MJ5K's Review

Summary - Really Great 4.5

Timothy Treadwell. He cursed all the land and the oil men. And he cursed the automobile. The world was no place for an hombre like him, and who better to capture Treadwell’s madness and conviction than infamously eccentric director Werner Herzog.

Through his own narration, Herzog uses footage shot by Treadwell to tell the story of one man’s extraordinary life and his tragic, yet inevitable, death. Treadwell spent thirteen summers in the Alaskan wilderness, living among the grizzly bears he loved and protected. During his last five summers, he brought with him a video camera to document his actions and surroundings. In his thirteenth summer, he and his girlfriend were killed by one of the bears he swore to protect.

Whether you agree with Treadwell’s actions or not, the film doesn’t paint a picture of a man’s loss of sanity nor his passion for life and love for the ferocious animals that surround him. It presents two opposing views. A neutral picture of a man with a child’s mind, an adventurer’s heart, and a conviction towards protecting the animals he loves.

Grizzly Man is a well made documentary about a brave individual’s life and flaws. Currently there have been talks of a Hollywood film being made about Treadwell starring Leonardo Dicaprio (although I think Sean Penn or Ewan McGregor would be better choices. No offense, Leo), however, I don’t believe any Hollywood feature could match the compelling power or energetic madness of Herzog’s film.

Acting - Really Great 4.5

Film - Really Great 4.5

Edge - Risqué 2.4

Reality - Natural 1.0

1 Comment

• Wick Sep 19, 2011 5:17PM

  Regarding MJ5K’s Review
  Great pick MJ. I’m sold on Herzog’s documentaries after seeing his Cave of Forgotten Dreams earlier this year.

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