"Herzog's" Treadwell

After reading Documentary Film; A Very Short Introduction, I won’t watch another documentary without examining every auditory and visual element. While watching Grizzly Man, the editing steered me to see Timothy Treadwell through Werner Herzog’s eyes. Herzog made a strong judgment of Treadwell. As many documentarians set out to do, he presented his own perspective on Treadwell’s lifestyle, his version of the truth.

Herzog chose takes which displayed Treadwell’s difficulties coping with the human way of life. Herzog believed Timothy failed to find his niche in the adult world. Some scenes depict Treadwell’s involvement in educating children about the grizzlies, while others reveal confessions of his problems with women. Herzog shows us how difficult it was for Treadwell to live in the adult world. As a defense mechanism, he ultimately clung to the animals and yearned for their way of life.

Near the end, after we have become familiar with “Herzog’s” Treadwell, we learn more about how Treadwell and his girlfriend Amy were killed. As the director, Herzog could have simply stated that another person, a companion of Treadwell’s, was also tragically mauled. He wouldn’t be lying. As stated in Documentary Film, all documentaries are entitled to moderate bias. Therefore Herzog wouldn’t be criticized as twisting the truth or telling half the story. Why did Herzog put so much emphasis on Amy? Maybe he used her as a tool to express the overwhelming tragedy of the situation. 

We repeatedly hear how living among the grizzlies was Treadwell’s “life” and that he would “die for the animals.” He even told a close friend if he left for the Grizzly Sanctuary and never came back, it was how he wanted to go. Without Amy, an innocent follower who was terrified of the bears, Treadwell’s death frames him as a martyr. Without her tragedy, the documentary would fail to accomplish its primary goal: showing viewers “Herzog’s” reckless and deranged Treadwell.

I’ve watched the movie and begun to watch Grizzly Man Diaries.
I am interested in seeing how Treadwell is portrayed in these eight short films. It’s amazing how different a character comes across based on the editing choices of the director.