gridoon2018 More than a simple wildlife documentary (although it does contain some stunning wildlife footage), "Grizzly Man" is the multi-layered portrait of a complicated man: gentle, persevering, dedicated, naive, delusional, crazy. It's about obsession, about hubris, and ultimately about the voyeuristic nature of filming itself; it is certainly a rare experience to witness audiovisual footage of a man a few hours before his unexpected death, filmed by himself. Werner Herzog documents a story which speaks directly to him, and it shows. If I have one problem with the film, it's the coroner - he plays it a little too theatrical in front of the camera. *** out of 4.

Red_Identity Much of this film is pretty standard, and it seems to follow basic conventions of documentary filmmaking. However, there's an added layer of depth and exploration, one that is entirely composed because of what Herzog is going for. You can sense his intrigue and fascination with his subject all throughout the film. What should be noted is that while Herzog makes it a point to actually tell us the ways in which his worldview is different from Timothy's, he still does so in a respectful, mannered way. He seems to respect Timothy and that comes shining through, he seems to even look up to him in a weird way for what he does. There's no judgement at all, and instead Herzog comes across as yet another viewer just interested in this story, lending the film its poetic nature.

Jags527 You may read reviews and news stories that refer to the subject matter of this film as an in-depth study of a passionate environmentalist's quest to protect the ursine denizens of an Alaskan grizzly habitat.I'm here to tell you that this is a flick about a crazy dude that gets eaten by a bear.Others may say that the subject of the film, Timothy Treadwell, while a tad eccentric and misguided, gave his life in a dramatic attempt to teach the world how misunderstood the grizzly is; that his child- like fascination with the grizzly bear, in addition to various other wildlife in Alaska's Katmai National Preserve, was both beautiful and admirable. I've read many reviews in the last hour maintaining that Treadwell spent the final thirteen years of his life trying to send a message of compassion for wildlife everywhere and the sanctity of the land on which they live.I'm saying that the only message I took away from this guy was: Grizzly Bears Eat People! Don't Invade Their Space and Poke Them and Stuff, or They Will Kill You and Your Girlfriend!As for Treadwell's message, it's garbled at best. Personally, I always thought that grizzly bears might eat me. Turns out I was right, so I'm not sure I see how I've ever misunderstood the nature of the grizzly.If you've been wanting to see this film, or want to see it now that you've heard that an environmentalist gets eaten by a bear, please don't avoid it because you think I've spoiled the ending or didn't like it. They tell you about Treadwell's demise at the beginning, and I really did enjoy the story. Herzog's editorial asides undermined the documentary feel of the film for me, but who am I to argue with a guy that dragged a steamboat over a mountain?Spoilers below...What gets me about this Treadwell guy is that the film, for whatever reason, never really talks about how delusional he is. College dropout, failed actor, former drug addict. That's apparently what qualifies him to be a wildlife expert. He goes out into the woods every summer and hangs out with bears and foxes, then he talks to them in this Mister Rogers, sing-song voice, and pretends that they're his friends. To his credit, the foxes actually seem to dig it, but at no point in 100 minutes of film does any bear in his vicinity appear to view him in a welcoming manner. They don't let him touch them, all but the cubs keep their distance, and many of them seem pretty annoyed.If there had been a thought balloon above the head of any bear in "Grizzly Man" I imagine it would have said, "The minute we run out of fish, I'm eating the weirdo with the camera."My point is that Timothy Treadwell had issues. Viewing him as an authority on grizzly bears and wildlife conservation, as many people apparently did and was never discounted in the film, is like seeing Hugh Laurie as an authority on diagnostic medicine. Timothy Treadwell was a figment of his own imagination; a character in an elaborate, self-obsessed fantasy. I think "Grizzly Man" takes him entirely too seriously as an activist.Treadwell goes on at length in the film about how he sees himself as the protector of the Katmai grizzly, and that it's a role he takes very seriously. "I would die for these animals," he states with a show of emotional conviction.Yet during the only segment in the film where one of his grizzly friends is being harmed by humans, Treadwell hides in the bushes and sounds on the verge of tears, unwilling to reveal himself. These guys, whom Treadwell refers to as poachers, were standing around a boat taking pictures and throwing rocks at a nearby grizzly. Treadwell does nothing. It appeared to me that while he was horrified at the way the bear was being mistreated, he was more threatened by the intrusion of other humans into his fantasy world, and was too frightened to do anything about either.It's a sad story. Yes, partly because this kind-hearted guy and his girlfriend get gobbled up by a bear. But also because Treadwell really seemed to need help. A handful of "dear friends" were interviewed for the documentary, and I'm left wondering if these people had pointed out that he was acting like a wackjob, he may have avoided spending his final moments as a 6-foot chew toy.Tim Treadwell really seemed like a sweet guy with a caring circle of friends. It just seems to me that he deserved better in their hands...Good flick. Check it out.

George Roots (GeorgeRoots) "Grizzly Man", should be a documentary that by many standards shouldn't work this well. Of course there's enough substance to make a decent enough made-for-television kind of documentary, and Discovery channel sought of did with the follow up "The Grizzly Man Diaries" in 2008. But thanks to the exceptional craft of Werner Herzog, who extracted more than 100 hours of footage shot by Timothy Treadwell. Makes "Grizzly Man" one of the best documentaries of the 2000's you should definitely see.Timothy Treadwell, a man known of questionable mental health in the past. Spent 13 summers in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska studying bears. Over time he believed the bears trusted him, and would allow him to approach them, sometimes he would even touch them. Treadwell continued to document his time with them in order to raise public awareness and then return back to the park, despite repeatedly being warned by park officials that his interactions were unsafe to both him and to the bears. Tragically in 2003 at the end of his 13th visit, he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were attacked, killed and partially eaten by a bear. After getting various permissions from Timothy's closest friends and fellow enthusiasts, Herzog crafts and narrates his movie. Barely scolding Timothy for any of his actions, Herzog's interests are showing what Timothy was striving for and interviewing those closest to him. My favourite moments is where Herzog comes to admire many of the shots that Timothy created, and his constant retakes show some elements of a natural film-maker. Unfortunately as the film progresses, there really is no small sign of common sense in Treadwell's mind that his encounters with these animals will inevitably kill him. As Herzog expertly deduces that when looking into the eyes of an animal, all you can see is the cold, indifference of nature (Remember that Herzog's exploits in the Jungle are legendary).Final Verdict: The wildlife footage Timothy shot is pretty dam fantastic and Werner Herzog does justice to a man's work, albeit a reckless one. Everything is done in respect and I thoroughly recommend it. 8/10.