I’d just like to start off by saying that this review is entirely nonpartisan, and that I have no intentions of enforcing any political spin on it. I also refuse to touch on the controversy over the film’s integrity; hoax conspiracies, etc. I walked into Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man knowing next to nothing about bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell and came out having experienced a harrowing narrative of a deeply troubled man. The film is a success because it evokes emotion, it isn’t stale or hollow, and it holds your interest. Asinine debating aside, it’s pretty solid filmmaking. Now, admittedly, I’ve only seen about a handful of documentaries, so I remain a bit skeptical regarding Herzog’s subjective take on the events; however, his zealous commentary could simply be indicative of his respect for Treadwell, who – for what it’s worth – was truly committed to his cause.
Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve is where Treadwell spent thirteen, video-documented summers observing bears and, needless to say, met an inevitable demise. Segments of Treadwell’s last five summers were extracted from and covered in Herzog’s documentary, which examines both the logical and sentimental slants on Treadwell’s death. When it comes to understanding men as intricate as Treadwell, you have to consider the motives behind their behavior. Treadwell was a zany character through and through, and those familiar with him prior to his budding fame were aware of this, but they were also aware of his fervid relationship with the environment.
We should also acknowledge Treadwell’s background and upbringing, as he was raised in a fairly animal-centric home and even held a close bond with a stuffed bear that he cherished well into adulthood. He was a man who literally wanted to “mutate” into a wild animal and live amongst the bears he observed so passionately. His technique was quite intense, jarring even, but his admirers characterized him as a man who had only the best intentions, if not a bit misguided at times.
Then there were Treadwell’s critics, ranging from those of commonsense to those of unfounded criticisms. Herzog interviews several bear experts, a couple who were under the impression that Treadwell had a death wish and foolishly crossed the boundaries of nature. Herzog implies in the film that “bear world” is a harsh world, one that we as humans can never be a part of due to our vast differences. Of course, any sane individual would never dream of invading a bear’s territory, because those of sound mind value their life. Some skeptics believed that Treadwell was actually dangerous, doing more harm than good by attempting to habituate bears; which only leads the bears to believe that all humans are safe, which of course, isn't the case. Treadwell’s harsher critics, ignorant of the facts, were only able to define him as a man breaking the norms of society, thus opting to file him under “liberal wackos”.
The moment we assume the abyss housing Treadwell’s kinks and quirks has been filled, we begin to spot several cracks leaking with more questionable evidence concerning the "gentle warrior's" motives. Alcoholism and drug-addiction riddled Treadwell’s life at an early age, and even halted his academic pursuits. He was also interested in celebrity as a youth; he auditioned for Love Connection and Cheers, the latter in which he auditioned for the "bartender role" and was second only to a Mr. Woody Harrelson. He even created an alter-ego – an Australian orphan – to further his career. As our suspicions mount, we discover that Treadwell was planning to edit his documented footage into a television show and catapult himself to stardom. So, with this information, Treadwell’s true intentions become a bit obscure, but if anything’s certain, the man had impenetrable resolve.
I mentioned earlier that Herzog’s opinionated narrative was a bit off-putting, but he makes several valid points. When Herzog comments on his inability to see anything other than hunger and indifference on these animals’ faces, rather than kinship and understanding, I had to submissively concur. Harmony is wishful thinking in this world, and Grizzly Man brings us to the haunting realization that "the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos."
8/10
Excellent post. You get right to the movie's strong points but also bring up the subject of the "truth" that resides in documentaries, in general. That truth is there, all right, but often it takes some heavy-going to find it. Herzog's great strength is his exploration of the subject at hand so thoroughly that he gets at many truths -- about Treadwell, fame, bears and more -- maybe without even realizing it.
ReplyDelete