Can you spot the insane penguin? Me neither.
Werner Herzog’s film Grizzly Man is not only one of my favorite documentaries but also one of my favorite movies because it studies its subject’s peculiarities in a way that blends surreality with unexpected humor and heart. Plus, it’s REALLY, REALLY FUNNY!
Timothy Treadwell, the documentary’s subject, was a different breed of man. He rejected people to spend his days with grizzly bears and believed that gay men had it easy because they could just satisfy their needs in truck stop bathrooms (Yes, he said this!). Eventually his days ended under the weight of a ferocious grizzly. So it goes.
Anyone who has seen any of Herzog’s movies knows that he is touched by the same borderline insanity that Treadwell was. There is a fierce kineticism about his movies. They veer in any and every direction and oftentimes don’t make sense. But, in spite of this non-linear format, there is a beauty in the unknown Herzog trains his lens upon.
With that in mind, I decided to watch Herzog’s Encounters At The End Of The World, his documentary on Antarctica and the people who work there, last night when I spotted it on Netflix. I credit my friend, Janae, for understanding the gravitational pull Herzog has on me and agreeing to watch the film.
