Grizzly Man is the haunting and tragic tale of Timothy Treadwell. A flamboyant and controversial conservationist who spent the latter part of his life living with Grizzly Bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park.
A complex and emotional character, Treadwell’s mission to protect the bears and educate the public was brought to a horrific halt towards the end of his 13th summer in the park, when both he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed and eaten by a 28 year old male Grizzly.
The film is directed by acclaimed German film maker Werner Herzog who provides
narration and briefly appears in the film, as he examines Treadwell’s relationship with the bears, his life before them, and Treadwell’s extraordinary video footage of his interactions with the park’s creatures.
The director is clearly moved by Treadwell’s increasingly desperate story and by Treadwell’s video chronicles in which he revealed so much of himself, ironically, describing the bears as his salvation and purpose in life following prolonged periods of heavy drinking and depression.
One must be ballsy or insane to stare down an adult grizzly bear on a daily basis but this is what Treadwell did. He found a way of living amongst them without incident for 13 years.
During that time his love for the bears grew and he began to reject his own species. Treadwell would often growl at people he encountered in the park and he spoke of mutating into a bear. Furthermore, his anthropomorphic treatment of all the animals in the film is evident throughout.
Inevitably his treatment divided opinion with some saying he basically got what he was asking for whilst supporters praised him as a passionate conservationist, a lover of nature and a talented videographer.
As a passionate advocate for bears he raged against the National Park Service who essentially wanted him to be more careful so as to prevent what happened from happening.
But by this point, Treadwell’s own identity and purpose in life was so closely tied to his interactions with the bears that any interference or perceived challenge to what he was doing was met with a bear like animosity.
However, as Herzog points out, Treadwell’s video diaries were embued with a beauty and wonder rarely captured by more seasoned film makers. His personal demons were kept in check by his encounters with the bears and their neighbours, most notably the family of foxes with whom he shared his campsite.
At times, he reconnects with his life outside of the Grizzly Maze, asking himself why he isn’t more of a success with women. He is at pains to point out he is a ladies man and that he’s ‘good’ with them. He is amusingly camp in the way he talks to the animals and I found myself wondering if this was something else he was avoiding addressing back in the ‘human’ world.
There are a number of humanising moments where the grizzly man persona is dropped and any irritation at his behaviour is forgiven. The story of his death is gruesome but in life Timothy Treadwell found beauty amongst the beasts, and a kind of redemption too.
Steel Town Rambler rating : 8.5/10
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