Exploring One Man's Fate in the Alaskan Wilderness
GRIZZLY MAN
SYNOPSIS
In his mesmerizing new film GRIZZLY MAN, acclaimed director Werner Herzog explores the life and death of amateur grizzly bear expert and wildlife preservationist Timothy Treadwell. Treadwell lived unarmed among the bears for thirteen summers, and filmed his adventures in the wild during his final five seasons. In October 2003, Treadwell’s remains, along with those of his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were discovered near their campsite in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Reserve. 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.)
In GRIZZLY MAN, Herzog plumbs not only the mystery of wild nature, but also the mystery of human nature as he chronicles Treadwell’s final years in the wilderness. Herzog uses Treadwell’s own startling documentary footage to paint a nuanced portrait of a complex and compelling figure while exploring larger questions about the uneasy relationship between man and nature.
Founder of the organization Grizzly People, Treadwell devoted his life to the preservation of bears, co-authored a book with Jewel Palovak, Among Grizzlies, and educated thousands of schoolchildren about bears. Treadwell also used his charisma and growing celebrity to spread the grizzly gospel, appearing on television shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, downplaying the dangers of his encounters.
But was Timothy Treadwell a passionate and fearless environmentalist who devoted his life to living peacefully among Alaskan grizzly bears in order to save them? Or was he a deluded misanthrope whose reckless actions resulted in his own death, as well as those of his girlfriend and one of the bears he swore to protect?
Not everyone believed in Treadwell’s unorthodox research. Some locals said that by living among the grizzlies he was crossing a line that had been respected by native Alaskans for thousands of years. Wildlife experts expressed concerns that by taking away the bears’ natural fear of humans — and portraying the animals as cuddly companions — he was doing them more harm than good.
Adding more fuel to the controversy is the fact that aspects of Treadwell’s life remained shrouded in mystery until his death. He lied about his background even to his close friends, claiming to be Australian when in fact he was from a middle-class family in suburban New York. He had a history of serious drug and alcohol problems and had had several run-ins with the law before devoting his life to bears, which he credited with turning his life around.
To provide perspective on his subject, Herzog interviews Treadwell’s friends, family and colleagues as well as environmentalists and wildlife experts, whose opinions about Treadwell vary as widely as Alaska’s extreme landscape.
When Herzog and his longtime editor Joe Bini began screening the footage, they were stunned. “We could not believe it. It couldn’t have been our wildest fantasy to find something like this,” the filmmaker recalls. “We had to stop and walk out of the building. Both of us had quit smoking, and yet we had to smoke a cigarette to take what was coming next. It was one of the great experiences I’ve ever had with film footage. It was so beautiful.”
Some of Treadwell’s sequences were incorporated whole, including the portion where he angrily demands rain from God, Jesus, Allah and “the Hindu floaty thing” – and the rain actually arrives. “No one could edit that better than it was in the camera – raw, uncut,” says Herzog. “It was sometimes very stunning to be allowed to look so deep into the abyss that is the soul of everything a human being is.”
Herzog ultimately felt that the last moments of those thirteen years should remain private. When the fatal attack occurred Treadwell’s camera was switched on; the lens cap was not removed but the audio rolled. Herzog filmed himself listening to the audiotape in Jewel’s presence. Remembers the filmmaker, “Once I heard it, I didn’t waste five seconds to know: this will not be published, not in my film. Period. Even if Jewel had given me the permission and had asked me to include it, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Herzog’s narration adds another layer as the filmmaker offers his own thoughts on Treadwell and his concept of nature. “I do have an ongoing argument with Timothy Treadwell throughout the film,” Herzog acknowledges. “I differ with him and I say so. But it’s a warmhearted argument. It’s like I’m arguing with my own brothers; I love them but we do have arguments once in a while. Not that I can say that I love Timothy Treadwell, but I feel very close, very often. And I feel close to his tragedy.”
Herzog also wanted to honor the actor Treadwell had wanted to be before he discovered bears. “There was such a deep desire in him to be a star, and so I gave him that space to be his own star. And I vowed I would give him the best music to make him the real movie star.”
Jewel Palovak believes GRIZZLY MAN presents a multidimensional picture of the man she knew long and well. “I think Tim really would have liked the film. It might have made him a little uncomfortable in places, just because he’s showing himself so nakedly. But he would have liked GRIZZLY MAN because he was a fearless person in a lot of ways, and it’s a pretty fearless movie.”
QUESTIONS
1. Why did Herzog decide to call the film “Grizzly Man”? Is there a deeper reason that goes beyond the bears?
2. Can we count on Timothy Treadwell as a reliable documenter of his work/life? Consider the opinions of Herzog and others throughout the film.
3. (Screen clip of Jewel receiving wristwatch) Does it feel natural that the camera lingers on Jewel after she receives the wristwatch from the Coroner? Why does Herzog/the editor do this?
4. Why did Herzog decide not to play the audio track of Treadwell and Amie dying when many filmmakers might have? Was it the right decision in your opinion?
GRIZZLY MAN
SYNOPSIS
In his mesmerizing new film GRIZZLY MAN, acclaimed director Werner Herzog explores the life and death of amateur grizzly bear expert and wildlife preservationist Timothy Treadwell. Treadwell lived unarmed among the bears for thirteen summers, and filmed his adventures in the wild during his final five seasons. In October 2003, Treadwell’s remains, along with those of his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were discovered near their campsite in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Reserve. 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.)
In GRIZZLY MAN, Herzog plumbs not only the mystery of wild nature, but also the mystery of human nature as he chronicles Treadwell’s final years in the wilderness. Herzog uses Treadwell’s own startling documentary footage to paint a nuanced portrait of a complex and compelling figure while exploring larger questions about the uneasy relationship between man and nature.
Founder of the organization Grizzly People, Treadwell devoted his life to the preservation of bears, co-authored a book with Jewel Palovak, Among Grizzlies, and educated thousands of schoolchildren about bears. Treadwell also used his charisma and growing celebrity to spread the grizzly gospel, appearing on television shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, downplaying the dangers of his encounters.
But was Timothy Treadwell a passionate and fearless environmentalist who devoted his life to living peacefully among Alaskan grizzly bears in order to save them? Or was he a deluded misanthrope whose reckless actions resulted in his own death, as well as those of his girlfriend and one of the bears he swore to protect?
Not everyone believed in Treadwell’s unorthodox research. Some locals said that by living among the grizzlies he was crossing a line that had been respected by native Alaskans for thousands of years. Wildlife experts expressed concerns that by taking away the bears’ natural fear of humans — and portraying the animals as cuddly companions — he was doing them more harm than good.
Adding more fuel to the controversy is the fact that aspects of Treadwell’s life remained shrouded in mystery until his death. He lied about his background even to his close friends, claiming to be Australian when in fact he was from a middle-class family in suburban New York. He had a history of serious drug and alcohol problems and had had several run-ins with the law before devoting his life to bears, which he credited with turning his life around.
To provide perspective on his subject, Herzog interviews Treadwell’s friends, family and colleagues as well as environmentalists and wildlife experts, whose opinions about Treadwell vary as widely as Alaska’s extreme landscape.
When Herzog and his longtime editor Joe Bini began screening the footage, they were stunned. “We could not believe it. It couldn’t have been our wildest fantasy to find something like this,” the filmmaker recalls. “We had to stop and walk out of the building. Both of us had quit smoking, and yet we had to smoke a cigarette to take what was coming next. It was one of the great experiences I’ve ever had with film footage. It was so beautiful.”
Some of Treadwell’s sequences were incorporated whole, including the portion where he angrily demands rain from God, Jesus, Allah and “the Hindu floaty thing” – and the rain actually arrives. “No one could edit that better than it was in the camera – raw, uncut,” says Herzog. “It was sometimes very stunning to be allowed to look so deep into the abyss that is the soul of everything a human being is.”
Herzog ultimately felt that the last moments of those thirteen years should remain private. When the fatal attack occurred Treadwell’s camera was switched on; the lens cap was not removed but the audio rolled. Herzog filmed himself listening to the audiotape in Jewel’s presence. Remembers the filmmaker, “Once I heard it, I didn’t waste five seconds to know: this will not be published, not in my film. Period. Even if Jewel had given me the permission and had asked me to include it, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Herzog’s narration adds another layer as the filmmaker offers his own thoughts on Treadwell and his concept of nature. “I do have an ongoing argument with Timothy Treadwell throughout the film,” Herzog acknowledges. “I differ with him and I say so. But it’s a warmhearted argument. It’s like I’m arguing with my own brothers; I love them but we do have arguments once in a while. Not that I can say that I love Timothy Treadwell, but I feel very close, very often. And I feel close to his tragedy.”
Herzog also wanted to honor the actor Treadwell had wanted to be before he discovered bears. “There was such a deep desire in him to be a star, and so I gave him that space to be his own star. And I vowed I would give him the best music to make him the real movie star.”
Jewel Palovak believes GRIZZLY MAN presents a multidimensional picture of the man she knew long and well. “I think Tim really would have liked the film. It might have made him a little uncomfortable in places, just because he’s showing himself so nakedly. But he would have liked GRIZZLY MAN because he was a fearless person in a lot of ways, and it’s a pretty fearless movie.”
QUESTIONS
1. Why did Herzog decide to call the film “Grizzly Man”? Is there a deeper reason that goes beyond the bears?
2. Can we count on Timothy Treadwell as a reliable documenter of his work/life? Consider the opinions of Herzog and others throughout the film.
3. (Screen clip of Jewel receiving wristwatch) Does it feel natural that the camera lingers on Jewel after she receives the wristwatch from the Coroner? Why does Herzog/the editor do this?
4. Why did Herzog decide not to play the audio track of Treadwell and Amie dying when many filmmakers might have? Was it the right decision in your opinion?
