Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The issue of the Filmmaker
I wanted to address some topics we discussed in class today because I thought they were really interesting. First off, I do believe that Timothy violated a sort of social and natural rule. I don’t believe that humans are separate from nature, but I do believe that there are certain boundaries that all animals have. Humans are not equipped to live with and act like wild animals. Timothy wanted to disprove this order and eventually it led to his death. This brings me to my next point, the filmmaker. I’ve made documentaries of my own in the past and believe me; they are not easy to do. A filmmaker cannot show every piece of footage shot because then no one would watch it. I do believe that part of the film was to entertain but also to inform. In my own opinion, the filmmaker showed Timothy living his dream and how he thought what he was doing was right. But also, the filmmaker showed an outsiders perspective and what the reality was of his actions and what Timothy was doing. In reality, whether he lived with the bears or not, I don’t believe anyone benefited. One could argue that Timothy was the one who got the best deal but that is because he was able to use bears as an escape from reality. I also believe that the bears were a replacement addiction. Often times when you see people recovering from an addiction like smoking, drinking, or drugs that are not social acceptable, they move onto something that is social acceptable like religion for example. If you have ever read “A Million Little Pieces” it explains that when those who are suffering from an addiction what to get rid of that addiction, they turn to something else to fill that need. For Timothy, this filler addiction was the bears. It could have also be him striving for fame. A question that has been bothering me about this film was how Timothy filmed hundreds of hours of footage and did he edit anything? What in the film did he have control over as a filmmaker, if that was indeed his goal? I wouldn’t think he just went out there and shot all that footage without having some idea of what he wanted to do with it later. I think that would be an important thing to know for the understanding of this documentary.
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I'll have to disagree with you on your views regarding Timothy's activism for Bears. While it may have been an addiction in a sense if you interpret that to be extreme passion, I don't think his work with bears was used as an effort to replace his former addictions. In fact, Timothy mentioned that he changed his bad ways because working with bears inspired him to become a better person. I genuinely believe that he was devoted to his mission because he truly wanted to change society's views of bears and their future. Because he was a naturally flamboyant person, he probably felt that he could best do this by making wacky yet powerful documentaries. After all, this is an affective way to teach ignorant people about wildlife. In general, people tend to want to watch conservations who have personality and wit, as opposed to ones who are dull. This is why programs by fun wildlife experts, such as Steve Irwing and Jeff Cowan, are extremely popular. Since I actually consider their work a dream job of my own, I can tell you from personal experience that most people who study and work with animals this extensively, generally do so because they truly care for them.
ReplyDeleteI respectfully disagree with you that no one benefited from Treadwell’s work. “Grizzly Man” is immensely popular among enthusiasts of high adventure activities (hiking, camping, rock climbing, etc.) because it reminds you of your own personal limitations and vulnerabilities. When I went backpacking through central Alaska, I was required to watch this movie for this reason. When I watched it the first time, it became clear to me that bears seem to be ok as long as you don’t mess with them. It’s a mutual relationship; if you keep your distance and respect the bear, the bear will keep its distance and respect you. Treadwell, while his motivations were perhaps noble or selfish (you decide), serves as an example for future outdoorsmen and women because he shows that bears are living, dangerous organisms rather than cuddly, harmless toys. This movie is often shown to anyone seriously considering entering the backcountry of Alaska, experts and tourists alike. I feel like the movie has the potential to scare away many of the tourists who would be a liability to themselves if they were to go into the backcountry. Since I feel like these uneducated tourists are the main problem in Alaska (see my post on camping with bears), I believe that Treadwell did end up having a lasting impact on bears in Alaska.
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