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The Bridge, a Documentary Film by Eric Steel

By Calalily in Media
Thu Nov 22, 2007 at 01:52:41 AM EST
Tags: Suicide (all tags)

One night while channel surfing, I happened upon the odylic movie "The Bridge" on IFC. I tried to change the channel but was mesmerized and unable to look away. The movie is a hauntingly, beautiful tale of suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.


Those unaware on and below the bridge were surreptitiously filmed, along with actual footage of people jumping to their deaths. Using multiple telescopic lens cameras in varied positions around the bridge, the crew filmed during all the daylight hours for an entire year (2004). Eric Steel intertwines the visual beauty of the bridge, a haunting melody, whispering fog, and rhythmic ocean waves along side penitent interviews and the astonishing jump footage.

People are also filmed in seemingly salutary circumstances of kite-boarding, boating, fishing, and sight-seeing, all while people are jumping to their deaths. The crew did intervene where possible, calling the bridge authorities to rescue those appearing as if they would jump.

The people left behind were interviewed and include witnesses, families, and friends. There were also interviews with one survivor and others who attempted to jump but who were "saved".  The families' and friends' pain and confusion were revealed while they searched their hearts and souls for the answers; but during the course of the interviews they ultimately revealed that they knew and understood the "why". They were not told prior to or during the interview that their loved ones' jumps were filmed. They were told sometime later and watched the film before its release. Mr. Steel comments in various interviews that the families were glad the film was made and they were able to participate in it.

It appears, from many blog comments on the movies' website, that one jumper in particular, 34-year-old Eugene (Gene) Sprague, inspires comments by many who see the film. He has on a black leather jacket and has very long, straight, dark hair blown about by the wind, as he strolls back and forth on the bridge like any other tourist. His friends tell his heart wrenching life story, intertwined with breathtaking bridge images. At the end of the film, he appears to be sitting nonchalantly on the bridge, then suddenly stands up, and throws himself backwards off the bridge.

Watching this movie may foster understanding of the quiet desperation of lives unfulfilled. It may also help people to recognize those who may need interventions. One of the jumpers' friends relates how "He" always talked about killing himself for years, and she just started to ignore and blow-off the comments. Her agonizing feelings of guilt and deep sadness were exposed when she hung her head and tears slowly fell down her cheeks. Another interviewee for a different jumper plaintively stated, if only he had waited one more day, he would have gotten the message about the manager's job he had wanted.

The saddest stories told for me, were the parents who knew how the adult-child felt (Philip Manikow), but didn't know how to reach out or offer help. The one survivor interviewed, Kevin Hines, (from a jump in 2000) was a bipolar young adult who recounts his spiral downwards into the depths of mental illness; his last thought after he jumped was that he didn't want to die. His father was also interviewed and recounted his helplessness in being unable to aid his mentally ill son. He and his father later became advocates for mental health awareness and for a suicide fence on the bridge.

The movie is not sanctimonious or judgmental but rather a melancholic depiction of suicide. Steel's ultimate goal, as stated in interviews and news releases, is to have a suicide fence installed to help stop the suicides or at least reduce them. He captured 23 out of 24 suicides that occurred the year he filmed (2004). Six are portrayed in the movie.

The movie was released on DVD July 2007, and according to the blogs, is available through Netflix. For a brief glimpse of the film, go to The movie The Bridge  This next site is an interview with Steel that explores his thought processes and what it took to make the film. Steel Interview






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Related Links
o The movie The Bridge
o Steel Interview
o Also by Calalily


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The Bridge, a Documentary Film by Eric Steel | 204 comments (195 topical, 9 editorial, 3 hidden)
This is a resubmit... (none / 1) (#1)
by Calalily on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 01:05:06 PM EST

...I took the earlier suggestions and incorporated here. I would like this to be in section, rather than FP if you approve. Thanks for all your previous comments on this story.
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.(Unknown)
I don't know which one is more despicable (2.00 / 2) (#2)
by MotorMachineMercenary on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 01:18:01 PM EST

  • The fact that these people are profiteering from someone else's self-inflicted death *, or
  • suicide

  • and any statements of "yeah we want to build a suicide fence, man" are moot. Unless the film makers are giving out all proceeds to appropriate charities with no connection to themselves, this is profiteering.

--
It's hard to be humble when even Mr Bigballs rates me as #1 Kuro5hit.


-1 nobody is impressed you own a $10 thesaurus (2.20 / 10) (#5)
by Tex two point oh on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 01:57:36 PM EST

if your article contains more than two words that have "dictionary.com word of the day" as their top result on google then odds are your stupid article is puffed up and little substance kinda like kix cereal.

this effort reminds me of the steaming turds skyknight used to dump on the queue although this article uses 10 cent words while skyknight was only satisfied with $50 ones only a dozen people on the planet ever were aware of

i find it hard to be sympathetic with suicides (1.23 / 13) (#14)
by circletimessquare on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 05:52:03 PM EST

in the exact same way that i find it hard to sympathetic with homicidal assholes

both devalue life

additionally, suicides speak of a bleak, spiritual hopelessness that belies a horrible weakness in character

these people don't need hugs and tears to pull them back from the brink they need a swift kick to the head and a "snap out of it you nostalic sentimental navel gazing narcissistic self-involved fuck! there is more to life than YOU"

in fact, it is an inability to get angry at their predicament in life that is probably their fault. anger leads to reaffirmation of purpose

and really, the inability to get angry reveals what suicide is, in the end: all consuming narcissism

that's not a reason for sympathy

suicides make me very angry, not sad, at what colossal pits of delusional self-absorption they are

selfish assholes

whatever bullshit is bothering their lack of feeling of self-worth is oh so important, it bltos out all of their concern for other people's feelings, friends, families, and even strangers, that, to them, life should be so meaningless

life is NOT meaningless

...oh, you disagree with that statement?

swallow a shotgun, asshole, or shut the fuck up and agree with me. your choice. but you need to be logically coheerent and choose suicide if you believe life is meaningless. if you can't bring yourself to do it, then life has meaning to you, so stand with me against the bleak emptiness that is the souls of suicidal assholes, in anger at those fucking narcissistic black holes

The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.

I doubt this statement is true: (3.00 / 5) (#37)
by nostalgiphile on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 11:49:31 PM EST

"Watching this movie will foster understanding of the quiet desperation of lives unfulfilled." And if I wanted to understand that I'd just watch myself in the mirror for a few more minutes every morning.

"Depending on your perspective you are an optimist or a pessimist[,] and a hopeless one too." --trhurler
There are suicide bridges near every urban center (2.28 / 7) (#43)
by GrubbyBeardedHermit on Tue Nov 20, 2007 at 07:48:47 AM EST

What is it about you Americans that makes you think that you are worthy subjects of cinematography?  Who decided that the birth, life and death of the "ordinary American" was something to be celebrated as somehow especially poignant and meaningful?  Fuck off and die already, nobody cares about you.  

GBH

Did anyone go to Bridge movie trailer? (3.00 / 2) (#57)
by LastChanceforMaryJane on Tue Nov 20, 2007 at 01:04:28 PM EST



-1 waaa emo crap (1.00 / 3) (#91)
by nyet on Thu Nov 22, 2007 at 05:33:56 AM EST

Yes, everything having to do with suicide is always "OMG! hauntingly beautiful".

The Bridge, a Documentary Film by Eric Steel | 204 comments (195 topical, 9 editorial, 3 hidden)
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