Grizzly Man

The Discovery Channel ^ | Feb. 3 2006 | n/a

[jordan8]

Timothy Treadwell, tireless and passionate advocate for grizzly bears, was killed in October 2003 by the beast he so fervently adored and tried to protect. His remains, along with those of his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were discovered near their campsite in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve. They had been mauled and devoured by a grizzly, the first known victims of a bear attack in the park. The bear suspected of the killings was later shot by park officials.

Director Werner Herzog's film uses Treadwell's own startling documentary footage to paint a nuanced portrait of this complex and compelling figure while exploring larger questions about the uneasy relationship between man and nature. Discovery Docs, Discovery Channel's theatrical documentary unit, has partnered with Lions Gate Entertainment's new feature-length documentary unit to co-produce Grizzly Man.

At the heart of Grizzly Man is the spectacular footage of enormous grizzlies hunting, playing and fighting just feet from Treadwell and his camera. Treadwell shot these scenes over his last four visits to the Alaskan wilderness, apparently with the intention of creating a wildlife documentary. Even more fascinating, though, are the times Treadwell turns the camera on himself, alternately testifying to his almost religious love for the grizzlies and revealing less attractive, all too human emotions, including vanity, rage, paranoia and loneliness.

[maxamillion]

Sorry, mispelled Toklat.........

[Bean Counter]

Folks, you need to tape this one. My sides still ache this morning from laughing so hard. I was fine until they got to the part about 'ol Timmy's first job being at "Nick's Pansy Farm", and I lost it from then on. This absolutely hands down beats anything that Hollywierd has produced in the last 20 years. It is that entertaining.

They didn't air the audio of him being eaten, and the six minutes it took for the scraming and moaning to stop, but the interviews with the bush pilots who cleaned up leaves you no doubt about how brutally the bear savaged Timmy and his girlfriend.

Deeply disturbing in that he was allowed access to children with his tripe. One can only hope that his profanity was edited out before he presented it to school children. And it is quite apparant that this looie-tune equated himself as a peer with God. Well, God got the last laugh, didn't he Timmy? He granted Timmy 13 years to be sure that being eaten alive was his preferred way to die.

That said, this Documentary about a Documentary is a keeper. This validates every word that has ever been spoken about Environmental Wackos, vegans, ELF, ALF, Pansies, and those who love them. Truly a must see.

[UlsterDavy]

Grizzlies TWO Eco-environmentalist wack jobs ZERO

THIS WAS HILARIOUS! I had tivo'ed this and watched half of it last night.

I expected to see in-depth great shots of these beautiful grizzlies in action but instead we got this dark comedy - from the start we thought this guy was an insane wack job.

When we heard the airport man describe him as insane and saying "he thinks he's playing with men in bear suits" we split our sides.

Then a museum guy described him as doing more harm than good living with grizzlies.

Then a fox started playing with his baseball hat and ran away with it. To cries of "where are you going with my hat", then "come back with my hat" to him chasing the fox trying to get his hat back and him swearing when the fox disappeared into his den. PRICELESS!

This guy showed that he was nothing but a pansy arse liberal. This guy makes environmental wackos look almost sane.

Yeah the guy died at the hands of grizzlies but you know, you live by it you die by it. He mentioned so many times how "dangerous" this was, how "he could be killed at any moment" and how he was "protecting these animals". He told a friend that his cause would be "more respected if he was to die at the hands of grizzlies". You have to wonder.

This guy was a failed actor who "came second to Woody Harrelson for the bar job in Cheers". My wife said he was manic depressive. He had his highs and his lows.

To top it off, one of the creatures that he was "protecting" mauled him and his girlfriend to death. Then that bear was shot to death. Then that bear was eaten by other bears. The wack jobs probably think this is reincarnation.

Summary: If this left wing liberal eco wack job came into (and lived was it 13 summers in) my domain, talked to me, sang to me and tried to pet me when I didn't want it - I would be pissed off too.

Grizzlies TWO Eco-environmentalist wack jobs ZERO

[martin_fierro]

I've been meaning to watch this "documentary" in order to decide whether it's a dangerously irresponsible anthromorphization or snuff flick.

Or both.

Treadwell's folly was a tiny Jonestown Massacre-by-bear. His foolishness resulted not only in the deaths of him and his girlfriend, but also in that of the bear -- just for being a bear.

[Beagle8U]

There is a reason that persons with an IQ higher than plant life shoot bears with a gun, not a camera.

God made some people smarter because he didn't want liberals, eco-twits, and morons to populate the world in any great numbers.

To bad about the bear though, what a waste, it would have made a nice rug.

[angkor]

Well, then. Welcome to Werner Herzog's brilliant film repetoire. Tim Treadwell was Herzog's ideal character, and his story was right out of a Herzog film.

http://www.wernerherzog.com/main/index_html.htm

BELLS FROM THE DEEP
Film about faith and superstition in Russia, a look deep into the Russian soul.

EVEN DWARFS STARTED SMALL
Werner Herzog`s bleak vision of a rebellion and the resulting mayhem in an institution. The entire world is inhabited by midgets.

GOD'S ANGRY MAN
Dr. Gene Scott, an American TV preacher, manages to collect several hundred thousand dollars within 30 minutes. A film about a monomaniac and a nationwide malaise, a film about greed and currency.

LA SOUFRIÈRE
A report about an inevitable catastrophe that did not take place...

LESSONS OF DARKNESS
An apocalyptic vision featuring the oilwell fires in Kuwait after the Gulf-War, as a whole world burst into flames. This film is stylized as science fiction, as there is not a single shot in which you can recognize our planet.

WHEEL OF TIME
Documentary film about the largest Buddhist ritual to promote peace and tolerance, held by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya, India and Graz, Austria in 2002, including exclusive interviews with the Dalai Lama, access to secret rituals for the first time on film as well as footage of a pilgrimage to the Holy Mount Kailash in Tibet.

FITZCARRALDO
Werner Herzog's gigantic jungle adventure ... Already a piece of German film history.

FATA MORGANA
Fata Morgana ("Mirage") is a science-fiction elegy of dead or demented colonialism in the Sahara. Much of the footage consists of filmed mirages.

WODAABE - HERDSMEN OF THE SUN
A fascinating portrait of the Wodaabe tribe of the Sahara, who consider themselves the world's most beautiful people.

[angkor]

I've been meaning to watch this "documentary" in order to decide whether it's a dangerously irresponsible anthromorphization or snuff flick.

It's neither. Herzog doesn't make a hero of the whacky Treadwell. Nor does he impale him. It's realistic, and there's no "snuff" whatsoever. Nothing.

I don't know why you put quotes around "documentary", because that's what it is. That's Herzog's specialty.

You guys need to separate the message from the messenger. Herzog is one of the great filmmakers of the 20th century.

[xsrdx]

He was sort of a looney idealist who envisioned himself as a lone hero/protector who thought nature was a beautiful Bambi-like oasis. And that the bears were his cuddly friends.

Enjoyed the film. The irony is unavoidable and monumental - which is what makes the movie so riveting.

This guy truly believed he had some great role to play, and got away with it for a very long time.

That he met such a stunningly violent end adds grim perspective and depth to the analysis.

[from occupied ga]

Timothy Treadwell, tireless and passionate advocate for grizzly bears

Treadwell, tireless and passionate advocate for grizzly bears psychotic loon with a death wish

[martin_fierro]

You guys need to separate the message from the messenger.

Which is what, in your opinion? Like I said, I haven't seen the Herzog flick -- but I know what Treadwell did.

[from occupied ga]

I wouldn't get anywhere near a bear with anything less than a 44 mag. And some damn hot custom loads.

a 44 mag. .300 Weatherby Magnum would be a lot safer.

[DouglasKC]

This guy showed that he was nothing but a pansy arse liberal. This guy makes environmental wackos look almost sane.

I totally agree with your review. This guy was amazingly loony. He supposedly loves the animals so much, but his hatred for people was intense. This was clear when he made that video where he was ranting about the people in the park service...the organization that was making it possible for the bears to live unmolested!

What was scary was that this loon was being invited to speak at schools about grizzlies. Talk about letting a sick mind influence kids.

[USNBandit]

Before seeing the documentary I figured this guy was a tree hugging freak who stepped over the line.

After seeing the documentary my impression was completely different. It is fairly obvious that he had some mental issues. His grandiose delusions took him to a place he didn't belong. Seeing his antics on film I can't see why anybody would be dumb enough to go into the wilderness with this guy. It is too bad the people surrounding him didn't see what was obviously somebody that needed help.

I thought the documentary was pretty well done, and I felt Herzog left the viewer to draw his own conclusions from what they saw. People like Treadwell will see this as a horrible tragedy. People grounded in reality will see Treadwell for what he was......

[angkor]

"the message from the messenger.".... Which is what, in your opinion?

The stuff that Herzog always makes movies and documentaries about: human folly, overreaching ambition, hubris, deliberate blindspots, self-deception, ignoring reality. Sometimes accidental nobility, but mostly not.

As most here would agree, those characteristics define Treadwell's self-appointed "mission on earth". He repeatedly says "I am protecting the bears, and no one else is." But he's not, really. He's exploiting them (and the wilderness) for his own psychic benefit. Hubris, self-deception, and folly run thick in Treadwell's veins. (IIRC, Herzog even mentions the possibility of flat-out narcissism.)

So don't go after Herzog because he's made yet another film about a strange person with strange ideas. That's what he always does.

[MarMema]

I loved this film and I even enjoyed Treadwell in it. The guy was a riot!

I especially loved the scene with him running in front of the fox, and also the ones where he would redo the takes because he fell or something.

I thought the one where he apparently smacked the grizzly on the nose or face was incredible, and then scolded it as it walked away. "Don't You Do that!!"

[MarMema]

The man was fascinating to watch in his insanity.

Exactly. And also endearing, perhaps in a little boy way, in much of it. I could have skipped all the interviews and just watched Treadwell in his own films happily, for hours.

[martin_fierro]

Well then I'll have to watch with all that in mind.

But if I detect so much as a whiff of "All Actions Are Justifiable So Long As One Acts 'Passionately'" or "The Only Truth Is That There Is None", I'm gonna be all over it.

[MarMema]

I think it's a great, great movie. But I guess it's not for everyone.

I am seriously thinking of purchasing it. You're not alone.

[MarMema]

Herzog is one of the great filmmakers of the 20th century.

He really did do an outstanding job. And his commentary on film making was interesting.

In fact he made the point I came to believe. Treadwell was whatever he was, but the film he took is either enjoyable, fascinating, or just incredible to see.

[Bean Counter]

I am still waiting to see who the Freeper will be that owns up to sending the letter about feeding more Libs and Dems to bears, and raising more grizzlies to ship off to Berkeley...

Whoever sent that ought to deeply proud of themselves...