1.) The death of Treadwell sets the tone for the movie. This film is not a story of Treadwell's life, it is a story about whether his work was something to admire, or something that ended up harming the animals he was trying to protect. Herzog at the beginning of the film showed Treadwell's passion for his work, and I think his purpose was to give the viewer all sides of him, and show his life, but I think he skewed the film to show the side of Timothy that was ingenuine. At the start of the film he discusses the passion of Timothy, then tells about his death, and from that point on the information produced in the film makes Timothy look foolish and is not consistent with the commentary done by Herzog at the beginning or the end of the film.
2.) Herzog appears as a character to show his reaction to the audio of the death of Treadwell. His commentary I think is to show how he feels about Treadwell, because the things Herzog says about Treadwell, are not consistent with the content of his film, which I previously stated. Herzog seems to admire Treadwell, regardless of what is shown in the film. Most of the class felt that Treadwell was an actor, and throughout the film this made them believe that he was not actually passionate about his subject that he devoted his life to.
3.) I have stated this previously, but he portrays him as a very foolish character. He delves into Treadwell's struggle with multiple personalities, and how unstable he was. The way he presented information made a mockery of what Treadwell went through, especially in the case of when Treadwell is talking to the camera about how not to get eaten, and how to handle a bear and get them to back off, then the footage goes to a scene that describes his death, or shows him interacting with the bear that may have killed him. Herzog also shows more interviews of people that are against what he was doing, or interviews that denounce his character, rather than interviews that build him up. This leaves the viewer to feel this way too. The information presented gives the viewer no other option but to believe that he was just some foolish, unstable actor, who pretended to care about something to get attention.
4.) I don't think that his presence had a negative effect on the bears. I don't necessarily think that his time spent with them was noble. I don't think that the bears were in desperate need of a hero to help them, but I do that Treadwell genuinely cared for the grizzly bears. He felt a connection with them, and he would not have returned for thirteen summers if he did not think so. Yes, he may also have been looking for attention, or trying to make it seem like he was getting more attention than he was. He wanted to produce a documentary that showed his connection, and his alone with the bears. He didn't want people to see Amy's presence for that reason, and he did different takes to make the most of the time he spent. The people that were closest to him believe that he truly cared about the cause, and was passionate about it. Those who are completely on the outside had a different view of him, but they cannot argue that he indubitable passion for the cause, and truly believe he is helping. I already stated what I think Herzog's purpose of the film was, and what it accomplished, which was to destroy his credibility.
5.) I think that this film does show that Treadwell did cross a boundary. He kept pushing and pushing the boundary between being a human, and being an animal. He got to the point where he took too many risks. He places his camp, just days before his death, in a spot that was completely unseen, so that a bear could easily stumble upon it. He states that if it can be seen most animals stay away from it. The bears did not have enough food at that time, and were starving and Timothy was there for the taking. He did have a relationship with the bears, but he got to be reckless towards the end.
6.) I think that this statement delves into the deeper meaning of the film. Treadwell's beliefs and credibility are challenged in this film, and by including these two conflicting statements about nature, it helps show the theme of this movie. A lot of the film deals with whether or not Treadwell was doing good, or was he just an actor being naive. The film works to show the latter, and Herzog must have an opinion and this sole statement gives the audience the idea that he did not believe in Treadwell's view of nature.
7.) This scene in the film is to show the reaction to something that was made out to seem horrific. By showing his reaction, since the audience was not able to hear the audio, we get an idea of the effect it would have on us as listener. He gives people's opinions about the death, and makes it seem horrific, but since the audio is not released it is somewhat of a gray area on whether or not so much information should have been given about the actual death. The man he interviews, the coroner, is one of the most dramatic parts of the film. This part of the film is over-dramatic and the coroner is way too eager to give gruesome details. These parts of the film just seem out of place, but they also work to help prove that Treadwell was a fool, which was necessary to include.
8.) I think that Herzog waited towards the end of the film to show Treadwell's background, because it is information that alters your view of him as a genuine person. The main theme is the argument that he was not doing good for the animals, then the information at the end takes the viewer to a whole new level. It leaves the viewer wondering if Treadwell even believed in his cause, or if he was just trying to get famous.