John W. Vest, "Grizzly Man," Journal of Religion & Film 10.1 (April 2006)
A lover of the outdoors myself, I’m not quite sure how to respond to this film. The magnificence and beauty of the Alaskan scenery and the majestic grizzly bears that populate it are truly inspiring. By contrast, the story of Timothy Treadwell is sad and at times absurd. There is no doubt that there is tragedy here, but I’m not sure if the tragedy is Treadwell’s death or his life. His passion and devotion are unquestionable. His crusader zeal to protect these animals—what exactly he is protecting them from is not clear—and to educate others about the natural world he considered home is admirable. But the more one learns about Treadwell’s persona—on and off camera—the more one is faced with the crux of the film: was Treadwell a mystical philosopher genius in touch with the harmony of creation, or was he a misguided fool who entered a hostile environment that literally consumed him?
Technorati Tags: documentary, GrizzlyMan
watching the movie this very moment. Jen and I are moving to Alaska to plant a church among the bears.
Posted by: Brian Brown | March 31, 2006 at 03:34 PM