Some would like to see 'Grizzly Man' as a morality tale, with the death of Timothy Treadwell an example for people not to follow. On the contrary, I see Treadwell as a tragic figure, not someone to be merely ridiculed and dismissed. Like a character in a play foreshadowing his own downfall, Treadwell repeatedly mentions the fact that his close proximity to the bears puts him in serious danger, and that he could be eaten if he is not careful. What Treadwell sees as his reason for existence and his greatest source of happiness ultimately destroys him. Herzog portrays him as he really was, a multi-faceted, complicated man, whose dreams sadly did not conform to our world.
It is fair to say that Treadwell was eccentric and delusional. Treadwell imagined himself as a champion and protector of the grizzlies, when in reality they were in little danger. He saw in his beloved grizzlies an idealised world of love and harmony. All the love and beauty that Treadwell thought was missing from civilisation he projected onto the bears. He was naive and delusional in that he failed to acknowledge the brutality and misery that are constants in our world. It is heartbreaking to see him encounter the half-chewed paw of a dead bear cub. Herzog's narration outlines his more pessimistic view of life and nature, where sorrow and ugliness are constants, not aberrations. Treadwell's violent death would prove Herzog right, adding to the tragedy and sadness created by this film. Treadwell was not a violent or evil man - he just didn't fit into our world. His belief that the world can be made a better place leads to his destruction. Herzog's film brilliantly captures the poignant sadness of Treadwell's death.
It is fair to say that Treadwell was eccentric and delusional. Treadwell imagined himself as a champion and protector of the grizzlies, when in reality they were in little danger. He saw in his beloved grizzlies an idealised world of love and harmony. All the love and beauty that Treadwell thought was missing from civilisation he projected onto the bears. He was naive and delusional in that he failed to acknowledge the brutality and misery that are constants in our world. It is heartbreaking to see him encounter the half-chewed paw of a dead bear cub. Herzog's narration outlines his more pessimistic view of life and nature, where sorrow and ugliness are constants, not aberrations. Treadwell's violent death would prove Herzog right, adding to the tragedy and sadness created by this film. Treadwell was not a violent or evil man - he just didn't fit into our world. His belief that the world can be made a better place leads to his destruction. Herzog's film brilliantly captures the poignant sadness of Treadwell's death.