jesus.
Well I just watched one of the most open and haunting movies I've ever seen.
The Bridge is a documentary about suicide jumpers on the Golden Gate bridge. This crew set up cameras during almost every minute of daylight. They filmed the bridge, often focusing in on random people walking, or leaning over the railing.
You start to wonder which of these people are just simply walking and taking in the view and which are contemplating suicide.
All told there are several very real shots of people leaping to their death from the bridge and also interviews with the families and friends of the deceased, even some survivors of the jump.
I guess you could argue that it's a voyeuristic and sort of sick kind of movie...but I didn't find that to be the case. I found it absolutely mesmerizing, haunting and pretty moving.
It really makes you wonder how someone gets into that zone and what the hell they must be thinking as they climb over that railing. My mind cannot even begin to process that, so the movie is incredibly shocking and bold, but doesn't try to be preachy.
There are scenes where someone is about to jump and you clearly see other people in the background simply pass by and it really makes me wonder how a person even deals with that.
In one bit, they capture a photographer as he literally grabs a girl right before she jumps and pulls her back over the railing. This guy goes on to explain that as the girl gets taken away she shoots him a glare as if to say "you son of a bitch" and I really don't know what I'd do in that situation.
It's an incredibly fascinating and film that surely raises many questions about ethics versus film making and entertainment.
We see these people at the lowest and darkest moments they've ever felt hesitating and thinking right until the very end...and it's there for us to watch.
Somehow it's not like other movies though. It's hard to explain, but I don't consider it entertainment in the way most movies are...it's something else, but it's nearly impossible to look away.
This movie will be etched into my brain for a long, long time.
I'm going to try and sleep now.
The Bridge is a documentary about suicide jumpers on the Golden Gate bridge. This crew set up cameras during almost every minute of daylight. They filmed the bridge, often focusing in on random people walking, or leaning over the railing.
You start to wonder which of these people are just simply walking and taking in the view and which are contemplating suicide.
All told there are several very real shots of people leaping to their death from the bridge and also interviews with the families and friends of the deceased, even some survivors of the jump.
I guess you could argue that it's a voyeuristic and sort of sick kind of movie...but I didn't find that to be the case. I found it absolutely mesmerizing, haunting and pretty moving.
It really makes you wonder how someone gets into that zone and what the hell they must be thinking as they climb over that railing. My mind cannot even begin to process that, so the movie is incredibly shocking and bold, but doesn't try to be preachy.
There are scenes where someone is about to jump and you clearly see other people in the background simply pass by and it really makes me wonder how a person even deals with that.
In one bit, they capture a photographer as he literally grabs a girl right before she jumps and pulls her back over the railing. This guy goes on to explain that as the girl gets taken away she shoots him a glare as if to say "you son of a bitch" and I really don't know what I'd do in that situation.
It's an incredibly fascinating and film that surely raises many questions about ethics versus film making and entertainment.
We see these people at the lowest and darkest moments they've ever felt hesitating and thinking right until the very end...and it's there for us to watch.
Somehow it's not like other movies though. It's hard to explain, but I don't consider it entertainment in the way most movies are...it's something else, but it's nearly impossible to look away.
This movie will be etched into my brain for a long, long time.
I'm going to try and sleep now.
posted by D. at 12:14 a.m.
7 Comments:
Jesus is right.
Man.
My first thought is I am glad you're haunted by it.
I am a little surprised they got permission to show the footage of the jumpers.
Now, was the camera crew actually present 24/7 or did they just set up the cameras and take off?
I found it absolutely mesmerizing, haunting and pretty moving.
I can definitely see how it would be all of those things. Even just thinking/reading about it my emotions are conflicted, jumping between curiosity and sadness.
Right now sad wins.
PS I just went to the site and wikipedia. Even the preview is moving.
Steel has said he wanted to make a film about the human spirit in crisis in a country where during some years there have been nearly twice as many suicides as homicides. ..."The answer is to have a discussion about suicide and mental illness in a way that produces different results," he said. "And I hope that I have, in some way, contributed to changing the dialogue." -From here.
It's far too much of a human interest piece for it to be voyeuristic, and Steel is probably correct in saying the majority of those condemning it as such did so prematurely. Which, sadly, often seems to be the case, doesn't it?
So-an-so said she wishes he had incorporated the same old bullshit about warning signs and prevention, but in my opinion, though I haven't seen it, I can see how that would have somewhat bastardized the film.
I think he hit the nail on the head in saying he hopes he has contributed to changing the dialogue.
Wow that would be very moving. I'm not sure I could watch it as it would likely make me too emotional :S There are a lot of close-minded people out there who call suicidal people 'idiots' and I suspect a movie like this would open their eyes a bit.
I will never understand why some have such little compassion for genuinely suicidal people, whether their attempts are successful or not.
My friend DJ's mom attempted suicide a couple years ago and our closest mutual friend was literally angry with the woman. I still don't get why. Yes, it seems like a cop out to some, but we don't know what's going on in their minds. We don't know what their lives have been like. We don't know what their pain threshold is. Anyway, you get what I'm saying.
Touchy subject. I wouldn't judge the guys for making a film of this caliber, they are trying to show the world something from a different aspect, but in the same respect, if i was one of the family members id be pretty pissed at the crew for not trying to stop it.
Hrmm.
Trevor's got a point, but on that same note, the camera's there for a reason.
What about all the people walking by a jumper who aren't doing anything to stop it?
Even more so, a family can say "you should've stopped them," when really, it's a person's choice to commit suicide or not. Sure, you can stop a person from jumping off a bridge, but if they're really determined, they will find other ways to do it.
I ran into the same kind of problem when I was in the press. If you're at a breaking scene, snapping pictures, there's always some meathead who yells at you for not being a hero and running in to save someone.
Frankly, I'm not a hero, and I'm not trained in emergency rescue. If I wanted to play at being a hero, it could get myself and someone else killed. For suicides, the same bit. I'm not a psychologist. I can stop a person from jumping off a bridge, but that doesn't mean I can stop them from killing themselves.
Anyway. I could debate with myself about this stuff for hours, but I'll just cut this off here.
Read articles on it. They did call th appropriate people when it seemed a jump was imminent. Some people were prevented from jumping, even if just that one time. I read there was one woman who kept coming back, and was continually being taken off the bridge (I think that's what I read).
So I wouldn't say they were callous bystanders.
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