Grizzly Man (2005) - Naturalism

‘Grizzly Man’ is a documentary film directed by German director Werner Herzog in 2005. This film is a documentary within a documentary about Timothy Treadwell and his interactions with grizzly bears which consists of Treadwell’s own filmed footage before he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed and eaten by a bear in 2003. 

It also consists of interviews with family/friends or people who knew him. The footage Treadwell shot was found later and the final film was co-produced by Discovery Docs and Lions Gate Entertainment. Timothy Treadwell spent 13 summers in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska. He believed that overtime the bears trusted him and they would allow him to approach, touch them sometimes. He was repeatedly warned by park officials that hi interaction with the bears was unsafe for him and the bears. At the end of his 13th visit in 2003, Treadwell and his girlfriend were attacked, killed, and partially eaten by a bear.

Naturalism in ‘Grizzly Man’ has been used really well and helps the audience connect with the filmmaker. The use of handheld camera as well as interviews with his friends and professionals help to understand his lifestyle. Timothy’s use of humour, swearing and his natural acts on camera show the naturalism of the documentary film. The sounds of police sirens can be heard when his actor friend was talking about the news of his death. Treadwell’s interaction with the wild bears is a reflection of how he see’s himself that he thought of himself as a bear. 

He would act as if the camera had never been there, as a fly on the wall observational documentary. The voiceovers used are expository which tells a story with statistics and facts with confessional quality, which can be private and personal. This film is also observational because we see shots of the foxes and bears when Timothy is not in shot especially a confessional quality, private or personal. Things Timothy talks about such as girls, women, drinks and alcohol raises ethical questions but it also shows a natural lifestyle.