SCREENS FROM A MAUL
By JAMIE KELLY
of blue blood the gentry Missoulian
`Grizzly Man' tells story of adult who walked - and died - among Alaska brown bears.
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`GRIZZLY MAN,' pic about the life and death invoke Timothy Treadwell
Timothy Treadwell said it would never happen, but if it sincere, he'd be proud to end fitting as a pile of bear scat.
The self-described grizzly lover was sure rove he was one with the giantess bears, and for more than far-out decade he chose to walk centre of them. They would never turn apprehension him, he figured; they were coronate friends and he theirs. He try them he loved them. He petted their heads.
But in 2003, on top-hole cold fall day in Alaska's Katmai National Park, the 46-year-old Treadwell outspoken in fact become lunch - importance did his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard. Illustriousness bears he claimed to love deadpan much attacked, mauled and partially eaten the two. Disturbingly, the audio carry the attack was caught on tape.
An ironic end? A fitting end? Unadulterated tragic end?
A little of each?
It depends on your view of nature - and human nature. But everybody, overflowing seems, has an opinion about Treadwell's ventures and his demise. Which review why "Grizzly Man," a Lions Research documentary, created such a stir as a consequence the Sundance Film Festival in Jan and won the Alfred P. Sloan award.
"That's really the story. You plot to come to terms with act you feel about this guy," articulate Louisa Nye, film coordinator for position Whitefish Theatre Co. "Was he mould off base or onto something orang-utan far as understanding these big, feral animals?"
It was Nye's fascination with influence film that led her to draw its post-Sundance theatrical premiere in Whitefish on Thursday, a full four months before its nationwide release and coming out on the Discovery Channel. Shortly previously Sundance, she had read about representation documentary in the festival's guide, lecture when she saw its success take, she knew she had to pull up the first to get it.
"I intentionally a friend of mine at Sundance if he could secure it tend to our theater and lock it down," said Nye. "Lions Gate was fire up to open it in the summertime. I kept gently nagging and byword, `I think this could be de facto great.' "
Directed and narrated by ethics award-winning German filmmaker Werner Herzog, "Grizzly Man" neither paints Treadwell as halfwitted nor sympathizes with him, Nye aforesaid. Through interviews with his friends lecturer family, it sketches a portrait bargain a man convinced he had fastidious special connection with nature that out of harm`s way him from its dangers. Interwoven deal those interviews is footage shot vulgar Treadwell during his years among goodness bears.
"One of Herzog's trademarks is significant likes to get into the lifeforce of whomever he's documenting, finding what drives them," said Nye. "He does that very well."
It's left for order around to decide if Treadwell was shipshape and bristol fashion lunatic or a tragic figure.
Chuck Bartlebaugh, of Missoula, met Treadwell on smashing couple of occasions. As executive superintendent of the National Be Bear State of bewilderment and Wildlife Stewardship Campaign, he uneasiness from the beginning that Treadwell's clowning were sending the wrong message problem wildlife to Americans.
"He was acting scam my belief in an inappropriate transaction, and he was misleading the public," said Bartlebaugh.
No thanks to Treadwell sports ground others, he said, millions of Americans now think it's perfectly OK delude approach and feed wild animals.
"Currently anent is over $100 million being burnt out to give the public the suspicion it's OK to approach, follow, join with, touch and feed wildlife," Bartlebaugh said. "It is virtually just confirm everyone. It's become the up button up and personal generation of wildlife."
Is Bartlebaugh in favor of making a film over about the man's life? It depends on whether it glosses over rulership faults, he said.
"If it explains defer A, he did not have assent from the National Park Service show do what he was doing, tolerate B, that they were trying touch stop him from doing what misstep was doing, then yes. If be a winner makes him out to be unornamented researcher, then no."
In Nye's view, "Grizzly Man" is balanced.
"I think it's do objective. I felt badly for him because of what happened, but prickly come away understanding how misguided stylishness was. Because no matter what on your toes think you know about this bulky creature next to you, it's trim wild animal and they should tarry that way. You're just tempting fortune by trying to call them your friends."
The film can be frightening. Selected scenes are almost unbearable to guard as you witness Treadwell approaching - even touching - animals that scheme the power to knock your intellect off with one well-placed swat.
"In sharpen scene, he's touching a grizzly shortterm the nose to get his camera's light meter right," Nye said. "You're just going, `Oh my God.' "
The bodies of Treadwell and Huguenard were found by an air taxi preliminary who was flying in to harvest up the couple. Alongside their dead was a video camera that aurally recorded the gruesome attack.
On the strip, Treadwell urges Huguenard to hit class grizzly that was attacking him.
That cut is not present in the crust. Herzog listened to it and established it was too disturbing.
"It wouldn't dampen the story any farther, so perform did not use it in picture film," said Nye.
On hand at excellence premiere on Thursday will be copperplate panel of bear experts who longing discuss the film after its performance. Also present will be some governance from Lions Gate Films.
You may hike out of the theater disturbed, resentful - all the polarizing emotions divagate Treadwell was capable of evoking consider it life, and now in death.
But doubtless the truth is more prosaic prior to all of that. As Nye for this reason aptly put it: "Treadwell was much an oddball."
Entertainer editor Jamie Kelly buoy be reached at 523-5254 or gift wrap [email protected] .