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The Bridge (2006/I)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Release Date:
16 February 2007 (UK)
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Genre:
Tagline:
Be afraid of what lies beneath...
Plot:
People suffer largely unnoticed while the rest of the world goes about its business. This is a documentary...
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| full synopsis
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Interview: Eric Steel
(From ioncinema. 30 October 2006)
Tribeca dispatch #6
(From ioncinema. 2 May 2006)
(From ioncinema. 30 October 2006)
Tribeca dispatch #6
(From ioncinema. 2 May 2006)
User Comments:
Tastefully done (mostly)
more (66 total)
Cast
(Credited cast) | John Snowden | ... | Lloyd Spencer |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for disturbing content involving suicide, and for some language.
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Runtime:
94 min
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The film was inspired by an article entitled "Jumpers," written by Tad Friend appearing in The New Yorker magazine in 2003.
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Quotes:
Gene's friend:
[on why Gene choose to jump off the Bridge] Maybe he just wanted to fly one time.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Goodbye and Good Luck (#8.7)" (2007)
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FAQ
Why didn't the film crew try to stop the suicides?more
more (66 total)
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Several reviewers have criticized this film for its moral/ethical bankruptcy. They point out that if film crews were at the Golden Gate Bridge monitoring jumpers and filming them (often from multiple cameras), they could have prevented the tragedies. This much is probably true. And if you take that approach to watching this film, you will certainly be offended.
But I don't believe it was the intent of the filmmakers to make any sort of moral/ethical statement. Rather, they simply present us with an eye through which we see what happens in the world. It's no different from a National Geographic special which tracks a leopard stalking some unsuspecting gazelle and the bloody carnage that ensues. Should the camera crews be criticized for not having warned the gazelle?
OK, enough of the ethical debate. Chances are, if you're prepared to see live footage of people jumping off bridges, you won't get too bent out of shape at the underlying morality (or lack thereof). Let me just say that it was tastefully done--or as tastefully as you can do a subject like this.
Interviews with well-spoken, competent individuals added a refreshing, "scientific" approach to this highly emotional subject. Yes, family members and close friends are interviewed, but (unlike Fox News et al) we don't get the hysterical, weepy ad hominem clips. Instead we get very lucid and enlightening insights as spoken by the people who knew the victims well. Overall, it presents a compelling point of view, far more provoking than the usual "suicide is evil, and all suicidal people are losers" mantra which we often hear. If you are a psychology student or if you are in some way familiar with severe depression, this is a great film to watch. It documents the last hours of those who have truly gone to the extreme of mental anguish. This subject has been taboo for centuries, and I'm not quite sure why. But I'm glad to see that films like this are bringing it into the open.
MY ONLY CRITICISM: While most "jumping" scenes were handled well, there are a few which I found a bit tacky. This was due to the camera work being a bit too greedy. When the individual climbs onto the ledge, suddenly we see the camera jockeying into position as if to get the best view of the fall. Sometimes the overzealous camera operator jumps the gun and pans down to the water far ahead of the body. This comes across as just a tad bit bloodthirsty. But hey, I guess I'd get a little excited behind the lens, too.
But really that's a minor criticism. In contrast, I have to praise the film for being professionally done, even with a decent musical score (not too sappy, not too sterile). But really it's the objectivity and lack of obvious bias which makes it a great documentary, something which Michael Moore could learn a lot from (sorry, someone had to say it). Also, just because it's a documentary, don't expect that it'll be linear and boring. The filmmakers were very adept at weaving suspense and an underlying drama which culminates with a truly stunning climax at the end. I must applaud this film on both an academic and an artistic level.