For some time now, I’ve been both fascinated and horrified by the story of grizzly bear crusader Timothy Treadwell.
Treadwell was the self-proclaimed “protector” of the grizzly bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park. There, he spent 13 summers living amongst them, falling “in love” with them, until one of them killed him — and his girlfriend — in the fall of 2003. All that was left of him was a head with backbone attached, and an arm and hand with its wristwatch still running. The killer bear was then killed. Four garbage bags of “people” were removed from his stomach.
It’s chilling, yes, but, still, I was eager to see Werner Herzog’s documentary on Treadwell, “Grizzly Man,” which MB and I rented the other night.
The film was put together from some 90 hours of video that Treadwell himself shot. He had quite an eye, actually, and the film is breathtaking and terrifying to watch, but, really, the star of this show, upstaging even all that WILD, is Treadwell himself. He is wild, too. Tromping around that wilderness with his ridiculous Prince Valiant hair, he seems consumed and crazed by his love for these bears, believing it’s his duty to protect them, despite that fact that this is, after all, a wildlife reserve. The bears were protected anyway, but not well enough to suit Treadwell.
He seems loony, yes, but innocent, too. A mad, lovesick king utterly unconcerned that the queen he so loves just may kill him one day. Or a delighted, silly child romping carefree in a vast and violent playground.
He calls himself a “kind warrior.”
Okay.
But a “kind warrior” who also reminds you just a little bit of Corky St. Clair in “Waiting for Guffman.”
So you root for him. You do. He’s a complete loon, but a likeable loon. He got to me. He really BELIEVED he was doing good. He really BELIEVED the bears needed him and understood him and bonded with him. He gave them cute little names like Rowdy and Satin and Mr. Chocolate. And as you watch him, biting your nails and screaming at his foolishness — he touches the bears, swims with the bears, camps right amongst them — you are virtually hypnotized into rooting for his lunacy. You almost start to BELIEVE, too.
But then he DRIVES YOU CRAZY when he babytalks the bears with things like, “He’s a big bear. Oh, yeah. He’s a big bear. A very big bear.”
Or when a bear attempts to swipe at him and Treadwell just gushes, “I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!”
(Man — No wonder they killed you. I’m sorry, but I wanted to kill you right then. You were unhinged — like some silly, gooey-eyed suitor, screaming your serenade to a wilderness of embarrassed beasts.)
There are also interviews with friends, family, and others. One helicopter pilot says, “He acted like he was working with people in bear costumes.” And you do get that sense. He talks well enough about the dangers of the bears — “they will take me out, they will decapitate me, they will chop me up into bits and pieces” — but he doesn’t ACT as if it’s true. They are more human than humans to him.
That same pilot says, “The bears probably thought he was mentally retarded.”
Sometimes, it DOES seem that way. He cries a bit too much for my taste. And he’s filming himself so it’s a kind of messy, self-conscious melodrama.
At one point he’s sobbing into the camera, saying, “I am SO in love with them and they are SO f***ed and it SO sucks.”
Then THIS, rejoicing over a bear’s poop: “Here’s her POOP! It’s warm, I can feel it! It just came from her butt! Let’s touch it! It was just inside her! I know it seems weird, me touching her poop, but IT’S HER LIFE!”
Or this, to one of his little fox friends: “You are the star for ALL the children! I love you SO MUCH! THANK YOU for being my friend!”
(Actually, the footage of the foxes is enchanting, utterly magical. Their beauty and playfulness tug at your heart.)
But one of my favorite moments doesn’t even involve a bear. There’s a dead bumblebee on a leaf and Treadwell, of course, must commentate through his ready tears: “Oh, isn’t this so sad? This little bumblebee was just working and …. it just expired …. working busy as a bee … it’s just touched me to no end. I LOVVVE that bee! OH!! …. the bee moved!!”
It’s true! The dead bee moved, people!
I mean, it’s hysterical — because it’s so RETARDED!
Later in the film, Treadwell, hunkered in his tent, rails at God for the piddling amount of rain they’re getting: “Let’s have some water, Jesus Boy! Let’s have some water, Christ Man! Let’s have some water, little HINDU FLOATY THING!!”
He’s just hilarious and moving and infuriating. One minute, you’re sure he’s acting; the next minute, he seems authentic. That the camera is his constant companion is both good and bad. You’re witness to moments of wild and poetic beauty, but also of sad and silly histrionics. Treadwell is a guy who’d be fascinating to talk to, but impossible to live with. Still, you’re drawn in because he’s a character, in every sense of the word.
His death was horrifying. His video camera was on, but so was the lens cap. The audio, though, recorded everything, his death AND his girlfriend’s, who was terrified of grizzly bears. It will never be released into public domain. In the movie, Herzog, the director, is shown listening to the audio. One of Treadwell’s good friends, in possession of the tape, watches Herzog’s face. It’s an awful moment, made almost more awful because we’re not allowed to hear it, just to imagine it. Done listening, Herzog says to the woman, “You must never listen to this. You should not keep it. You should destroy it because it will be like the white elephant in your room all your life.”
Treadwell says more than once in the film that he would die for these animals. His friends say he died doing what he loved.
I wonder if he thought that at the last.
A magnificent, maddening film.
See it.
I wonder if he had a beard if this would have happened? No bear ever struck Grizzly Adams.
Droll, Cullen. 😉
Been wanting to see this since I saw the review on Ebert & Roper. Will certainly check it out now.
Also putting in a plug for “Murder Ball”, docu about paraplegics who live for playing a very violent form of basket/foot/rugby-ball. Intense.
And please do check out a docu called “Spellbound” about profesional Scrabble players. The freakiness is too sweet.
I remember reading a huge piece in Vanity Fair about this guy right after he was killed – and I was riveted.
I am very excited to see the documentary.
No way, I am not watching this. I’ll just listen to all of you talk about it. That’s enough information for me!
this is honestly the most interesting movie review I’ve ever read. nicely done!
🙂 jen
When “Grizzly Man” premiered in Missoula, MT (about 340 miles from where I am) last month, it was preceded by some grizzly experts sitting on the stage of the theater and giving what was basically a “Don’t try this at home” presentation. Reading about that night, it kind of reminded me of the “Men, don’t let this happen to you” talk we had to sit through in the Army, just before we got grossed out by the movie on VD.
Dave, FYI that VD brief in the Army is now a Powerpoint presentation and all ranks and genders attend. At some larger installations, the on-post health clinics provide the photos.
And are the resulting vows of chastity still honored more in the breach (a pun I couldn’t resist) than in the observance?
Vows of chastity? I’ve been out for a couple of years, but it was more like a vow to make sure the little ranger always wears chemical protective gear.
Sorry, Tracey. Cullen and I somehow changed the subject on your blog from grizzly to grisly.
Yes, I also apologize. Though, in my defense, I always skirt the line of grisly.
red — Yes, I read that article too. It made my hair stand on end. Had to see him in action!
Dave and Cullen — I have no words. NO. WORDS.
Jen — Thank you. That’s nice of you to say.
Tracey – yeah, especially the part about the audio recording of him being mauled – Just terrible to imagine!
Add me to the list of those who think it’s TMI…I could not watch, I have a hard time watching Crocodile hunter for the same darn reasons…the man is a crazy idiot! It’s one thing to take your own darn life into your own hands…but when you take your girlfriend who is terrified of bears, or in Croc hunter’s case, his infant child…YIKES…it’s too too much!
red — That’s what got me. In the film, you watch Treadwell’s friend watch Herzog as he listens to it — it’s chilling.
Lyn — You know, the Croc guy is a whole different deal to me. His child is totally dependent on him, doesn’t have a CHOICE. As tragic as it is, Treadwell’s girlfriend was an ADULT with free will. She could have made a different choice.
I’m sure she wishes she’d stayed home.
LOL…true, I’m sure she does!
I literally read the “Reader’s Digest” version of the story, but it did have photos of him (before the mauling, of course) and he does appear to look like and think he is Prince Valiant.
I cannot imagine the horrific death of being mauled by a bear, for him, though it almost seems like it would have been the way he wanted it.
I guess I’m picturing the end of Legends of the Fall, how Tristan goes. But this definitely seems more “grizzly (grisly)”.
here you go again with another awesome movie review. sheesh – you make ME wanna watch it!
Thanks, AS!
Most of you are amazed this guy could act like this. In the bush but,like me am more freaked out by city life.drugs booze and rock and roll.make a movie and tell me if its wierd! When alone in the mountains,which I am a lot,in the
canadian rockies
life is more real to me, than any where on the planet.I can relate to Treadwell.In the simple fact of being alone in the mountains by yourself for awhile changed your world.I won’t aregue he is a little different,but I can relate.Its an awesome place back there.The world needs more protection for wild life its getting very small for the wilderness to survive.People in the us must realize the impact of finding oil and gas is takeing its toll on wild places.Believe me,I see it every day,Your Halibur…. Is rapeing our land so fast its beyond belief.Billions of dollars rule,over these animals.So please get that message from Tredwell.Well back to the mountains I go.
The guy was interesting but very off. The picture was good, but he wasn’t using wisdom. I encountered grizzlies when I lived in Alaska being in the Army, and they are very dangerous animals and unpredictable.
His death was bound to happen, the bears never liked him, they just realized he might taste good one day, so they ate him.
All i have to say is the bear poop. That was weird.
do you think he tasted the poo to see what the grizzly was eating that day. I do
Watching this film as I write this . . .
I have this crazy fascination to hear the audio of Treadwell’s death.
Does anyone know if there’s anyplace to hear it?
ok this guy is moron,i would not see this or pay to see this.
the discovery channel runs it every day like 3 times.This guy deserved what he got.Lets go out in the wild and think we can even befriend a wild animal.DUMB i think theres something wrong mentally with the guy,too bad they didnt release the part where he died. turns out his girlfriend was going to leave him after this expedition,she was starting to think he was messed up in the head,
IM WONDERING if…maybe he had his own death planned.He has left food out and was talking about death alot at the end of the film.HMM..
Man this is definitely a creepy story.I haven’t seen it yet on the discovery channel but I hope to see it sometime soon.I don’t understand what the girlfriend was doing out there in the first place with the guy if she was so afraid of grizzly bears.No man is worth you’re life.Sorry!Who knows maybe he was planning his own death? I don’t think I could listen to him and his girlfriend dying though.That would freak me out!
Your review is terrific. It summed up my feelings on the movie perfectly.
Although I was fasinated by the documentary, this man clearly was off balance. Even more than the documentary itself, I would love to hear the audio of their death. They talk about it in the film to the point that you are angered that it is not included. Come on, if your doing a documentary on this man’s life and death with the bears, then lets have it ALL. If anyone knows where this audio can be found, as sick and twisted as I may seem, I would love nothing more than to hear it. Give it up already.There is more people like me out there. I am also quite sure that it would bring in more viewers. Hell, most people would sit through the whole film again just to hear the audio of the couples death. Mabe it would bring awareness to the dangers of these wild animals. Obviously some people clearly are not aware of this. If the grassroot foundation wants to protect the bears, they should stay the hell away from them. Then we will not have to depress them by shooting them. It’s not the bears fault. It does not take studying a bear to realize that they are wild animals, not household pets.
Um, everyone …. the audiotape belongs to a private individual, one of Treadwell’s friends. The film made that clear. She’s NEVER listenend to it. The film also made that clear. There is NO place where you can find it to listen to it. Thank God.
THIS WOMAN OWNS IT AND WON’T EVEN LISTEN TO IT.
Because she’s not sick, obviously …..
I want to hear the audio!!!!! How can you watch a movie like that and not want to hear the poor bastard scream as he gets eaten? Must have been some scary ass shit! Imagine getting eaten alive? Well that’s what happens when you fuck woth a 1/2 ton carnivore….
looks like the same thing happened to the crocodile guy, huh…
His luck ran out too, though I believe Irwin encountered an accident, not a 13 year suicide attempt like that crazy man, Treadwell.
Irwin’s passion and motives were similar, but he still didn’t take it to the extreme (almost sexual) level as Treadwell, and Irwin was obviously far more educated about his subjects. Still, everyone expected him to get killed by a croc or some other wild man-eater some day too. But his was a freak accident…cmon…a stingray dart through the heart?? And he pulled it out himself – causing – or at least speeding up his own death.
I feel anger at the end of the film. They are speaking all the time about the audiotape and at the end you feel like when you teen girlfriend stops you after 3 hours of kissing…