Placing ones self in a dangerous position for the advancement of knowledge and understanding is an honorable thing. Werner Herzog’s documentary Grizzly Man reveals that not everyone felt this way about Timothy Treadwell’s work. A particular interview that caught my attention while watching this film was with the man from the museum, Sven Haakanson, standing next to the bear with the stolen paw. Haakeanson talks about the local ideas around grizzly bears and how Treadwell’s actions are actually disrespectful in his eyes. A lot of Herzog’s film cuts and interviews explore a side of Treadwell that he would not necessarily have shared with his school children. It’s an interesting type documentary, mainly composed of Treadwell’s footage. The clips Herzog chooses, such as Treadwell’s rants, calling himself a "f*cking nut", I do not think Treadwell would have chosen for himself. He was an odd character and his work was questionable, but he saw himself as a savior to the bears. Anyone alone for such a time is bound to loose his or her senses. His only outlet was his camera and his only companions were the animals. As a result, he trusted the bears more than humans. Herzog does a fair job of revealing the lows and highs of the character of Timothy Treadwell and no matter your opinion of his work – he accomplished a beautiful connection with nature.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Down with the Grizzlies
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I agree that the way that the documentary was laid out, the scenes chosen and the people interviewed, showed a more negative side of Timothy Treadwell. Herzog manipulated the viewer's perspective into seeing him as an insane man, while, as you mentioned, that side he would have never shared with school children. Treadwell was a savior to the bears, and to all the animals there. You did a nice job in explaining that even through Herzog's view, no one can dispute the fact that Treadwell did in fact have "a beautiful connection with nature."
ReplyDeleteI think the layout of the film Martha referred to in her comment is what made it so hard for me, and most viewers of "Grizzly Man," to actually form an opinion of Treadwell. We can see from watching the video link you've provided that he really does have an interconnection with the animals he encountered on his expeditions. However, Herzog found a way to sort of morph this interconnection into insanity. It would be interesting to compare "Grizzly Man" with another film that shows Timothy Treadwell in a more positive light. Part of me agrees with Haakanson's point that Treadwell's interactions with the grizzlies were more harmful to them than helpful, because I think that animals should be left unbothered in their natural habitat. Historically, humans' affects on the environment have only hurt it.
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