The Grizzly Man

I did not know anything about 'Grizzly Man' before we watched it. While the first few minutes played, I thought it was a joke, or at least a satire, of a man who was obsessed with bears- possibly mocking other documentaries of animal-crazed people doing field work. Then the movie continued, and I realized that Tim was serious, and that the film was not mocking anything, but was an earnest documentation. Then I started (or tried to, anyway) to take Tim seriously.
From what we observed in class, bears had somehow become a religion to Tim. Clearly, Tim felt a spiritual connection to the bears that kept him returning to Alaska every summer for thirteen years. This pull and desire for connection may be similar to the human search for spiritual fufillment with God, or a 'higher power'. By watching Tim's actions on film, it was clear that he wanted to be on the same level as the bears, and desired to interact in a direct relationship which could lead to further communication between the human and bears. Tim wanted to bridge the gap- in the same was humans wish to with God...only with bears.
Also, it appears as though the bears had become Tim's identity. They were his life, and there was no end point of when he would stop spending his summers in Alaska. The trip was very much a part of who Tim was, and not dedicating time with the bears did not appear to be an option. When Tim was not with the bears, he was spreading his knowledge of them to children in schools- his efforts never ceased. This dedication and personal investment also makes Tim's relationship with the bears to appear to be a religious one.
The main downfall of entrusting religious feelings and tendencies to anything that is not God is that it can lead to demise. While people in the video said that being killed and eaten by a bear was how Tim would have wanted to go, and that he would be upset that the bear that ate him was killed, I think the audio from his last moments would prove otherwise. I could be wrong, and perhaps Tim really would feel that way, but he is human. Even a bear would be infuriated at being eaten by another bear, and would most likely want that bear shot and killed.