Riding the line between documentary and cinematic structure is a difficult and risky proposition, but a skilled filmmaker can find a way to tell a story through both. The best documentary storytellers find the emotional heart in every aspect of the truth, even that which some would find repulsive.
Treadcomes from writer/director Paul Solet, who also wrote and directedMarsfor National Geographicand action films likeBullet HeadandClean. While those three films were not exactly rousing successes, his 2019 filmTreadcombines the skills of a documentarian and an action filmmaker to create something truly special.
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Treadtellsthe true story referredto by the media at the time as “Killdozer”, but the event will require a full and fair accounting to discuss properly. On June 4th, 2004, repair shop owner Marvin Heemeyer attacked his small hometown of Granby, Colorado with an armored bulldozer, dealing around $7 million in damages. Heemeyer was known around town as a decent man but routinely feuded with local authorities over zoning and financial issues. Heemeyer perceived the town’s regulations and legal pursuits as nepotism, as he was not a native of the town.
After being fined $2,500 for a violation of local sewage policy, Heemeyer spent a year and a half outfitting a bulldozer with concrete armor and firearms. Heemeyer recorded hours of monologue explaining his motivation, frequently stating that he believes himself to be answering a call from God. The rampage concluded when Heemeyer’s vehicle’s engine failed, and he killed himself rather than be removed. The story was national news for an extremely brief period, largely because Ronald Reagan died the following day.
InTread, Solet seeks to take that intensely unpleasant and dangerous story and turn it into a compellingnarrative with a horror film edge. The film features tons of interviews with Granby residents who knew Heemeyer and were present for his rampage. The film also features most of the man’s rambling monologue recordings, which builds a strange mix of pity and distaste. The dramatizations focus on Heemeyer diligently piecing together the fateful machine. Scenes of welding on heavy plating, installing multiple cameras, and the entirely recreated disaster are all well-directed and well-executed scenes that feel cutfrom a horror film. The concept of one man creating a weapon of war and using it to destroy his local town over what everyone else sees as a petty dispute is easily scary enough to build a film around.
The most impressive aspect of the film is the way it handles Marvin Heemeyer. When the initial story dropped, and depressingly often today, some are tempted to view the man as an underdog hero. The term “pushed to the edge” is thrown around a lot, but a frank look at Heemeyer’s dealings with the locals reveals something significantly more sinister in the man’s motivation. Some view the man as a libertarian hero, one man fighting against a somehow corrupt system. This view fails to take into account his part in the proceedings, his motivation in the rampage, and his standings at the time. Marvin was not poor and desperate. He wasn’t ruined by the evils of bureaucracy. He was a wealthy man driven to violence by minor disputes. A turningpoint in the documentarycomes when it reveals the fact that Heemeyer turned down the option to sell his shop for an immense sum. Heemeyer isn’t the hero, but the film takes great pains to depict his perspective, delusional though it may be.
It’s very difficult to create a reasonable and balanced take on a story like the one that inspiredTread, but the film pulls it off with aplomb. When it comes time to depict the rampage, the film has the impact ofa unique horror film. No one died in the “Killdozer” incident, save for Heemeyer, but the off-kilter tank rolling down small-town streets is a deeply imposing visual. As it destroys buildings and effortlessly absorbs the attempts of the local police to stop it, it’s as monstrous as it is depressing.Real footage is interspersedwith dramatization, keeping the viewer grounded in the immediacy of the true story. There are a lot of different ways that a filmmaker could craft this story, Solet found a perfect balance between depicting events as they were and selling the fear people would’ve felt at the moment.
Treadis an excellent documentary anda solid horror film. In an age of near-constant bad news, it is deeply fascinating to revisit a challenging story, imbued with all the impact it would’ve had at the time. The film has been interpreted in different ways by its audience, but the real message shines through.Treadmixes social commentary with stellar storytelling, along with some note-perfect horror filmmaking to create a very unique and rare success.Treadis available now on Netflix.
