Grizzly Man (2005)
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A documentary explores the life and tragic death of a man who lived among wild bears in Alaska.
The story
Grizzly Man chronicles the life and death of bear enthusiast and conservationist Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard at Katmai National Park, Alaska. The film utilizes over 100 hours of footage filmed by Treadwell during the final five years of his life, alongside interviews with his family, friends, and experts in bear behavior. The narrative explores Treadwell's unconventional methods of interacting with wild bears and his claims of gaining their trust. The film examines the risks associated with his actions and the consequences of his decision to remain in the park past the summer season, where the environment becomes increasingly dangerous for humans.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film documents the life of Timothy Treadwell, a man who spent years filming his interactions with wild bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park. Treadwell and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were both from New York and shared a passion for bear conservation. In October 2003, while staying in the park past the safe summer season, they were attacked and killed by a bear. The film incorporates Treadwell's archival footage, interviews with experts who critique his 'dangerous' behavior, and a narration by Werner Herzog. Herzog explores Treadwell's belief that he had 'gained the trust' of the bears and his sentimental view of nature. The film also includes a segment where Herzog listens to a recording of the attack. It concludes by reflecting on Treadwell's legacy as a man who sought to be close to nature, ultimately leading to his and Huguenard's deaths.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Werner Herzog
- Writers
- Werner Herzog · writer
- Cast and characters
- Timothy Treadwell · self; Werner Herzog · narrator
- Genres
- documentary
- Themes
- man vs. nature; obsession; conservation
- Tone and mood
- somber; observational
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; wildlife
- Source material / true-story basis
- archival footage
- Content notes
- death
- Reception
- The film received widespread acclaim from critics and is considered among the best films of the 2000s and the 21st century.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · scale: percentage · review count: 147; Metacritic · score: 87 · scale: 100 · review count: 35
- Awards and nominations
- Gotham Award · Best Documentary · 2005 · Nominated; Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award · Best Documentary/ Non-Fiction Film · 2005 · Won; New York Film Critics Circle Award · Best Non-Fiction Film · 2005 · Won; San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award · Best Documentary · 2005 · Won; Alfred P. Sloan Prize · Sundance Film Festival · 2005 · Won; Grand Jury Prize · Sundance Film Festival · 2005 · Nominated; Toronto Film Critics Association Award · Best Documentary · 2005 · Won; Anugerah Seri Angkasa · 2008 Angkasapuri · 2008 · Won
- Production trivia
- The film's soundtrack was composed by Richard Thompson.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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