Sad film, deep film, entrancing film: The Bridge

I highly recommend this film (if you are up for bleak material), which documents the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004, moreover the people who go there to kill themselves.

There are interviews with the people who loved these souls filled with despair and the hurt they are left with, another with a guy who survived a 2000 jump.

One incredible, incredible scene depicts a photographer who is initially taking up-close stills of a potential jumper, and then saves her, at least for that one day.

There are some pretty tight shots of a half-dozen of the 24 jumpers from that year (no graphic body-hitting-water shots thankfully, though you do see the splashes), and a number of wide shots of the bridge when others have gone.

I'm not going to say that there is any empowering message in the film, but I couldn't take my eyes off it.

 

The Quechee Gorge, about 7 miles from here, attracts the suicidals for all over the country.

 

Got excited there for a minute. Thot this was another movie with same title that the lead singer from the Corrs (Andrea Corrs) acted in. Damn. I remain the only person I know of to see that one.
Carry on.

 

Did the guy who survived -- I believe his case got a bunch of publicity -- have anything intriguing to offer?

 

As soon as his hands left the railing, he thought "I want to live."

He landed at that perfect angle (I guess not too unlike the angle Apollo 13 needed to hit to safely make the earth's atmosphere) and went about 50 feet underwater.

 

I've heard of this movie before. Is it out on DVD yet?

 

Yes.

Yesterday.

 

I was scared to drive over that thing

 

How did they get those shots? Was a camera crew stationed at the bridge every day of the year?

 

On the movie's website, it says the filmmakers spent all of 2004 filming the bridge for almost every daylight minute.

 

Believe it or not, yes.

And with a tiny crew... must have been incredibly fatiguing.