Grizzly Man

Last night we saw Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man. I wasn't sure that I wanted to see this film. The idea of bear loving guy getting killed by bears didn't seem especially uplifting.

Herzog integrates footage shot by Timothy Treadwell over 13 summers watching bears in Alaska with reflections by family, friends, colleagues and officials such as the coroner. The whole thing is eerie, as the outcome is known before you watch the movie, and you see Treadwell repeating how dangerous his efforts are.

Herzog narrates the film and endeavors to be even-handed. The friends who think Treadwell is a hero, saving bears by petting them and living with them, are balanced off against academics and others who wonder if Treadwell was harming the bears more than helping them. The film is nice to look at and interestingly constructed, but I found parts interesting/questionable. For example, Herzog comments on the unique moments that the camera captures after the subjects think a shot is over. In Treadwell's footage, this reveals interesting nature shots, or animal shots or revelations from Treadwell. Herzog employs this technique more purposefully, and given his comment it seems almost creepy. Several times individuals give their acount for the camera, yet Herzog has the camera linger on them afterwards for stark effect. I think in the context of this film, that technique just made me uncomfortable watching it.

Apparently, more is on the way " Leonardo DiCaprio's production company Appian Way has teamed up with Sony/Columbia Pictures to develop a film on Timothy Treadwell."

Grizzly Man official site
IMDB site

Here's a website for the true believers.

Adding to the nicely produced feel of the movie, Richard Thompson wrote the soundtrack; there is a preview MP3 on his site. Jim O'Rourke also played on the soundtrack.