The Grizzly Man

The documentary film "Grizzly Man" may just as well been titled "Death of a True Believer."   Timothy Treadwell, the ''Grizzly Man,'' fits, exactly, Eric Hoffer's description of a person without success, a plan, or self respect who trades his life for an all consuming cause.  Treadwell  was an actor whose life fell apart after he came in second to Woody Harrelson for the part of the Cheers bartender.  One wonders how  that casting call must have been worded: "Auditioning for role in popular television sitcom.  Must be be crazy eco loon." Treadwell was a substance abuser who had no idea who he was. He told Hollywood friends he was an Aussie orphan, and affected a cheesy accent that sounded more like Bobby Kennedy than Crocodile Dundee. Treadwell is representative of  every one of the hapless souls who populate fringe groups like PeTA, Greenpeace, and the very dangerous eco-terrorist groups.  And yes, I love animals, I just don't want to marry one, or trade human life for them. This is Treadwell with his girlfriend Amy, also eaten by the bear. Later Timmy admonishes her for getting into the camera shot because ''I'm supposed to be alone here.'' This is the bear that ate Timmy.  He wanted to be friends, but bear just didn't want to party. Still, Tim told the bear that he loved him.  Tim told every animal he loved them. I mean, really. He would get tearful over every injustice visited on any animal Males will often kill a cub to make the mommy bear stop lactating, and want more sex.  Bad Bad Bad ''I love you little bear cub paw.'' '' '... he seemed not to understand that the world is full of predators. '' ''I love you Foxy-loxy'' This bear cub was eaten after a 2 month drought stopped the salmon run.  The strip on the right shows Timmy cursing Jesus, Allah, and '' that Hindu floaty thing'' for not making it rain hard enough.  Later we are treated to the sight of his tent collapsed on his head after a week long deluge. Treadwell credits his ''talk'' with God. There are two groups of people interviewed in the film.  Eco-freaks, and real people who think Treadwell was an arrogant asshole who got what he deserved.   The Gaedes are the former, and self described ''ecologists.'' Here Marc Gaedes tells how they received ''thousands'' of letters like this : ''... a bear diet consists of liberal and and Dems, meaning democrats, and wacko environmentalists that think the spotted owl is the most important thing in the world.  We need to somehow drastically increase the number of bears in America, especially in such critical areas as the Berkeley campus ... ." Mother Superior asked whether I had sent that letter. Treadwell hates people, and it probably cost him his life.  He and Amy were at the airport,  scheduled to leave, when an airline clerk questioned his ticket.  Enraged, Treadwell  stomped out and returned to ''the bear maze,'' only to discover all his ''bear friends'' are in hibernation, and only a few surly mofo bears are left.  One eats him. Treadwell curses Jesus, Allah, and ''that Hindu floaty thing.''