List Price: $26.98You Pay Only: $19.99 You Save: $6.99 (26%)Prices subject to change.
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Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Koch International
EAN: 0741952312291
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Koch Lorber Films
Manufacturer: Koch Lorber Films
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Koch Lorber Films
Release Date: June 12, 2007
Running Time: 94 minutes
Sales Rank: 8769
Studio: Koch Lorber Films
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
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Editorial Review:
Description:
The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic structure; a symbol of San Francisco, the West, freedom – and something more, something spiritual, something words cannot describe.
The director and crew spent an entire year focusing on the Bridge. Running cameras for almost every daylight minute, they documented nearly two dozen suicides and a great many unrealized attempts. In addition, the director captured nearly 100 hours of incredibly frank, deeply personal, often heart-wrenching interviews with the families and friends of the departed, as well as with several of the attempters themselves.
THE BRIDGE is a visual and visceral journey into one of life’s gravest taboos, offering glimpses into the darkest, and possibly most impenetrable corners of the human mind.
Amazon.com:
Director Eric Steel has succeeded in making one of the most morbid documentaries ever, The Bridge. Starring several deceased Golden Gate Bridge jumpers, The Bridge is a eulogy comprised of interviews with their loved ones and friends who reminisce about those who succeeded in committing suicide in the San Francisco Bay. Spliced between interview footage are shots of the bridge in all its majesty, surrounded by fog, and being enjoyed by tourists. Meant to represent The Bridge as a rounded character, one of beauty punctuated by tragedy, this film is assuredly touching for the affected families. It's an important step in the grieving process, but feels random viewed by one who didn't know these mentally disturbed citizens. As a conceptual investigation into suicidal motivations, the documentary succeeds, though midway through viewing one begins to feel like an interloper at various funerals. We hear of one woman's battle with schizophrenia, another man's death obsession, and several retellings of those who witnessed the horrendous events. Like Grey Gardens, The Bridge captivates by triggering one's love of sensationalism, but fortunately the film's sincerity undercuts any inkling of gossip column crime reporting. This tribute to suicide victims serves as an oblique tribute to The Bridge, as an honest portrayal of its history, gritty though important to remember. --Trinie Dalton
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Haunting, but a rare look into the side of life that most people turn away from.
A friend of mine told me about this documentary after he watched it on IFC. He said I would like it and that it was interesting. I work in the drug and alcohol addiction field and I am a graduate of psychology and criminology and I am more desensitized that the average person when it comes to human behavior. But, I watched this one night after work and I was speechless. It brings the common movie goer into the eye-witness setting of mental illness and people attempting to cope with a "not-so-good" existence. Haunting, but I was unable to look away. I would show this film to any college-level psychology class as a teaching/learning tool.
Rating:  - Most Boring Documentary I've ever Seen. Don't waste your money.
This has to be the most boring documentary in the history of the world. The Director obviously doesn't have the balls to show what the documentary was supposed to be about, people throwing themselves off the Golden Gate Bridge. What he gives us instead is 90 plus minutes of friends and family talking about these people and you get about 2 minutes if that showing only around 4 people jumping. The grand finale is someone jumping and they film him all the way down till he hit's the water and disappears.Yes, I wanted some background on who these people were and why they decided to go out like that but this is a total rip off. To top it all off the jerk has got the nerve to list all the people that have jumped off the bridge in a 1 year period, around 24 I think. If I ever see his name on another anything I will run the other way. Don't waste your money.
Rating: - An Important Film About Understanding More Perspectives About Suicide, Depression, and Mental Illnesses
Usually, when I give a film 5 out of 5 stars, it is because I not only think highly of the film, but I also want more people to see it.
In this case, I'm not necessarily encouraging more people to see this film. But at the same time, this is an exceptionally informative film that was created with a great deal of care, patience, and sensitivity.
This is a multiple viewpoint film with dialogues from people closely involved with friends or relatives who killed themselves by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. The discussions are informed, but not necessarily expert. The opinions are earnest and well-meaning, but not necessarily good advice. But observing and questioning the narratives could be a valuable exercise for some who have ever struggled with the related issues.
I want to personally thank all the filmmakers involved who worked so hard to create this film.
Rating: - An education.....hopefully you can give someone hope and help!
When I decided to view this documentary, I was in belief that only a portion of the story would be about the suicides. I had believed that you would see the majestic, technical and mechanical elements of the San Francisco bridge. It is not about that, it is all about the use of the bridge as a tool to end your life. You will see and feel the desperation and anguish that leads someone to take advantage of the bridge - to end their life here, and to use this bridge as the means just because it is there!
Come to grips with the end
This lengthy 2004 documentary is a study of the people who come to grips that this is the method to accomplish that. Pay close attention to the stories of family and friends of the dead. You may get confused about the people the interviewees speak of. Heartbreaking stories of family and friends interweave with footage of people on the bridge.
Graphic
In the yearlong study, photographers captured the people on the bridge. You will see actual jumps! Some footage is plentiful, while other jumps are not as graphic. And, that is one of the most painful things to watch, the leap from that bridge, the leap that is the end. You will hear how a young man changed his mind and lived to tell about it.
Not exploitive
Some might feel that this graphic view of suicide jumps is exploitive, but the film allows the viewer to FEEL for the person jumping. The healthy minded person can't imagine climbing that rail knowing ... Read More
Rating: - Simply Poignant
I had never heard of this film until I caught it on tv. I was at once spellbound. The subject is people who jump from the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a very poignant documentary about people who commit suicide off this grand structure and the effect their deaths have on the ones left behind. Be forewarned. This film documents 23 of the known 24 suicides in year 2004. Some one called this a snuff film and I admit it has the shocking effect of a snuff film but I am convinced beyond a doubt that it was not Eric Steel's intention to create a snuff film when he made this movie. With camera's strategically placed, Eric and his staff documented suicides in progress. Some successful, some rescued. His staff often intervened to try and rescue the jumpers before they jumped.
It is a disturbing film and it is also heart wrenching. There are in depth interviews with some of the friends and family left behind. Those left behind are always so stunned. Even if they had an inkling of the suicide's intention, they are always shocked, stunned, full of guilt. A co-worker of mine committed suicide in 2000 and I remember feeling all those emotions. Those emotions rocked me to the core and her suicide haunted me for years. I was left wondering, why didn't she say something? She was always smiling! Then last year my ex-husband's favorite brother committed suicide and again I felt those over-powering emotions of shock and surprise.
Seeing this movie literally horrified me that people ... Read More
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