Grizzly Man

Werner Herzog takes a long, unflinching look at Timothy Treadwell, the aggressive conservationist who pitched a tent in the wilderness with grizzly bears for the better part of his life. Treadwell is a fascinating character, almost inhumanly naïve and childish but also extremely knowledgable about the actions of wild animals and the demands of life in the wild. Ultimately he allows this passion to get in the way of good judgment, as he madly rails against new park regulations installing a hundred-yard cushion between man and bear just weeks before becoming grizzly food himself, but there are both positives and negatives to take away from the story. His interactions with wild foxes make for some charming, amazing asides, and the unique perspectives afforded by his lifestyle share an intimate peek into the tendencies and temperament of grizzlies at their least guarded. As a naturalist he's without many peers, but unfortunately he's equally unrivaled as a cautionary tale regarding the volatile, unpredictable disposition of the untamed.

“I will die for these animals.” Grizzly Man is a powerful documentary from Werner Herzog about Timothy Treadwell, a liberal activist who went to the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve to protect grizzly bears, and ended up being killed and eaten by them. Through Treadwell’s own footage the film shows his descent into madness as he loses touch with reality and rejects human society. Yet Herzog remains largely nonjudgmental, and contextualizes the Treadwell tragedy through interviews with his associates and colleagues. Incredibly fascinating, Grizzly Man is an ironic tale of a man’s passion consuming him.