I meant to post this immediately after my Denali posts, but forgot. Life kinda gets in the way of blogging, ya know? Anyway, Grizzly Man is a film, by noted director Werner Herzog, about Timothy Treadwell, a surfer-turned-actor-turned-grizzly activist who decided to spend several summers living amongst bears in Alaska, to “bring awareness to their plight”.
This recommendation dovetails not only into Denali, but also into my Chiricahua post. That post was about man’s stupidity (specifically my own stupidity) in the face of nature. That post and this film tell a valuable story: nature is not to be trifled with. It doesn’t care who you are, or what you do, or how “in tune” you think you are with it: when nature needs you to be food, you will become food, regardless of how high-minded you think you are or how many trees you hug.
So here’s the spoiler: Treadwell eventually gets eaten. Well, it’s not that big of a spoiler really, it’s pretty much said right up front this story is a tragedy. What makes this film so compelling is you see what’s coming, the ending is so patently obvious, yet Treadwell plods right along to that ending, making bad decision after bad decision, all leading up to a certain, gruesome fate. I won’t spoil it any more, it does have to be seen to be believed.
Some watch Grizzly Man and feel sadness for a poor, kindhearted soul who only wanted to do the best for the poor bears and paid the ultimate price. I see this as the story of an egotistical idiot who, like Steve Irwin, though nature was his playground, mealticket, and the means to inflate his own arrogant self-worth. In his case, like Irwin’s, nature turned its mighty claw and gave him a swipe.
Just to remind him, and us, who’s boss, I suppose.
America In Context 
Good movie, but I think you’re underplaying the serious mental illness that seems apparent in Treadwell throughout the movie. True, he made many many stupid decisions, but there was something else at play besides simple bad judgment and hubris.
I served as superintendent of Katmai National Park & Preserve well before the Treadwell incident. I am familiar with the location and setting for the tragedy. I fully agree with your opinion of Treadwell’s interaction with the bears. He was literally asking for it – and he got what he was asking for. Sadly, his friend and a park bear also paid the price for his actions.
Thanks for that, Ray. 🙂
I think your reaction is typical for Alaskans. I found Alaskans to be very pragmatic and sensible about such things. They tend to know what to trifle with and what not to trifle with, and the bears are definitely in the “not” column. And I do know that Alaskan lore is filled with fools who tread in bad places unprepared….
I am currently reading “Into the Wild” (http://outside.away.com/outside/features/1993/1993_into_the_wild_1.html) about another kid (Chris McCandless) who trifled with Alaska and ended up starving to death (not a kind way to die). To Scott’s earlier point, I think McCandless was mentally ill in a certain way. He was very smart but incredibly naive and foolish, beyond his own intellect, meaning mental illness seems to have had a hand in his death.
But Treadwell, I don’t see his actions as mental illness at all, I see it as hubris and arrogance and willful naivete.
Bottom line: even in this, the dawn of the 21st Century, man should not mess with the Alaskan wilderness.