Timothy Treadwell is pretty weird. From the first half of the movie it is clear
that Treadwell will do anything for the bears that he loves. At first I did not take Treadwell seriously
when he said he would die for the bears because many people say things like
that just to express their dedication.
However as the movie progressed I started to believe Treadwell and I
understood that his heart was really for the bears. While, part of this may be because of Herzog’s
directing tricks, I became attached to Treadwell. I found myself cheering for him and the
bears. I then asked myself: how much is
this because of Herzog? Herzog does a
great job in setting up the movie because he finds ways to attract the
viewer. I also thought that a good
director could make a movie about how Treadwell is harmful to the bears. The director chooses what the people see and
how they see the characters in the film.
Herzog clearly wanted the people on Treadwell’s side, but if the
director made the viewers see Treadwell in a different light then this movie
would be completely different. Treadwell
could really be hurting the bears and disturbing their habitat. A director could exploit that and show that trying
to help animals can actually interfere with their lives. I now think that the main reason Treadwell is
liked is because of Herzog and not his mission to save the bears.
I definitely agree with that point, and I would add that because of Herzog, Treadwell is probably seen my many as a sort of tragic hero. Though we have not seen the second half of the movie, he apparently died at the hands of his passion, which is an idea that people tend to respect. Herzog makes it easy to ignore Treadwell's stupidity, and he glorifies his quirkiness and his personal struggles. I have no idea what Timmothy Treadwell was like in real life, but Herzog makes him seem oddly likable and fun, which adds to his tragic hero persona.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your point. I think that it is the directors’ job to make the movie “go” in a certain direction. It is much easier to follow a movie that has a certain goal, regardless of whether or not it leaves you convinced, than to follow a movie that seems to be all over the place. While watching the movie, I also found myself becoming attached to Treadwell. Since we are in this class I was aware of what Herzog was doing to me, but I still let it happen. It seemed almost impossible to think in another way. I think that this is the mark of a good director. Having the ability to make your audience feel what you want them to feel, regardless of whether or not they believe it, is a talent. This movie shows how powerful the director is in the making of a movie, and the effect they can have on an audience without the audience realizing what is happening.
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