This thesis conducts a comparative and ecocritical examination of Blackfish and Grizzly Man, two nature documentary films dealing with separate cases of human fatalities caused by wild animals. The aim was to show how nature and non-human animals as well as the relationship between humans/civilization and non-human animals/nature are represented in the films. Additionally, the effects of the representations of non-human animals on a viewer are also examined. For examining representations, the main theoretical frameworks used were: Frans De Waal’s understanding of the concepts of animalcentric and anthropocentric anthropomorphism, and Hillevi Ganetz’s understanding and use of the concept of natursyn (english: view on nature), meaning cultural interpretations of nature, which divides into three views: beautiful, sublime and picturesque. For the additional aim, the concepts of trans-species empathy and false-intimacy were used, the former via Alexa Weik von Mossner’s understanding and use, the latter via Derek Bousé’s. Essentially, the related concepts refer to the human ability to engage emotionally with non-human characters.  What the results show is that both Grizzly Man and Blackfish have ambivalent attitudes toward nature. In both Grizzly Man and Blackfish there are signs of different kinds of anthropomorphism. In terms of natursyn, Grizzly Man consists of a picturesque and a sublime view, articulated verbally and visually, whereas Blackfish consists of a beautiful and a picturesque view, articulated verbally, visually and sonically. The thesis also shows that the representations of orcas as human-like and close-ups of orcas with physical injuries in Blackfish have the potential of creating trans-species empathy. In Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog’s indifferent conception of nature, proclaimed through spoken narration as close-ups of a bear face are shown, discourages the potential effects of such imagery, namely false intimacy.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T20:21:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rita de Cassia da Silva Leao.pdf: 5297903 bytes, checksum: 365d1ce161ffb73142a6ebc13ab0e302 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / All movie-making has an anthropological character, as it is as open-ended as humankind itself. The works of Werner Herzog run parallel with fundamental anthropology, which seeks to understand the process of penetration of man into the world and the inseparable process of penetration of the world into man. The first movie that is analyzed, Wodaabe: Herdsman of the Sun, deals with love of beauty among beings who feel despised by neighboring peoples. The second, Grizzly Man, is about a man who wanted to be a bear, as he could not stand living among humans. The third, The Cave of Forgotten Dreams, tells us how humankind dreamed 32 thousand years ago; how it projected its double on cave walls and small statues. Paintings and statues feature at the same time a penchant for both the fantastic and the reality of shapes and forms. It is not Herzog´s movie settings or themes which are anthropological; it is his view of the world and his way of making movies, which transmutes real into imaginary, and imaginary into real / Todo cinema contém um caráter antropológico, por ser aberto como a própria humanidade. A obra de Werner Herzog é contigua à antropologia fundamental, que busca compreender o processo de penetração do homem no mundo e o processo inseparável de penetração do mundo no homem. O primeiro filme analisado, Wodaabe: Os pastores do sol, trata do amor à beleza entre seres que se sentem desprezados pelos povos vizinhos. O segundo, O homem urso, de um humano que queria ser urso e não suportava o mundo dos humanos. O terceiro, A caverna dos sonhos esquecidos, conta como sonhava a humanidade há 32 mil anos, como projetava seu duplo nas paredes das cavernas e nas pequenas estátuas. Nas pinturas e estátuas estão presentes, ao mesmo tempo, uma tendência para o fantástico e para a realidade das formas. Não são os locais de filmagem e tampouco os temas de Herzog que são antropológicos, mas sim a sua visão de mundo e o modo de fazer cinema, que transmuta o real em imaginário e o imaginário em real

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T14:55:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rita de Cassia da Silva Leao.pdf: 5297903 bytes, checksum: 365d1ce161ffb73142a6ebc13ab0e302 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / All movie-making has an anthropological character, as it is as open-ended as humankind itself. The works of Werner Herzog run parallel with fundamental anthropology, which seeks to understand the process of penetration of man into the world and the inseparable process of penetration of the world into man. The first movie that is analyzed, Wodaabe: Herdsman of the Sun, deals with love of beauty among beings who feel despised by neighboring peoples. The second, Grizzly Man, is about a man who wanted to be a bear, as he could not stand living among humans. The third, The Cave of Forgotten Dreams, tells us how humankind dreamed 32 thousand years ago; how it projected its double on cave walls and small statues. Paintings and statues feature at the same time a penchant for both the fantastic and the reality of shapes and forms. It is not Herzog´s movie settings or themes which are anthropological; it is his view of the world and his way of making movies, which transmutes real into imaginary, and imaginary into real / Todo cinema contém um caráter antropológico, por ser aberto como a própria humanidade. A obra de Werner Herzog é contigua à antropologia fundamental, que busca compreender o processo de penetração do homem no mundo e o processo inseparável de penetração do mundo no homem. O primeiro filme analisado, Wodaabe: Os pastores do sol, trata do amor à beleza entre seres que se sentem desprezados pelos povos vizinhos. O segundo, O homem urso, de um humano que queria ser urso e não suportava o mundo dos humanos. O terceiro, A caverna dos sonhos esquecidos, conta como sonhava a humanidade há 32 mil anos, como projetava seu duplo nas paredes das cavernas e nas pequenas estátuas. Nas pinturas e estátuas estão presentes, ao mesmo tempo, uma tendência para o fantástico e para a realidade das formas. Não são os locais de filmagem e tampouco os temas de Herzog que são antropológicos, mas sim a sua visão de mundo e o modo de fazer cinema, que transmuta o real em imaginário e o imaginário em real