I saw "Grizzly Man" by Werner Herzog - pretty intense juxtaposition (ugh, what a rotten word) of deeply wounded, human neuroses and utterly ruthless natural impulses. It examines the bizarre life and horrendous death of Timothy Treadwell, an eccentric ex-actor who frequently spent his summers in rugged Kodiak, Alaska, fraternizing with large bears. Mr. Treadwell was eventually killed by one of the massive beasts, but not before collecting 13 summers worth of stunning videotaped footage as part of his personal diary.

Treadwell, The Grizzly Man, himself, was obviously out of step with the world - stalking around the most inhospitable surroundings, speaking to bears and foxes in an affected, high-pitched tone, he comes across more like a children's-show host lost in the forest than any kind of credible naturalist. Yet, he genuinely loved the wild creatures he had chosen as his comrades, preferring their company to that of mundane humans. The film's power comes from the gap evidenced between Treadwell's boundless, adoring enthusiasm for Nature and Nature's complete obliviousness to that joy.

In a brief, startling scene, he climbs into a cool, mountain stream to bathe alongside a lumbering grizzly bear. Man and Bear soak alongside each other without incident for several seconds. That is, until, Treadwell reaches out and touches The Grizzly Bear on its side. The Bear instantly whirls around, aggravated, and Treadwell backs right off. Nature has limits and Man would do well to recognize them.

I found Timothy Treadwell to be an extremely likable guy - not the manipulative, egotistical grandstander some have claimed. He was obviously vain (dig his constant fiddling with his blonde locks) but his relationship with the flora and fauna of Alaska seemed unselfish. Also, he recorded some of the most incredible wildlife footage I have ever seen.

See it.