werner herzog – Smaller Pictures

Grizzly Man (2005)

This documentary by Werner Herzog follows bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell, as he dedicates his life to protect the bears in The Grizzly Maze in the Alaskan reserve. The footage of Treadwell was self-recorded as he wanted to display the kinship he felt between himself and the bears in a way to promote awareness for wildlife protection and leads up to the tragic death of Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard. Grizzly Man combines this footage with interviews from family, friends, associates and those involved with the aftermath of his death with Herzog bringing life to Treadwell beyond his love of bears. In true Herzog fashion, his interviewing is thoughtful, unafraid to share his own theories and opinions but allowing the viewer to conclude whether they believe Treadwell was in the right or wrong.

Treadwell was 47 years old when he had finished his 13 summer or “expedition” protecting the bears in The Grizzly Maze from poachers when he ended up staying longer due an issue with his flight ticket back to California. It was during this prolonged stay that he and girlfriend Huguenard met their horrific and gruesome end. The bears thay Treadwell was familiar with had gone into hibernation and wilder, unfamiliar bears had moved in from other areas of the park. It is an aggressive 28 year old bear tagged 141 that would prove to be the end for Treadwell and Huguenard. The description from Willy Fulton, the pilot who saw the dismembered bodies from his aircraft, rangers who were tasked with hunting the bear who killed them and the coroner who examined the bodies all give a description of one of the most upsetting and graphic deaths imaginable. The opinions on Treadwell differ from Fulton’s claim that Treadwell would not have wanted the bear to be killed for his murder to the ranger stating that he shouldn’t have been out there at all and he had it coming. Both extremes make the film difficult to watch as Treadwell’s goal was to show that the bears are harmless but in the end, a desperation for food and territory spelled out his demise.

One such scene that is haunting is when Herzog listens to the audio of Treadwell and Huguenard’s death as the lens cap on the camera had not been taken off. We don’t see Herzog’s face as he is conducting an interview with Treadwell’s ex-partner, Jewel Palovak, who allows him to listen to the footage despite never having listened to it herself. We the audience do not get to listen to this footage and despite not seeing his face, we sense the unspeakable terror and horror that Herzog is feeling while listening to it. Herzog, clearly disturbed, requests to stop listening after a minute or so of the six minute footage and advises that Palovak destroy the footage. It will be “like an elephant in the room”, haunting her for the rest of her life.

Another scene that is just as jaw-dropping is one where Treadwell captures footage of an extremely graphic fight between two alpha male bears who are fighting to see who will mate with the prime female. It is a harrowing scene that sees the bears seemingly fight to the death as they claw and bite away at each other. Aside from showing the true nature of bears and feeling terrified for Treadwell who is only a few feet away from this, it makes for a truly remarkable piece of cinema. It is footage that I imagine every nature documentarian dreams of capturing. It feels that at this point in the film, the agitation and aggression in the bears is slowly reaching its boiling point and the risk for Treadwell and his life lingers even heavier than before. This display of nature is very different to the one portrayed during the midsummer months.
As stated before, Grizzly Man is a documentary that is more than one man’s love for bears. It is a look into human nature itself and questions whether man can truly get along with any species. Treadwell firmly believes that by acting like a bear, he will be treated as such and lives for 13 summers amongst them unarmed. The footage from Treadwell shows his strong passion for the bears and wildlife as he mourns the death of every creature he finds such as a fox cub and even a bee but then switches to a rage of insults towards insult at the government bodies responsible for the preservation of these animals. His anger goes beyond articulation and turns into a swarm of swear words and lasts a long time, Herzog showing us the full takes. It makes Treadwell an unpredictable and at times uncomfortable subject but engaging all the same.

Another interesting perspective from this documentary is the obsession with image that Treadwell seemed to have. Filming multiple takes of simple actions such as running through a bush wearing a different colour bandana in each one so producers could decide what image they like for a show when Treadwell hands in the footage. Despite this, he dismisses the ideology of celebrity throughout and despises the idea that people may hunt him out in the reserve for a story. Herzog’s interviews discover Treadwell’s attempts to break into the film and television industry, even coming second to Woody Harrelson’s role in Cheers. It was losing the Cheers role that caused him to spiral out of control and contributed to a near fatal overdose. This then triggers questions of whether the rejection propelled him to reject the human race and focus on nature and wilderness.

This documentary is not for the faint of heart with multiple images of dismembered limbs from both bears and humans, it is hard to stomach the reality of the danger that Treadwell was in on a daily basis. The result, however, is a rewarding and haunting piece of cinema that asks questions and allows its viewers to conclude with their own answers. Herzog proves himself to be one of the masters of his craft by allowing himself to continuously be the outsider, deciding to hide his face off camera and even praising Treadwell’s filmmaking skills. It’s a documentary that gives Treadwell’s life and work a legacy that goes beyond his death by showing his footage with no bias beyond it.

Grizzly Man is available on Amazon Prime at the time of writing this review and I hugely recommend that you give it a watch. Uncomfortable and upsetting but thoughtful and provoking.

Have you seen Grizzly Man? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

The vampire genre is one that has proven longevity since the popularity of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Since the inception of film as an artistic genre, we have seen vampires populate horror ever since the 1922 classic Nosferatu. It’s a genre that has become a parody unto itself thanks to its association with teen franchises and the common link between vampirism and sex. What makes Werner Herzog’s 1979 masterpiece so impactful is the sincerity and the minimalism with which it is executed. Herzog brings such a natural approach to the production and yet everything is so clearly calculated. Starring Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Harker, Isabelle Adjani as his wife, Lucy and Klaus Kinski as the titular character, the film follows the story of Jonathan Harker and his encounter with the mysterious Count Dracula who lives among ruins in Transylvania. Dracula subsequently ventures into Wismar and brings along a rat infestation causing a plague in the village while feeling entranced by Lucy. The film is a haunting adaptation of the classic tale and with minimal violence, effectively mounts up fear thanks to the emotionally charged script and the isolating direction.

First thing to talk about is Herzog’s direction and screenplay which I have touched on a bit. What’s genius about Nosferatu the Vampyre is its timelessness. It’s a film that could have been made today and still received in the same way. I think that is a credit to Herzog’s talent as a writer and filmmaker that he is able to create a film that is so unique and provided an impact to the horror genre. The first act of the film follow Jonathan’s journey to Transylvania and is fairly slow burning with the middle portion showing Jonathan’s encounter with Nosferatu and his downfall and the final act sees the plague takeover and final showdown. Herzog successfully creates rounded characters in its main three protagonists: Jonathan, Lucy and Dracula and easily follows their isolated storylines before merging together in Wismar. The film becomes an intricate puzzle and Herzog cleverly manages to slot the pieces in the right place by making it more than a simple linear structure.

Due to the lack of blood and violence, it’s up to the actors to evoke the fear in the film and the cast does so perfectly. Headed by Ganz and Adjani as the Harkers, we are immediately immersed in their world from the opening shot of Lucy screaming herself awake from a nightmare. Kinski isn’t physically in the film that long and first appears halfway through but his presence can be felt even when he is not onscreen. As we see Jonathan succumb to vampirism, we see his attitude shift from loving husband to isolated madman in a performance that is portrayed brilliantly by Ganz. The highlight for me comes from Adjani for her stellar performance as Lucy. Considering the film was made in 1979, Lucy is such a complex character. Herzog makes the audience believe that she is weak and feeble as she struggles to cope when Jonathan sets off on his journey but her strength shines through in the aftermath of the plague that sets upon Wismar. As we see a society led by men crumble, Lucy can be seen actively trying to solve the problem against the advice of the supposedly wise Dr Van Helsing (Walter Ladengast). The nightmares and instincts that Lucy create a sense of otherworldliness to her as she is viewed as a force for Good against the Evil of Nosferatu.

I don’t think I would be doing the film justice if I were not to discuss the iconic soundtrack provided by Popol Vol and featuring the Vocal Ensemble Gordela. The score brings in new sounds and unexpected notes which exemplify the films various twists and turns. It’s hauntingly beautiful and grabs your attention instantly. The score helps the film’s impact on the viewer and really elevates the experience and horror of the subject matter. The track “Tsintskaro” performed by the Vocal Ensemble Gordela is among the many musical highlights in this film as we see Lucy as she ventures through the town square among the madness of the fellow villagers. The incorporation of this traditional folksong brings forth the culture into the film and it clearly made an impact as it also provided inspiration for Kate Bush who sampled this song in “Hello Earth”.

It goes without saying that Nosferatu the Vampyre is my favourite vampire film and among my top horrors of all time. I think that there is a strong argument to say it is the best vampire film of all time and struggle to think of a horror film that has impacted me more. It’s brilliance comes in its simplicity and its fear comes from the performances which shows what a fantastic cast and crew this film had. All the components mesh together beautifully to create a film that is still haunting and impactful 40 years on.

What do you think of Nosferatu the Vampyre? Let me know in the comments below!