In Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog feels like he met his lost cousin, when he introduces us to the personality of Timothy Treadwell - a self-exiled self-titled “bear defender” who spent around 10 summers in an Alaskan national park among grizzly bears, before ending being killed and eaten by one. 

TT is the archetype Herzog character: marginal, profound, foolish, death-wishing, driven by a metaphysical goal. TT is sweet and silly, he speaks to the animals, he’s delusional, he protects them without them needing any; he’s a searcher, a wanderer, on the border - as somebody puts it in the film: “he tried to become a bear”.

The combination of original Treadwell footage coupled with Herzog commentary is documentary cinema at its best. 

• TT ranting against park rangers
• the fox paws on the roof of the tent
• the “give me back my hat” fox chase

Grizzly Man is the perfect entry point for anybody wanting to discover Mr. Herzog and the rest of his 50+ years career.