Timothy Treadwell was a true American original, choosing to live a life of danger, discovery, and childlike wonder, during a time in history in which personal freedom was (and is) being increasingly curtailed. He explored how to live as a human amongst wild animals, by the rules of the animals. He discovered a great deal about himself, the state of the human psyche, the state of the planet, and much more, and documented it and shared it with style and heart.
A star-struck and envious Werner Herzog posthumously wags his boring finger at a man who lived his life on the edge and had something original to say. Much like what he did in his doc on Klaus Kinski.
Maybe it's fortunate that Herzog decided to lend his name to this project, allowing it to reach a wide audience, but rather than letting the movie to unfold on its own terms, he constantly and maddeningly injects his own schoolmarmish persona.
At one point Timothy goes on a hilarious rant against all the people that have in any way obstructed his mission. This is clearly Timothy just letting off some steam, and not something he would have ever made public. And it's really funny stuff. But halfway through it Herzog starts accusing Timothy of being paranoid and biting the hand that feeds him. He simultaneously steps all over a wonderfully funny monologue, and utterly misses the point. He seems weirdly competitive with Timothy, and of course gives himself the last word.
I also found Herzog's moralizing over the audio of Timothy's death rather hypocritical. He has no problem listening to it himself, but then turns around and sanctimoniously states that the tape should be destroyed. I think a strong case can be made that Timothy would have wanted that audio to be heard. In the course of the movie he repeatedly says "I would die for these bears," and that his death was captured on tape I don't think was an accident. Similarly, the decision to reveal Timothy's death at the very beginning of the film seems like an unfortunate concession to supposed good taste, and takes away from the rich drama of how Timothy's destiny unfolded.
At the end of the film, over a close up of a bear's eye, Herzog tells us he sees nothing but primitive instincts in the eyes of these animals, as if he's made some big discovery, as if there is anything the least bit perceptive about that point of view, as if we didn't walk into the theater with that preconception. The great thing about Timothy is that he chose to look at reality through a personal prism, opening doors of perception and taking us on a journey to a place we've never been. And Herzog sits there going "no, reality is just boring old meat and potatoes."
But despite Herzog's best efforts to turn this into a film about himself (and maybe to some extent because of it) Timothy's spirit shines through, making this an unforgettable movie.
A star-struck and envious Werner Herzog posthumously wags his boring finger at a man who lived his life on the edge and had something original to say. Much like what he did in his doc on Klaus Kinski.
Maybe it's fortunate that Herzog decided to lend his name to this project, allowing it to reach a wide audience, but rather than letting the movie to unfold on its own terms, he constantly and maddeningly injects his own schoolmarmish persona.
At one point Timothy goes on a hilarious rant against all the people that have in any way obstructed his mission. This is clearly Timothy just letting off some steam, and not something he would have ever made public. And it's really funny stuff. But halfway through it Herzog starts accusing Timothy of being paranoid and biting the hand that feeds him. He simultaneously steps all over a wonderfully funny monologue, and utterly misses the point. He seems weirdly competitive with Timothy, and of course gives himself the last word.
I also found Herzog's moralizing over the audio of Timothy's death rather hypocritical. He has no problem listening to it himself, but then turns around and sanctimoniously states that the tape should be destroyed. I think a strong case can be made that Timothy would have wanted that audio to be heard. In the course of the movie he repeatedly says "I would die for these bears," and that his death was captured on tape I don't think was an accident. Similarly, the decision to reveal Timothy's death at the very beginning of the film seems like an unfortunate concession to supposed good taste, and takes away from the rich drama of how Timothy's destiny unfolded.
At the end of the film, over a close up of a bear's eye, Herzog tells us he sees nothing but primitive instincts in the eyes of these animals, as if he's made some big discovery, as if there is anything the least bit perceptive about that point of view, as if we didn't walk into the theater with that preconception. The great thing about Timothy is that he chose to look at reality through a personal prism, opening doors of perception and taking us on a journey to a place we've never been. And Herzog sits there going "no, reality is just boring old meat and potatoes."
But despite Herzog's best efforts to turn this into a film about himself (and maybe to some extent because of it) Timothy's spirit shines through, making this an unforgettable movie.