If you haven’t yet gotten a chance to check out Werner Herzog’s latest documentary, Grizzly Man, I strongly recommend it. The film chronicles the life and death of failed-actor turned grizzly-bear-activist Timmothy Treadwell during his 13 summers spent living unarmed among the grizzlies in Alaska.
The film left me feeling about the same as when I finished reading Krakauer’s ‘Into The Wild.’ There was a certain beauty and morbidity in Treadwell’s actions. Much like Alexander Supertramp, you can’t help but feel that no matter how pure Treadwell’s motives may have been, they were misguided and the disastorous outcome was inevitable.
Still the image of a man standing on the precipice of death day after day is far too seductive for the eye to turn away from and will haunt the mind for days. I respect and pity him at the same time.
Loki