Grizzly Man
February 2006 Reviewed by: Marc Mickelson Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

What is the nature of nature? Is it benign and evocative, what we see in so many PBS specials and Disney movies, or is it harsh and violent, governed solely by the law of survival?

These are the questions with which Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man wrestles, along with the role of the filmmaker in the film that he creates. Herzog crafted his movie from over 100 hours of video shot by amateur naturalist, filmmaker and manic "eco-warrior" Timothy Treadwell, who spent 13 summers in Alaska's Katmai National Park, coming to know and love the grizzly bears that lived there. Treadwell and girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed by one of the bears in October 2003, making the footage he shot all the more poignant. Treadwell is utterly alive and in the moment in his video, and his demise influences the viewer's perception of his every word and gesture.

But Herzog, well known for his appreciation of unusual characters, doesn't let Treadwell's death dominate the movie. Grizzly Man is obviously a personal film for Herzog; he counsels one of Treadwell's ex-girlfriends, who owns an audio tape of the slaying, to destroy it, and at one point interjects his own view of nature into the movie. In many ways, Herzog pits himself against Treadwell; he obviously admires his subject, even as he clearly disagrees with many of his beliefs and actions.

Because much of the movie is derived from footage shot with a video camera, the picture and sound are of limited quality, although they are never inadequate, even as Treadwell shoots from inside his tent. Treadwell captured some enchanting moments on film, and as Herzog narrates them, it is clear that he admires Treadwell's filmmaking instincts. The only extra feature to speak of is a 50-minute documentary on the creative process of Richard Thompson and the other musicians who assembled Grizzly Man's haunting score. Adding some of the unused footage would have made the DVD a much more substantial package, and there is no doubt that Treadwell would have welcomed the exposure.

I thought about Grizzly Man for a week after watching it, and then I watched it again. Timothy Treadwell is a truly memorable character, and his story sticks in the mind. But it is Herzog's direction that turns it all into something significant -- a great film about a man and his uncommon passion for the natural world, with all its beauty and brutality.

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