Grizzly Man took me by surprise. I came in thinking I wouldn't like it, as I had seen Herzog's much-acclaimed Aguirre, the Wrath of God and was not a big fan. But this movie blew me away. Though the two films share central themes of a man's quest for the impossible and eventual downfall, I was moved far more by this one. It was so unexpected, for some reason, when I realized that this movie was about Timothy Treadwell, not living with wild grizzly bears. It was a character study masquerading as a documentary of his life and death. That epiphany held me much closer to the story and had me on the edge of my seat, eager to learn more of this fascinating human being.Usually I hate crappy, hand-held DV footage, but I was actually very impressed with the quality of footage that Treadwell had. I know the camera he was using and know that there's no way it could look that good on the big screen. Herzog must have manipulated it in some way, because it flowed seamlessly with the other footage. The editing and voice-over narration were a bit jarring at first, but really elevated the movie above a typical doc and made me appreciate the story much more. I have a ton of respect for Herzog after seeing this movie.
There is one big complaint I have with the movie, and that is its ending. I really wish it had ended five minutes sooner, on the close-up of the bear's eyes. Herzog's voice-over narration at that point was a perfect encapsulation of the movie and it's unfortunate (for me, I suppose) that it is not its final shot. There are also more minor gripes. I disliked how they used the coroner to tell the story of Treadwell's death. It distanced me. Perhaps it was the right choice, but I can't help but feel a bit gypped. I disliked how at the end, the movie seemed to focus more on the details of his death, the final tape, etc. I liked when it was about him and not the sensational spectacle and mystery of his death. Still, this is a powerful film with an important message that can touch us all and I highly recommend it.
IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0427312/