Grizzly Man (2005), directed by Werner Herzog, is a wonderfully absurd but touching documentary about Timothy Treadwell, who dedicated his life to living with and protecting grizzly bears in Alaska.

If I try to fit the film into one of Bordwell & Thompsons categories for documentary film, I think it is closest to rhetorical form. Story is crucial in creating a human connection, and Treadwell’s story is told from Herzog’s point of view. Herzog’s personal touch is evident in this narration, his handheld recording of interviews, and at times he himself features in the shot, such as when he is listening to the audio recording of Treadwell’s final moments. This means that the film is not free from bias, something which no documentary film can truly be, but it is Herzog’s bias that makes the film so effective.

Herzog’s philosophical musings and comments add insight and prompt the audience to consider his points of view. I researched some popular opinion that arose around the time the film was reviewed and found that Treadwell was commonly though to be a crazy man who taunted wild bears until they ate him. Herzog, whilst he is not afraid to point out where he believes Treadwell is wrong or hypocritical, does not condemn him. In one moment I found particularly poignant was the shot of Treadwell mourning over the corpse of one of the foxes he befriended. Here, Herzog offers his opinion through the narration, suggesting that Treadwell sees nature as harmony, but he sees it as being about ‘chaos and murder.’

The people Herzog chose to interview were fascinating, almost like caricatures of themselves. The most normal person in the film is the paid actor. They are like the magic cinematic moment Herzog shows us when the foxes Treadwell befriended run across the frame, completely unplanned. Characters such as these can’t be created – they are so fascinating because they are real.