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Grizzly Man [2005]


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The obsessional/delusional as objet trouvee
Review date: 2007-12-09 Rating: 8 out of 10

The love-it or hate-it responses of the Amazon viewership to Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man illustrate quite nicely the theory that art exists not wholly formed on the page, canvas or celluloid, but somewhere between the viewer and the "text". If you come to this film expecting a beautifully shot wild-life documentary and hoping for a picturesque education about bears and the Alaskan wilderness, you'll be sorely disappointed. The wildlife footage - some quite remarkable, notwithstanding - was shot by a paranoid loner on a handycam. You'll also have no-one to blame but yourself, since nothing about the film, even down to its name, let alone its maker, is suggestive for a moment that that's what it's about.

If, on the other hand, you come armed with some background knowledge about German director Werner Herzog and what he's about - not ordinarily a documentary maker as such, although some of his feature films have an almost documentary quality to them as studies in human obsession (not least his own) - your expectations will be quite different, and I dare say your reaction to Grizzly Man will be too.

Over forty years Herzog has obsessionally directed obsessional actors (Bruno S, Klaus Kinski) depicting obsessional/delusional figures (Kinski as a psychopathic conquistador Aguirre searching for El Dorado, a barmy opera nut Fitzcarraldo with a dream of bringing high art to the deepest recesses of the Amazon rainforest, and as the good Count in Nosferatu: The Vampyre; Bruno S as Kaspar Hauser, a man trapped from birth for 20 years in a windowless dungeon in rural Germany, or in Strozsek as a man resemblent of himself vainly trying to escape his condemning past by going to America), in obsessional ways (Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo both filmed on location; in Aguirre Herzog allegedly held Kinski at gunpoint to prevent him walking out; in Fitzcarraldo when the script called for a paddle steamer being pushed by hand over the crest from one valley to the next, Herzog required his cast to actually carry out the operation).

Seen in this context, Timothy Treadwell represents a sort of found-object sculpture for Herzog: you couldn't make this up, and for much of the documentary, Herzog is arranger, art director and chief contextualiser; providing background interview material only to back up his own view of the world, which he openly concedes is quite contrary to Treadwell's (such as Treadwell's was a coherent world-view: that's a moot point). So to complain that Herzog is distorting; contorting; contriving an outcome is also (to my mind) to miss the point. Yes, he is, just as Marcel Duchamp was contorting the true purpose of a urinal by inverting it, signing it, and entering it in an art exhibition. That's what artists do.

While it may be selectively edited, it is difficult, all the same, to conceive that what Herzog left out might negative the impression that Treadwell was an ignorant, paranoid, delusional burn-out, and that his most impressive achievement was not being eaten earlier.

Herzog is by no means completely unsympathetic to Treadwell, but he sees him not as a naturalist but a natural film-maker. Some of the footage - when Treadwell can keep his sorry face out of it - is quite extraordinary, and reminiscent of some of the German director's own impressionist output, as Herzog remarks. As he was director, cameraman and star, Treadwell often had no alternative but to leave the camera running, and Herzog draws our attention to it - the random play of rushes in blustery wind reminiscent of the opening scene from The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, which reflects on a ripe stand of barley in much the same way. And the final shot of the film, wherein we see Treadwell hiking away from the camera towards the perils of nature - bears, mountains, brewing inclement weather - is not unreminiscent of Bruno Ganz's departure into the Transylvanian mountains to confront the count in Nosferatu.

There are some aspects of the film I found less persuasive, and in particular Herzog's melodramatic decision to film himself listening, on earphones, to an audio-tape of Treadwell's actual death, then commending its possessor, a former girlfriend of Treadwell, to destroy it without listening. Herzog has managed to find a consistently weird cast of hangers on, ex lovers and Treadwell fans - and the oddest coroner I've ever seen - to backfill Treadwell's story - and while this does lend proceedings the unfortunate air of a Christopher Guest mockumentary, I expect it is no more than anyone would find if one poked around in remote Alaska long enough.

I loved this film. If you did, I would heartily recommend a look at Herzog's classic seventies output in particular featuring Klaus Kinski, which is anthologised in a pretty economical single edition: Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski: A Film Legacy

Olly Buxton

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Reviews


well, thats what will happen...
Review date: 2007-07-25 Rating: 6 out of 10

long islander, timothy treadwell, was clearly a guy with some social problems. he was probably a victim of bullying etc from a young age and then got into drugs. he moved to alaska with a strange notion of befriending some of the most dangerous mammals known to man. he looks for in bears, what he could not get in most human relationship - he is looking for human friendship from bears! yes, he had lost it (but he could have done worse, killed people or something). Treadwell spends over a decade without putting a foot wrong ... then bears have a lean period (no fish) and decide to eat the annoying guy.

I have respect for the documentary maker but little or no respect for the man himself (who went there to 'protect his friends' and certainly just made bears more used to human contact - which is bad for people and bears alike). Interviews are interesting for an armchair psychologist (many of the Alaskan residents interviewed are highly self indulgent, emotional recluses) and perhaps serves as a graphic example of how people brought up on disney and teddy bears can get themselves in to trouble! haha

Nuts.
Review date: 2007-06-09 Rating: 8 out of 10

This guy is an absolute wacko. He says that he's there to study and protect bears but he does neither. The one time he sees someone harm a bear he hides. There is nothing that constitutes studying either - he has absolutely zero biological knowledge.

He friends and acquaintances seem slightly detached from the real world too. His actor friend thinks he's at an audition and really over-dramatises the interview. The coroner's pretty theatrical too.

In summary, this DVD is more about Treadwell's delusional world than grizzly bears. I actually laughed out loud at some of his antics. He does get some very close up footage and it's remarkable that he wasn't eaten sooner. Treadwell states over and over again that he'd die for the bears and in the end he did. Should've just stuck to foxes.

Tragic....
Review date: 2007-05-08 Rating: 6 out of 10


This is an unusual documentary to say the least.

The exploits of Timothy Treadwell are famous for many reasons, the most apparent is his complete insanity.

As you watch the film progress Timothys video diaries become less and less about the bears and more about his bizare behaviour, temper tantrums, paranoid delusions and dangerous flair for the reckless and unpredictable. He ignored the rules put there for his own safety and the safety of the bears, frequently put himself and others in incredibly dangerous situations and frankly i'm surprised he lasted as long as he did. I think his fundamental lack of understanding of what wild animals are and his arrogance (not to mention a very large, hungry bear) were the ultimate cause of his untimely death.

Although he did film some amazing footage of the bears in their natural enviroment was it worth the price he paid in the end? I don't think so.

I'm surprised the federal government tolerated his presence at all. If they had stepped in and removed him from the reserve would it have saved his life? Perhaps.

Insightful, Sad and Poignant Documentary
Review date: 2007-03-24 Rating: 8 out of 10

Werner Herzog's 2005 documentary "Grizzly Man" is a documentary that effortlessly captures the attention of the viewer. This is a documentary that is insightful, sad and poignant throughout. Intentionally insightful, sad and poignant; "Grizzly Man" is also a documentary that -- either intentionally or unintentionally -- manages to be funny at times. For a documentary about a man and his girlfriend being killed brutally by a wild bear, its refreshing that this isn't just another of those depressing pieces of film constantly throughout.

"Grizzly Man" focuses on a man named Timothy Treadwell. For thirteen consecutive summers he camped out in Katmai in the Alaskan Peninsula so that he could live amongst bears. That was until one of the wild bears in question brutally killed and ate Timothy along with his girlfriend Amie Huguenard. Using footage that Timothy recorded during the final five years of his visits to the grizzly bear habitat, "Grizzly Man" paints an emotional, awe-inspiring portrait of the troubled wildlife enthusiast.

Though it focuses primarily on the brutal death of the man in question (and that of the aforementioned girlfriend) "Grizzly Man" refrains from being just another exploitative documentary. Herzog purposefully doesn't allow the final audio recording that captured Timothy's horrific demise (the camera lens itself was still covered by its cap) and compassionately advises the owner that she never listen to it and that she should destroy it.

And while the compassionate, human styling of Herzog's documentary serves as one of its greatest strengths it is he himself that drags it down slightly. As footage filmes by Treadwell plays out on screen Herzog too often steps in and voices his own opinions on whats happening with Treadwell at certain moments in the given footage. A scene where the emotionally troubled Treadwell, a man growing more naive and distanced from human kind, comes across a half eaten baby fox should be an emotional, devastating scene. However, Herzog's interruption in which he states beliefs to the contrary to those Treadwell is expressing in the footage takes away from the harsh scene -- even if Herzog is trying to point out the harshness of it all. As the film goes along Herzog begins to narrate far too much, and it takes away from what otherwise could have been a brilliant documentary.

Taken from over one hundred hours of footage that Treadwell had recorded himself, "Grizzly Man" gains more strength from the subject's own recordings than through Herzog's attempts at being insightful with the interviews with those that knew Treadwell. Had more of the film Treadwell himself filmed replaced Herzog's interviews this would have certainly been better. The emotion and detachment expressed in his own footage depicts accurately enough how deeply troubled and confused the tragic man was.

"Grizzly Man" is an insightful, sad and poignant documentary that manages to be funny and charming throughout as well. This is a harrowing and occasionally hilarious film and is something I can easily reccomend. Almost brilliant.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Timothy Treadwell

Creators:
Timothy Treadwell (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Revolver Entertainment
Manufacturer: Revolver Entertainment
EAN: 5060018488752
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-05-01
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 104 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005
Language: English (Original Language)

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