one Kurt Cobain. Treadwell, like Cobain, seemed to feel alienated by the world. Only that level of alienation is usually self- imposed/initiated, and at the same time uncontrollable or, maybe more precisely, the way life works ("all alone is all we are"). Both men's contempt for the world would seem completely justified to themselves, but to another might be seen as 'elitist mellancholy'. Nobody can possibly understand them, but at the same time their attitude towards those who don't borders on contempt; their tortured souls are beyond reproach. Treadwell's outburst at the Wildlife Department, and subsiquently, his former friends and colleagues only supports this. Was he someone who never grew up mentally or emotionally? Was he lost in his own mind, in his own world? A daydream believer? There's nothing wrong with having ideals, everyone should, but to dismiss the world that everyone shares is a grave mistake. The Kodiak Island grizzly expert's declaration (after Herzog's question) that Treadwell's need to protect the grizzlys was in fact probably harming them put the entire documentary into perspective for me. Maybe to be more precise, it was a confirmation.
I did, however, take Treadwell at his word when he said 'I would rather die in the wilderness than return' to the world he knew years prior in California; a definite self-fulfilling prophecy. There's a kind of beauty in it. In the end though, his and Huguenard's death can only be described as tragic. This film has the gravitas to teach as well as mystify, and really should be experienced. The scenes at the end of the film are particularly poignant and sobering. I sort of wanted Herzog to make the audio tape available, maybe accompanied by a warning... but at the same time, it's better that it wasn't. File it under morbid curiosity I guess.
Movie Review: A fascinating character study of "kind warrior" Timothy Treadwell
Summary: 5 Stars
Werner Herzog's film Grizzly Man is not a nature film concerning Grizzly bears as some other reviewers thought, but rather an excellent character study of self proclaimed protector of the grizzlies and general nut job Timothy Treadwell. Treadwell spent 13 summers visiting a national park in Alaska to observe, film and "protect" grizzly bears. Using film shot and narrated by Treadwell and interviews with those who knew him, filmaker Werner Herzog spins an almost incredible tale of Timothy Treadwells misplaced, almost religious zeal for the bears and nature and his childish and complete misunderstanding of both. Treadwell has little clue regarding grizzly bear behavior or human behavior for that matter. He may love the grizzlies but he doesn't respect them. Instead he anthropomorphizes his 1500 lbs. "friends" and seems both unaware and unconcerned of the very real danger in which he puts himself. He often talks about how he may die by the grizzlies hand, or paw, yet never seems to really believe it. Ultimately Treadwell and most unfortunately his girlfriend, pay dearly for his dreamy and foolish view of nature: bears are not big cuddly buddies, and Tim you are not a bear. But his behavior, worldview and the footage taken by Treadwell are as fascinating as they are disturbing. Tim was obviously bonkers yet Herzog seems to see him almost as a brother or seeker on a misguided path in life to be sure, but who also reached for something other than than the ordinary. Herzog manages to point out both Timothy Treadwells obvious mental illness, his misunderstanding of nature, and his humanity at the same time. I'm not going to critique Treadwell's behavior, but rather praise Herzog's portrayal of this complex and bizarre individual: a man who had the stones to spend 13 years with animals that could (and did) crush him with one indifferent paw. The size of the bears is astounding. At one point Tim is babbling about his buddy "Mr. Chocolate" who is shown scratching his back on a pine tree. Tim later walks up to the same tree and says "What a big bear!" Tim's head comes up to where the bears stomach was, a big bear indeed.
The bonus material contains much interesting extra footage, the best of which concerns the recording of the soundtrack. Avantgarde guitarist, composer Henry Kaiser was the music director/producer for this film. He's shown in the studio recording music improvised by various musicians including string players and guitarist Richard Thompson. Thompson, ex of Fairport Convention and now on a long and fruitful solo career does the lions share of the soundtrack recordings and his guitar playing is glorious. In one scene he is shown being advised by Herzog in order to get the feel the director is looking for. Herzog's reaction to Thompson's playing is as interesting as is Thompson's music, running from initial scepticism and doubt to joy. Thompson really manages to capture the loneliness and beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. The bonus material is truly a bonus especially to music lovers.
Overall I'd say this DVD is well worth buying. The bonus/extras material has some great music and other scenes. The film has some of the best nature footage I've ever seen, and Treadwell is a fascinating character. Herzog's portrayal of him and ultimate conclusions surrounding his life are thought provoking if not perhaps a little over the top with Teutonic pessimism. In fact Herzog seems to be drawn to these types of people, those with very odd and individual world views. For example his working with the German actor Klaus Kinski and the documentary concerning the making of the movie Fizcaraldo paints the portrait of Kinski as being close to madness, tormented by personal demons. Like Treadwell, Kinski too claims a closeness to nature and an understanding of it but that claim is belied by his strange and manic behavior. Perhaps that's why Herzog did this movie.
Movie Review: Fading into disillusionment
Summary: 5 Stars
Tragic yet unapologetic, Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" is an in-depth character study of a man who grew increasingly uncomfortable living in society (perhaps because he failed at it) so sought refuge in the Alaskan wilderness with ferocious Grizzlies. Many viewers have complained that the film is about Timothy Treadwell, not bears, but one glance at the title tells you who the protagonist of this documentary is.
Timothy Treadwell grew up "a normal kid", excelled at high school swimming, and seemed fearless when surfing or immersing himself in the ocean. One wonders if this was the beginning of what would become increasingly alarming suicidal behavior. He admitted to problems with alcohol and drugs, to the point where he would drink every day and couldn't pry himself from the lure of the bottle. He came close to death during a drug overdose, and this was his "epiphany", a wake-up call that something needed to change in his life.
So he found his calling trying to protect bears. The ironic thing is, one cannot form an intimate relationship with bears, since they do not experience human emotion. Timothy felt he was doing them an incredible service, but it's a mystery to me (based on the movie) exactly what he did for them. Did he feel his mere presence warded off poachers and thrill-seekers? He educated kids about bears and formed an ecological group dedicated to bears, but the film focuses mainly on his wildly irrational judgment in choosing bears as his companions in a world he deems antagonistic.
I believe Timothy was failing in real life and needed something to make himself feel valued. He admitted to having problems maintaining relationships with women, verbalizing this in an almost despairing way on camera. Since the wilderness was often mind-numbingly boring, he created drama to elicit emotion from himself. In one scene, he mourns the plight of a bumblebee that has perished while "doing its pollen thing". A few seconds later he says, "It moved. Was it just sleeping?" The same could be asked about Timothy Treadwell. A friend states that a doctor wanted to put him on medicine, but he took himself off the drug because he couldn't live with the middle ground that most humans rely on to function. Timothy wanted the "highs and lows". Quite possibly manic-depression made him feel larger-than-life, a hero of nature, a Herculean savior who got mauled by the very animal he was trying to save.
Indeed Timothy appears manic at times, ranting about the Wildlife Service that fails to protect the bears, and declaring himself the only person who cares about them. He barks angrily at God when there hasn't been enough rain and the bears grow so hungry from fish-deprivation they start devouring their young. This is only after his attempt to create a channel in the river fails, and he unknowingly tampers with an ecosystem that should best be left alone. During the movie, Treadwell repeats ad nauseum that he "loves the bears", and also the foxes that frolic around his campsite. I wondered if he was repeating this over and over to try to convince himself that it was true. It is normal to feel love for nature and its beauty, but it is dangerous to relate to an animal that stares at you without a hint of reciprocal passion and will act on instinct to mutilate you if you do something that is deemed even remotely threatening.
Sadly, Timothy tempted fate by staying in the wilds too long, which perhaps was becoming his only comfort zone in a reality he couldn't comform to. His female companion was sacrificed for a cause that Timothy considered noble but was actually a delusion to keep himself productive and satisfy an overwhleming need to conquer his own demons by exorcising himself through animal-preservation. How sad that the animal he was trying to protect was possibly his own worst enemy.
Movie Review: A lot of people think this is a Werner Herzog hoax
Summary: 5 Stars
If you search various internet search engines using "grizzly man hoax", you will find a number of discussion boards where people are intelligently and actively questioning the validity of this story, because so much of the information available to us today is completely suspect, and because the movie views like a mockumentary. I thought this was a hoax when I saw it at the theater, before reading or researching anything about the film or its subject matter. The only other Herzog movie I'd seen at that time was the Loch Ness mockumentary, which was not really that well done. So, I figured, he just got it (a seemingly "airtight" hoax) right this time. I experience huge amounts of cognitive dissonance from the 'information' people give me based solely upon media reports, on a daily basis, so I am not convinced that the information reported anywhere about Timothy Treadwell is valid. After seeing more of Herzog's work, I do believe that he is entirely capable of staging such a hoax, including setting the main character up as a would be nature cinematographer/enthusiast well in advance of the production of the documentary. It wouldn't be impossible for anyone to do, especially Herzog, with years of experience, an iron will, and a demonstrated love of both the absurd and social commentary. We, the public are known to be relatively easily manipulated, as the majority of us take for granted that anything even marginally well stated is believable. I think that could be the real point of the film. Based upon Herzog's other work, I believe that he is mainly a performance artist, and that he just happens to use film as his medium. I believe that this is performance art - the whole thing: the set up, the delivery, and ultimately, the revelation and understanding that it's a hoax designed to measure the public's level of gullibility, which we already know is huge (weapons of mass destruction, anyone?). If you don't believe Herzog capable of such a hoax, just do what I did, and watch a bunch of his movies, including the "Loch Ness Incident", "My Best Fiend"(sic), "Fitzcarraldo", etc., as well as reading discussion boards and reviews that discuss the "hoax" aspect of this film, and if you don't think a man who took a crazed Klaus Kinski into the Amazon jungle for three years and pulled a massive steamship over a mountain and dumped it into deadly rapids using only the manpower of a bunch of Amazonian locals just to put the whole thing on film and maybe make some statements about obsession, greed, imperialism, etc., isn't capable of pulling off a mockumentary of this scale, then I don't know what to tell you. In any case, I've never seen a documentary about one man's angst and tortured existence with so many (or, any, for that matter) hilarious scenes that made the theater audience laugh out loud over and over again, ever before in my life, and I just can't answer the question of why that is without coming to the conclusion "because it's a comedy". If Treadwell did really exist and die in this manner, then the other questions that I and others are asking about the film's veracity and/or intent still remain unanswered. Don't forget that a well respected doctor perpetrated the famous "Loch Ness" photograph hoax and that he waited a long, long time before admitting to the hoax. That guy wasn't even an avant garde filmmaker, just a well educated guy with an idea and a camera who wanted to have some fun and do a little experiment about what people are willing to believe based upon scant evidence.