As I watch the story of Timothy Treadwell I cannot help but think in Herzog’s distinctive voice and cadence. I imagine what if Timothy had lived. Would he have a YouTube channel? How active would he be on TikTok? The world will never know.
Grizzly Man is a documentary about wildlife conservationist and former actor Timothy Treadwell, directed and narrated by Werner Herzog.
Over the course of 90 minutes we see all of the classical story types played out through one man’s life. Man vs Self, Man vs society, man vs man, and tragically man vs nature.
I say tragically with the full meaning of the word in a literary sense. Timothy had a fatal flaw that being he was a blonde. I am of course making light of a dark subject here. His fatal flaw was assuming nature was harmonious, at least this is the suggestion the film posits.
This review is difficult because generally my reviews are snappy, ramble, and are of a good nature. It’s difficult to approach this subject matter in such a manner as that.
However, I will try to, respectfully because two people died and all and I feel really bad about that.
So, here it goes.
I, unfortunately, relate to Timothy.
There, I said it.
It’s inferred that he has some sort of mental health issue for which he received and then rejected treatment. He spoke about highs and lows, from which one might extrapolate mania and depression.
In a particularly harrowing moment, Timothy reveals that he attacked workers of the Alaskan Park Service. In a fit of rage Timothy all but throws his camera, screaming expletives, and cursing the US government. After which he switches to a cheerful demeanor, sipping back into his on-camera persona.
I live alone in a studio apartment in Queens, DM me for the address, and so watching Timothy’s slow descent into madness made me consider that I should get out more.
There, I did it; a light joke.
Overall, this film is incredibly powerful. However, the stilted delivery of some of the retellings of The horrific events borders on The Room level of accidental comedic gold.
In a particularly hysterical moment, both in terms of humor and of madness, the corner delivers a line with a pause that even Christopher Walken would blanch at.
Herzog has often spoken about his recreations of the telling of the stories in this, and other documentaries he’s directed. He puts forth that all communication, and by extension art, is artifice. That once you have begun to communicate, a performance is underway.
I see that in this film. I happen to agree with him that the story is what matters, not necessarily how unaffected it is.
Grizzly Man is an effective, somewhat torturous, look at what can happen when one’s hubris takes control of one’s life.
I would recommend it to anyone who can stomach it.
Alaska is beautiful, though.