GRIZZLY MAN

by Natalia H.R.

"Grizzly Man", a documentary directed by Werner Herzog, is the story of Timothy Treadwell, a self-proclaimed defender of the grizzly bears, which he valiantly cares for each summer upon a reservation in Alaska, bringing his video camera to document the entire adventure, only to finally be eaten, along with his girlfriend, by one of these animals so loved by him.

So transpires this film of a young American, with no education in biology, who visits schools and teaches children that the bears are friendly, promoting a union between our evil human world and the harmonious natural world where these beautiful creatures live, which are not subject to a code of ethics, but to a code of reproduction and a law of survival, which Treadwell decides to ignore and convinces himself does not exist. Herzog is without doubt a great director, who finds the tragedy of human nature, while at the same time the humor and a bit of satire.

Treadwell turns into his ideal character, representing the new millennium: the "new age" railing against the large corporations, repressed, a bit effeminate, socially unaccepted, seeking attention, on the verge of schizophrenia and generally DEPRESSED.

He's a subject that makes you so uncomfortable that you want to stop watching, but at the same time so offensive, that he awakens your curiosity; it is here that I find the richness of the film, not in the photography, nor the landscape, nor the story at plain sight, if not in our perception of the world. Because none of us are that different from him, none of us can save ourselves from feeling pathetic in the modern world; we all seek popularity, acceptance and the desire to be the stars of our own show. And if we don't achieve it we look for a place where no one speaks or has egos, where no one knows your insecurities and where you are so well accepted that you're invited to dinner.

This is not a criticism of Treadwell, nor of extremist activists, it's an examination of human irresponsibility and ignorance, and a glance at untamed, powerful nature, which in the end always carries with it peace and harmony.