"Grizzly Man" movie

Year: 2005

Type: Documentary/Biography

Region: USA

Production Company:

Language: English

Release Date: January 24, 2005 (Monday)

English Title: Grizzly Man

Screenwriter: Werner Herzog

Director: Werner Herzog

Statistics: 32 subscribers

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427312/ (7.8)

Introduction:

In this soul-stirring documentary, it tells the story of wildlife conservationist Timothy Treadwell's life-and-death devotion to bears. During Treadwell's lifetime, he spent a total of 13 years living unprotected alongside grizzly bears. The film documents his last five years of thrilling experiences.

In the summer of 1989, Timothy Treadwell embarked on his first trip to Alaska. He saw grizzly bears for the first time while camping in the McNeil River National Wildlife Refuge. This experience sparked Treadwell's wild inspiration, and from then on, he decided to dedicate his entire life to the conservation of grizzlies and their habitats. In this soul-stirring documentary, it tells the story of wildlife conservationist Timothy Treadwell's life-and-death devotion to bears. During Treadwell's lifetime, he spent a total of 13 years living unprotected alongside grizzly bears. The film documents his last five years of thrilling experiences.

In the summer of 1989, Timothy Treadwell embarked on his first trip to Alaska. He saw grizzly bears for the first time while camping in the McNeil River National Wildlife Refuge. This experience sparked Treadwell's wild inspiration, and from then on, he decided to dedicate his entire life to the conservation of grizzlies and their habitats. In 1992, Treadwell began camping alone in Katmai National Park and Preserve, often appearing when the bears hunted salmon by the river. Treadwell recorded the first ten years of his experiences in words and photographs, co-authored with his close friend and colleague Jewel Palovak "Among Grizzlies," and founded the "Bearman Association." In 1999, Treadwell began filming his daily life in Katmai with a camera, and thousands of schoolchildren learned about bear characteristics and habits through his explanations.

As Treadwell's fame grew, images of these giants playing and fighting daily appeared on television screens, gradually drawing attention to the survival conditions and status of the grizzly population. Yet Treadwell remained as ever, away from people, living with the grizzlies. In October 2003, Treadwell's body and that of his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were found near their campsite in Katmai National Park and Preserve, marking the first fatal bear attack in the area. Evidence suggests they were attacked by a grizzly bear, leaving their bodies mutilated. Thus, Treadwell finally sacrificed his life in pursuit of his lifelong passion for bears.

One-line Review:

"In nature, there are boundaries. One man spent the last 13 years of his life crossing them."

"Grizzly Man," astonishing complexity! — BBC Film Reviews

"Grizzly Man" is the convergence of Treadwell's fanatical idealism and Herzog's cold worldview. — Chicago Sun-Times

Alaska gave Treadwell immense comfort, so he ignored those dangers. — Visual Weekly

Treadwell found his home in the vast wilderness, but his disdain for human civilization led him to cross the line of what the grizzlies could endure. — San Francisco Chronicle

Behind-the-Scenes Production:

[About the Movie]

Werner Herzog presents two opposing views in "Grizzly Man": Is nature benevolent or cruelly indifferent? These two perspectives run throughout the movie, allowing Herzog to let them freely debate until Treadwell and his girlfriend's death forces the audience to accept the latter. Despite reaching such a conclusion, Herzog does not mean to blame Treadwell; he respects this "crusader," tolerates all kinds of flaws in him, and praises the courage he shows under the shadow of inevitable death.

"Grizzly Man" marks a commendable shift for Herzog, the great German director who is fascinated by human dreams and creativity, capturing an entirely new image. "Grizzly Man" deviates from his usual principles — he allows the characters in the film to express themselves freely, not as a "producer" but as a "guide" leading through this chaotic maze. Thus, Herzog humbly hides himself in the film, letting Treadwell's ghost speak for itself, though Herzog's voice remains present throughout. And it quietly leads to the conclusion: Nature is indifferent, but human courage deserves even greater praise.

[About the Director]

In 1942, a boy named Werner Stipetić was born in Munich. Later, the boy changed his surname to Herzog, which means "duke" in German. This boy would become the leading figure of the New German Cinema movement and rank 35th among the "world's greatest directors" according to the American entertainment weekly, Werner Herzog. After World War II ended, Herzog's father abandoned him and his mother, who had Serbian roots, forcing them to relocate to a remote village in Bavaria. At the age of 13, Herzog lived in the same apartment building as Klaus Kinski. Kinski seemed to inspire the young Herzog, and from then on, he decided to become a director. In the same year, Herzog was asked to sing a song at school but strongly refused, almost getting expelled. Consequently, until he was 18, he never listened to music, sang a song, or played any musical instrument. At the age of 15, Herzog wrote his first script and worked part-time as a welder in a steel factory. He shot his first short film using a stolen 35mm camera from a film school. Through relentless effort, Herzog completed his first movie at the age of 19. Herzog's films have a very strong personal style; through experiencing real-life, his visuals convey credibility that sometimes causes discomfort. To date, he has directed 50 films, winning the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Jury Prize and Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival. "Grizzly Man" received the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

[Interview with Herzog by the Los Angeles Times]

Joe Robertson: Before Treadwell's tragic incident, we already see his disregard for basic safety measures. For example, there's one scene where he takes off his clothes, walks into the river, and approaches a grizzly bear coming ashore. What do you think drove him to get so close to the grizzlies?

Herzog: We can only guess. I think explaining it with his desire to protect the grizzlies is highly deceptive. A more significant reason might be that he was tormented by guilt; he used to be an alcoholic and a drug addict. Likely, he needed the bears' comfort more than they needed his. If I were protecting those bears, I wouldn't get that close. In over a hundred hours of footage, Treadwell repeatedly says how much he loves these grizzlies, over and over again. I believe Treadwell didn't love the grizzlies; he should have respected them and kept his distance.

Joe Robertson: The curator of the Kodiak Island Museum also said the same thing in the movie.

Herzog: He's an Aleut who grew up in a small village on Kodiak Island and earned a Ph.D. from Harvard. He said, since ancient times, we've respected the grizzlies and kept a certain distance from them. Getting too close harms them; it shows disrespect and ignorance of the boundary between humans and grizzlies.

Joe Robertson: In the movie, because Treadwell got close to the grizzlies, it created many tense scenes. He often talked about death, as if he had a desire for it.

Herzog: That's exactly what Treadwell sought, because if he hadn't been killed by the grizzlies, he wouldn't have gained attention. Yes, sometimes I also have a desire for death. His life was full, seeking harmony and redemption; he was a great man.

Joe Robertson: Including yourself, several people in the movie claimed that Treadwell crossed some invisible boundary. How do you view this boundary?

Herzog: When you're in the wilderness, you understand it immediately. I think this boundary exists in our innate nature, but because urban dwellers lack wilderness experience, the boundary becomes blurred or even lost. You need to know how absurd and fake the Grizzly Club looks. In my view, Treadwell's natural philosophy is somewhat sentimental, a Disney-like perspective, which I find extremely repulsive.

Joe Robertson: Do you oppose Treadwell's concept of harmony? In the movie, you talk about the overwhelming indifference of nature. Was this carefully planned?

Herzog: Yes, I spent 48 hours thinking about this question. Of course, I'm not a romantic poet mesmerized by Mother Nature; I instinctively doubt nature. I believe there is no harmony in this world. If you look at the night sky, it's filled with unimaginable hostility and chaos; if you see the sun, I feel coldness, danger, and unfriendliness. Mother Nature is indifferent to humanity.

Joe Robertson: Over the years, did Treadwell overly embrace nature in the Disney-like way you just mentioned?

Herzog: I don't know. He became increasingly erratic, even bordering on paranoia, yet he maintained mental stability. He was great in his delusions and magnificent in his failures. He was the essence of humanity, possessing all the flaws of humans, just like us.

Joe Robertson: Treadwell believed he was protecting the grizzlies, but they were already in a nature reserve.

Herzog: I think it's more important to protect their habitat; protecting the habitat is the best way to combat human destruction. The real issue is human expansion; we must leave them alone.

Joe Robertson: How do you perceive the landscapes of Alaska and other wildernesses you've filmed, and their impact on you, such as the Amazon River and the Sahara Desert?

Herzog: I love the solitude of Alaska, its emptiness and primitiveness, like when this planet was newly formed and humans just started wandering there. My son and I spent two full summers there. We didn't have a tent, just some simple tools and food, like an axe, rice, and salt. We built a simple shelter. You must go out and find berries and mushrooms to eat, and you can catch some fish. But I'm not a hunter; I'm just looking for food, like an animal.

Joe Robertson: Being around lethal wild animals, like lions, venomous snakes, and sharks, seems to have a magical allure. How do you view this attraction?

Herzog: I think this is largely due to media sensationalism. Records show that in a hundred years, only twelve people have died from grizzly attacks in Alaska. There are now fourteen, including the recent two. Grizzlies feed on grass and berries, like cows, though they also eat salmon. Half the year, grizzlies are hibernating, so we shouldn't demonize them. In Alaska, eighty percent of annual deaths are caused by bee stings, but nobody tells us this fact.

Timothy Treadwell: I'm sure gay people have problems, too.

Treadwell: I'm sure that homosexuals have their own set of issues too.

Timothy Treadwell: [chasing fox friend who stole Tim's hat] ... If that hat's in the den, I'm gonna fuckin' explode.

Treadwell: (Chasing the fox who stole his hat) If that hat is in the den, I’m going to fucking explode.

Timothy Treadwell: I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals.

Treadwell: I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals.

Timothy Treadwell: [laughing] My tent crushed in and I love it. It's pathetic, but I love it.

Treadwell: (Laughing) My tent collapsed, and I love it. It’s pathetic, but I love it.

The coroner: Here is Timothy's watch. I think you should have it.

Palovak: Thank you. Oh my gosh! It's still ticking! It's like a circle! I can't believe it still ticks.

Coroner: Here is Timothy's watch. I think you should have it.

Jewel Palovak: Thank you. Oh my gosh! It's still ticking! It's like a cycle! I can't believe it still works.

Werner Herzog: I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but hostility, chaos, and murder.

Herzog: I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but hostility, chaos, and murder.

Trivia:

• During Treadwell's fatal encounter, although his camera lens cap was not open, the sound was fully recorded. Werner Herzog listened to the entire recording. Although Treadwell's former partner Palovak had agreed to its use in the film, Herzog decided not to include it and suggested Palovak destroy the videotape to avoid lifelong suffering.

• During a BBC interview, Herzog was hit by an air gun. The interview was moved indoors and restarted. At the end, the journalist advised Herzog to check his wound, but Herzog said, "It's not a real bullet, I'm not afraid."

• Herzog was deeply attracted by an article about Treadwell while searching for reading glasses and felt compelled to make a film about him.

• Treadwell lied about being Australian before his death, but in reality, he was a New Yorker with no Australian accent.