Grizzly Man

Dan

Senior Member
Aug 28, 2003
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Aiken, SC
I had little intention of ever watching this documentary. I'm a fan of Werner Herzog, but the story did not interest me at all. Anyway, I watched it on Discovery Channel tonight, and it was amazing, by far the most moving "nature documentary" I've ever seen.

The story is about Timothy Treadwell, a man who, after fighting years of drug and alcohol addiction, made it his life's work to protect the bears and other wildlife living in a wildlife refuge in Alaska. While one can argue that they are already protected, we see that the animals are mostly ignored by the government, and being left to fend for themselves doesn't always work out. In addition, poaching is pretty rampant, and is ignored by park officials.

For 13 years, Treadwell spends three to four months a year living among the bears on this wildlife refuge, becoming familiar with them to the point that he can pet them and hang out among them with no threat at all. That is, until 2003 when one of the bears attacked and killed Treadwell and his girlfriend.

The documentary takes no stance in regard to Treadwell's actions. We are given many points of view on the death. Herzog himself comments that because of his own view of life in general, he feels that the only constant in life is chaos, and that Treadwell's death was inevitable. A helicopter pilot, the one who finds Treadwell's bones, comments that Treadwell got what he deserved and that the only tragedy was that he took his innocent girlfriend with him. Treadwell's supporters see his death as an unexplainable tragedy.

Treadwell often had nothing more than a video camera as company for months, and so we see footage of Treadwell pouring his heart out, praying to God for rain when the bears' source of water dries up. Treadwell clearly seems to go insane, but even through this insanity, we see the love and passion he has for the animals he's protecting.

Most of all, this is a film about passion, and giving up everything you have to stand up for what you believe in. The film does not try to offer any answers for Treadwell's tragic death, and, indeed, there are no answers.

It's being re-shown on Discovery tomorrow at 8 PM, so I would recommend checking it out.
 
By the way, Werner Herzog, the director, deserves to really be commended for the fact that, despite the fact that there is audio tape of Treadwell's death, he refused to include it in the film, to the point that he threatened to walk away from the project if it was included. In the end, he listens to the audiotape, on headphones, then pleads with Treadwell's closest friend, the owner of the tape (who has never listened to it) to destroy the tape. This is one of the more moving scenes in the movie.
 
This guy was psychotic to say the least...even his deceased girlfriend noted this in her memoirs...and he caused her untimely death!
 
I watched it with the kind of attidude I had when I sat down to watch Fahrenheit 9/11. But I actually liked it. Kind of sad/tragic. Grizzlies aren't like Black Bears. Read Louis and Clark's Journals when they first happen upon one. Those things are just nasty.
 
I watched it with the kind of attidude I had when I sat down to watch Fahrenheit 9/11

I don't really understand what you mean here, could you elaborate a little?
 
That amateurs should stay the hell out of the forrest...this nutcase did far more harm to the bears than any good this movie tries to portray! First and foremost anyone with any logic,much less experience, does not try to climatize wildlife to not fear humans...Treadwells girlfriend had the concept down pat kept her distance,respect and fear...she only lost her life trying to save the idiot from his fate...she should have run like hell and lived her intended life...but she did have the guts to try and save the moron from his fate...this saddens me!
 
cooking up some dinner...Italian pasta et al...at any rate this dude is a little on the :gay: side by his body language and voice...wondering if he drove a Rx8....damn I truly wish his girlfriend saw the light before it was too late!
 
Yeah, he definitely did a lot of damage. Worst of all was watching those wild foxes following him around like domesticated dogs. Those animals are predatory by nature, and now that they've been domesticated, they'll have trouble adjusting to the wild.
 
He did acquire some amazing film during his time in the wilderness. That battle on the beach between the two giant grizzlies was incredible. I've never seen anything like it.

But, I agree with the Indian they talked too in the movie. It's alright to observe the great beast and film them for alll the world to witness, but he wasn't professional. He crossed the line and attempted to befriend these creatures rather than simply watch. Plus, he was a bitch in some aspects. He talked so big like he was protecting these bears. Then, in one scene, some tourists show up and begin throwing rocks at the bear he is "protecting." Rather than go out and protect the bear, he hides in the bushes like a punk. Besides, he wasn't protecting the bears at all. He was in a national forests. The bears are already protected by the feds.

He was delusional, and he ended up killing an innocent young woman and an innocent grizzly.
 
I thought it sucked. It painted all the people up here as raving lunatic poachers, who are killing off the Grizzly population..
We live with the wildlife up here and respect it, not only for their beauty but because it can get you killed if you don't.
They should of kicked his butt outta there, this film was made into another peta type commercial, by somebody from the east coast sticking their noses into another states business.
We'll probably be hearing about another call for a boycott of Alaska from PETA because of this film... :mad:
 
Stephanie said:
I thought it sucked. It painted all the people up here as raving lunitic poachers, who are killing off the Grizzly population..
We live with the wildlife up here and respect it, not only for their beauty but because it can get you killed if you don't.
They should of kicked his butt outta there, this film was made into another peta type commercial, by somebody from the east coast sticking their noses into another states business.
We'll probably be hearing about another call for a boycott of Alaska from PETA because of this film... :mad:

I can see why your offended but don't feel too bad. These folks think all people suck.
 
Sorry I was not meaning my rant at anyone on the board.
I can tell you all, that they take poaching up here very seriously. If you are caught poaching any animal there is a heafty fine and possible jail time.
And I believe the fine for poaching a grizzly is around $10,000 AND jail.
And then if I should happen to stumble onto someone poaching, they'd have to contend with this 5' older lady kicking their butts. :D :beer:
 
Stephanie said:
Sorry I was not meaning my rant at anyone on the board.
I can tell you all, that they take poaching up here very seriously. If you are caught there is a heafty fine and possible jail time.
And I believe the fine for poaching a grizzly is around $10,000 AND jail.

I hunt and fish and KNOW how much true sportsmen respect nature. They take better care of it than anyone. and please feel free to rant !! :rock:
 
I edited something on my to my post while you were typing Dillo. Please go back and reread, I think you'll get a little chuckle.. :beer:
 
I thought it sucked. It painted all the people up here as raving lunatic poachers, who are killing off the Grizzly population..

I didn't see it that way. If anything, I saw the actual population of Alaska as being very levelheaded and not sure what to make of this crazy person from California who showed up on their turf to tell them how to handle their bears.

They should of kicked his butt outta there, this film was made into another peta type commercial, by somebody from the east coast sticking their noses into another states business.

I agree, he should've been kicked out, if only for the good of the wildlife. I didn't see it as a 'PETA type commercial' though. I thought Werner Herzog, the director, took as objective a POV as he could. Sure, the focus is on this PETA-type guy, but that doesn't mean that he is necessarily the "hero" or anything.

And, for the record, the movie Grizzly Man was directed by Werner Herzog, who's from Germany, so I don't think he's too concerned with pandering to the left or the right in America.
 
Dan said:
I didn't see it that way. If anything, I saw the actual population of Alaska as being very levelheaded and not sure what to make of this crazy person from California who showed up on their turf to tell them how to handle their bears.



I agree, he shoulda been kicked out, if only for the good of the wildlife. I didn't see it as a 'PETA type commercial' though. I thought Werner Herzog, the director, took as objective a POV as he could. Sure, the focus is on this PETA-type guy, but that doesn't mean that he is necessarily the "hero" or anything.

And, for the record, the movie Grizzly Man was directed by Werner Herzog, who's from Germany, so I don't think he's too concerned with pandering to the left or the right in America.


Dan, I wasn't talking about the director, I was talking about the friends sitting through out the movie talking about it.
At one time they tried to say the bear that killed him, did so because it was abused. But their reasons of this abuse is because the bear had been tranquilized to have a bad tooth removed. So their trying to say because of that, it turned this bear into a killer. I thought"huh".
Yes, there is poaching up here as there is everywhere. They just don't go around making a documentary about it happening in all the other states, do they? Thats why I think it put Alaska in a bad light. That's my thoughts about it, and I'm sticking with it.. :cheers2: :laugh:
 
Because it was old,underweight,hungry and this idiot was a menu waiting to happen...hell he even admitted to it just prior to the meal...I do feel sorry for his girlfriend who tried to save the idiot...and also became the bears last meal!

I also noticed during one of his filming rants he showed pictures of 'suspected poachers' all I saw was a group of naturalist with cameras who threw some stones at a bear who got to close!


And also this idiot even admitted in another rant that all the regular bears of the area had gone into hibernation...and only 'meaner' bears from inland had entered the area...he said it is time to go...yet he stayed...walla he became a last supper!
 
archangel said:
...walla he became a last supper!


I think it's spelled 'voila!'


voi·là
Pronunciation Key (vwä-lä)
interj.

Used to call attention to or express satisfaction with a thing shown or accomplished: Mix the ingredients, chill, and voilà! a light, tasty dessert.
 

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