The title of Grizzly Man refers to Timothy Treadwell. For years, Treadwell would embark off to the wilderness of Alaska and live among the wild bears for months on end. While he did this, he would use a camcorder to capture his exploits, which consisted of him gazing upon bears just being bears and occasionally interacting with bears that got too close to him. This footage is all we have left of Treadwell now that he died in a tragic manner back in October 2003. Both Treadwell and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were mauled and devoured by a bear. It was a gruesome ending for somebody who dedicated his entire life to advocating for and being fascinated by bears.
Herzog's documentary employs footage shot by Treadwell in his assorted voyages into the wilderness as well as interviews with people that knew Treadwell, including his parents, fellow environmental advocates and members of local law enforcement. All the while, Herzog offers an even-handed approach to how he handles the life of Timothy Treadwell. This man, who could be so easily reduced to a broad caricature in wrong hands, is painted as a multifaceted human being through the narrative of Grizzly Man. Herzog paints Treadwell as a guy who was clearly dealing with personal demons that made his expeditions to the wilderness about far more than just examining bears.
This nuanced approach is exemplified by Herzog's narration. It's always a treat to hear the vocals of Herzog but they're put to especially good use in the context of Grizzly Man, Here, voice-over work from Herzog is used to eloquently explore the filmmakers own complex feelings towards Treadwell. For example, early on Herzog notes how Treadwell's annual presentations about bears to local Elementary School children gave a number of youngsters positive lasting memories. While hate mail directed towards Treadwell accuses him of being exclusively selfish in his passion for bears, this aspect of how Treadwell communicated his love for bears adds shades of depth to Treadwell's primary interest.
Similarly, Herzog also states that, as a filmmaker, he's fascinated by the footage Treadwell was able to capture. Thanks to him immersing himself into the wilderness and filming his surroundings 24/7, Treadwell was able to capture glorious moments of animal behavior that no other documentarian could even dream of filming. Simultaneously, Herzog also takes time to explore the darker motivations that drove Treadwell to embark on his annual trips away from human civilization. Through interviews with Treadwell's parents and friends, we learn of Treadwell's struggles to find success in an assortment of careers as well as his woes with addiction. For Treadwell, the human world was one he could never find a place in. Why not, then, find solace in the wilderness, the farthest thing possible from the human world.
Grizzly Man has its fair share of "Are you kidding me??" moments (the kind that catapulted Tiger King to such incredible fame) where you can't believe what you're watching is reality and not something scripted, like a scene where Treadwell captures himself being endlessly excited over bear defecation. However, even these incredulous scenes are filtered through a more restrained sensibility that fits Grizzly Man's particular story. In the hands of Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man presents Treadwell's life as a tragic yarn about a man who saw companionship in the blank eyes of wild creatures. This informs a melancholy vibe to the affair that proves to be extremely impactful, particularly in scenes like one where Herzog listens to audio of Treadwell and Huguenard being attacked (the audience does not hear anything). Herzog's devastated expression as he hears this recording vividly captures a man being reminded of why there are boundaries between man and wilderness.
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