If I had not read some of my classmates blog's about Werner Herzog's NPR speech and the short video on Timothy Treadwell, I would have never assumed Herzog's documentary "Grizzly Man" is biased.
After thinking harder, I remember it being mentioned in class to pay attention to the bias throughout the film, but when watching the short clip and listening to the NPR interview, I was unable to pick up on the biases surrounding Herzog's opinion. Herzog explains Timothy Treadwell was "haunted by demons" in the form of alcohol and drugs, and that he had near fatal overdose. He dove further into Treadwell's story by suggesting meeting the bears was an epiphany, in the form of a new beginning for Treadwell. Treadwell does state his opinion briefly when asked if Treadwell was suicidal, and also by saying that we should not love the bear but instead respect them and keep our distance.
The point I am trying to make is that it is often hard to pin point a clear line or divide between what is factual and what is not, even in something as renown and trusted as an NPR segment. The concept of a blurred line between fact and fiction is something we are all rather practiced in, or at least aware of. Herzog himself points this out. He considers there to be a blurred line between documentaries and feature films. In fact for Herzog, he is on a quest to find the "ecstatic truth" in each of the films he produces. We plan to watch the "Grizzly Man" as a documentary however to Herzog it is "feature film." I am very interested to see how the contrasting lenses play out!
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