Timothy Treadwell – The Grizzly Man
Timothy Treadwell spent thirteen summers living amongst the wild grizzly bears at Katmai National park in Alaska. He devoted his entire life, until the very last day he walked on this earth to protect the grizzly bears, valuing their lives over his own and everything else. I would say Treadwell's methods of protecting the grizzlies were somewhat ineffective but also brilliant. Treadwell showed immense conviction and perseverance in dedicating his life for something he was greatly passionate about and truly loved. I personally admire his passion and drive for what he believes is right. I myself would strive for what I believe in until it is fulfilled to my expectations or satisfaction.
Even though Treadwell was a hero to some degree, it was overshadowed by people who didn't believe him or felt he was doing this for the incorrect reasons. I believe he taught us all a valuable lessons on never giving up on your dreams, and how you can make huge changes for the world around you. Herzog uses tactics of opinionated ideas such as portraying his behavior as abnormal or more extreme than normal human behavior, therefore essentially persuading people to have more of a negative mindset and lack of empathy towards Treadwell because people then believe he had what's coming to him, as well as Factual proof that was documented by Treadwell to give off a persona that he was an unstable human being trying to become a grizzly himself. I feel Herzog used video displaying only scenes where Treadwell was most extreme displaying behavior that was present with mental patients.
Herzog also used sources extremely close to Treadwell, such as his ex-girlfriend, the plane pilot, etc. Almost all the sources said they felt he was getting too comfortable with the wildlife, that his life was possibly in more and more risk each summer. Herzog orchestrated the film to display Treadwell as an unstable human being that is on the brink of his sanity. With inviting people close to Treadwell, it lets the viewers see everyone's point of view, including Treadwells. Herzog created a film that has a dramatic impact on how we view Treadwell. Each waning second of watching was strange and abnormal. Whether the footage was shot by Treadwell himself, or created by Herzog, it left everyone wondering “is this man sane?’’ From attempting to pet a bear to picking up feces, I think to myself “would anyone in their right mind do this?’’ But this type of behavior displayed by Treadwell is displayed over and over again throughout the film. Through the entire film Herzog questioned his sense of reality of the real world, Treadwell claimed he is the protector to the grizzlies and the land itself from the government, poachers, and ordinary people trying to “hunt” him down due to his push for the protection of the grizzly bears, essentially portraying himself as a one-man army. Herzog stated that the land Treadwell was on was a federally protected reserve, therefore the government was protecting the land and grizzly bears from outside interference.
Throughout the film everyone who was interviewed said Treadwell was doing more harm than good, even though they knew his intentions were pure, Treadwell risked his own life for a cause that discredited his sanity and social life. I personally believe everyone deserves empathy. No matter how you start your path in life you can always turn it around for the better, or even for the worst, but I still believe whatever choices somebody makes in life in the end result they deserve empathy. Treadwell possessed a behavior that was addictive to a cause he believed so dearly for, before grizzly bears, he was an alcohol addict where he almost lost his life. Treadwell then realized that he couldn't live in a world of being an alcoholic, so he sought out on a mission to protect the grizzlies. Treadwell found the purpose to his life to protecting the Grizzlies at all cost. He became blinded by his own conviction that eventually cost him his life. Despite his efforts, I feel it has shown us a bigger picture of how he wanted to live his life and what he was passionate about. His convictions led him on a journey for 13 years, and I know he didn't regret a single thing. I strive to follow my own convictions as relentlessly as Timothy Treadwell in a matter of stability and effectiveness to get my point across as efficiently as possible.
