Grizzly Man: Werner Herzog's Nature Documentary Turned Character Study
Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man, released in 2005, is a documentary about the fantastical life and career of a fascinating man, Timmy Treadwell. Treadwell spent thirteen years filming and interacting with grizzly bears in Alaska. In those thirteen years, he learned to love and appreciate the bears so much he wanted to live as one himself. “I love them with all my heart; I will protect them; I will die for them. But I will not die at their claws and paws. I will fight. I’ll be strong. I’ll be one of them. I will be the master.”
Most of the documentary footage is of Timmy Treadwell, often shown interacting with the bears and other animals in Alaska, notably a fox. Additional parts of the film include interviews that Herzog conducted with the people close to Treadwell before his untimely and tragic death by bear consumption. Herzog does not idealize Treadwell; he uses his life story to show the chaotic nature of how man interacts with nature. “If I show weakness, if I retreat, I may be hurt, I may be killed. I must hold my own if I’m gonna stay within this land, for once there is weakness, they will exploit it, they will take me out. They will decapitate me; they will chop me into bits and pieces; I’m dead.” In a memorable scene, Herzog takes over the narration to show his disapproval of how Timmy views his place in nature. “I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.”
While this film is a nature documentary with incredible shots of landscape and wildlife, it’s also a character study of one true character of a human being. It’s impossible to look away when Treadwell is on screen. His juvenile and treacherous adoration for grizzly bears edges on insanity, and Herzog centers the film near Treadwell’s strange mental state. Through his filmmaking, we both see the verismo and craziness of his passion.
Treadwell wasn’t always just a guy who hung out around bears. His mysterious and tragic life led him to Alaska. Treadwell was a failed actor, former alcoholic, and drug abuser from the East Coast who claims he found his true purpose with the bears. But Treadwell didn’t just believe his goal was to be with grizzlies. He thought it was his utmost duty: “I am the Lord's humble servant. I am Allah's disciple. I am the Floaty Thing's go-for boy. There has been a miracle here. There has been an absolute miracle!”
While Grizzly Man stands out amongst the large body of Herzog’s filmography, the film follows many of the same themes as his previous works, like a fascination with insanity and insane individuals. While Herzog states his strong opinions on Timmy Treadwell’s life choices, he is a skilled filmmaker in letting the audience craft their own opinion on the subtext of this film. Grizzly Man is a great American story of the antihero and the unhinged spirit of humankind.
