Monday, February 5, 2018

Grizzly Man Movie Review

The Grizzly Man: award-winning true story.
Grizzly Man is a heart-wrenching, strange, beautiful, horrifying movie by and about Timmy Treadwell. Who is Timmy Treadwell? Director Werner Herzog attempts to show us who Treadwell was. Yes, was. Past tense.

My family members and I have seen this movie more times than we can count. We make references to it in our daily life and sometimes sing the ending song. Perhaps we are a bit strange for liking a movie this much. I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that I don't believe anyone can see this movie and not have a strong reaction.


Four Reasons to Watch Grizzly Man




It is strange. Who would want to live in the wilderness with dangerous bears for 13 summers? I do mean "with" the bears. Timmy Treadwell would. I'd love to visit and/or live in Alaska, but certainly not “with” the bears. And Timmy's passionate tirades are both moving and disturbing.


It is beautiful. Treadwell filmed the scenery and the wildlife in a way that is breathtaking. His ability to get close-ups of the Alaskan wildlife and document the gorgeous, but rugged, landscape is worth the cost of the movie alone. Grizzly Man was created posthumously - using footage from Treadwell's filming. 

It is Intimate. Treadwell's frequent and long term presence with the bears (and other Alaskan wildlife), allows him to move among them with little notice for the most part. Because of this, we are able to see the animals in a mostly undisturbed state. If you ever wanted to know what bears do naturally, this is a must-see movie. We also get a very intimate look at Treadwell through his story-telling style as well by hearing what others have to say about him.

It is about the difficulties of protecting and conserving. It is a perfect example of a rock and a hard place of conservation. There are always difficulties in the balance of protecting animals and providing for humans. It is a delicate balance that I rarely seem to find being done well. Some animal species go extinct due to human encroachment. Or at the other extreme, humans are at risk while endangered species are being protected. And misguided attempts to conserve wildlife sometimes ends up being detrimental to the very wildlife that is in the process of being protected. 

In my opinion, Treadwell's story is a beautiful and disturbing example of the difficulty of balancing the needs of humans and animals.

You can find this movie on Amazon on DVD/Blu-ray or on Amazon Video.


Warning: Those persons who have nightmares easily might not want to see this movie. I don't consider it to be visually gory. It's more of a psychological twist and the things that can be imagined that brew in your mind for awhile.







Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


5 comments:

  1. Thanks for your excellent and interesting review, Dawn Rae. I don't think I have ever heard of this movie (Grizzly Man), but after reading this review I am now intrigued.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am intrigued as well! Achieving balance is always a challenge in so many aspects of life...

    ReplyDelete
  3. It has been years since I first watched that movie. I respect and appreciate Treadwell's devotion to the Grizzly Bear & to wildlife. Is he unique and somewhat eccentric? Yes, he is that. I find it very sad that anyone would say he got what he deserves. That statement shows a complete lack of compassion and understanding. I note that the speaker is a helicopter pilot. If he dies in a crash, would anyone say he got what he deserved? They both make (made) their own personal choices and take personal risks based on what they love.

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  4. Although I love movies that show a lot of nature, I'm one of those people who would probably have nightmares, and it's hard enough to get my eight hours of sleep a night as is. I'll have to pass on watching this one. I can just imagine how it ends.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh dear, it sounds like a good movie, but probably couldn't watch it. These kind of stories, reality tv or movies can be quite fascinating. Am curious about this movie after reading your review.

    ReplyDelete

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