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Grizzly Man Movie Review

Grizzly Man is a 2005 documentary film directed by Werner Herzog. It’s a powerfully made and thought-provoking movie about a controversial figure.

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“I believe the common denominator of the universe

is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder“

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It chronicles the life and death of bear enthusiast and conservationist Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard at Katmai National Park in Alaska. Treadwell was a man who lived in this park for 13 summers and he lived there in extreme vicinity to these dangerous bears. The fact that he died through such an unfortunate and accidental situation just goes to show that chance plays a crucial role in all of our lives. Or maybe he was always going to die no matter the circumstance given that he lived such a dangerous life. These are the questions that this intriguing movie provokes.

Treadwell is a highly unlikable man. I agree with the final assessment from Herzog, though I found his decision to put his own thoughts an overkill as the interviews and the man’s own footage already showed us what we need to know. But I still concur with his assessment – he was not a victim and he was not an admirable man. Yes, he was psychologically clearly damaged and unstable, but he never did anything good for the bears that he was purportedly trying to help. He clearly had this sort of messianic, egotistic personality that is highly unlikable to me, plus it’s very difficult to empathize with a man who was aware of this danger and still pursued it, not to mention that he brought another person to her demise.

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Grizzly Man also is very much about the ruthless nature of, well, nature. Herzog posits that predators have the instinct to kill first and foremost and that there is no empathy or understanding to be found within their souls whatsoever. While I would personally counter that with the fact that it was an unknown bear that eventually killed Treadwell and not the bears that regularly observed him, this is yet another question that this intriguing film provokes, which is what best documentaries should strive to do.

Werner Herzog has always been more adept at tackling documentaries than narrative filmmaking, which this film proved effortlessly. His interest in human nature, especially in those exhibiting madness and strange lifestyles made him a perfect fit for this particular subject. He could have easily just criticized his subject, but he also focused on his positive qualities, such as his apparent care for the bears and his lighthearted nature. This created a complex take on a very complicated figure.

The film is also gorgeously shot. The footage from Treadwell himself is fascinating and clearly the best footage was chosen to be included. The choice to not include the audio from the couple’s death was a respectable one. Everything here was tackled with respect while still warning us about the dangers of such a lifestyle. The editing is phenomenal as the movie flows well, it is very well structured and just the right amount of interviews was included without interrupting the interesting footage too much. It’s such a technically well made film that also has a lot to say about human nature and our relationship with the natural world and wild animals.

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