There
is a fine line that needs to be drawn when it comes to documentaries.
Some aim to expose weaknesses and injustices in the world we live in,
some aim to mock cultures, some aim to make us laugh, some aim to make
us cry - and some are downright exploitive.
Eric Steele's highly
controversial - yet oddly unique and morbidly captivating - documentary
investigates the wonder and fascination surrounding San Francisco's
Golden Gate
Bridge and the people who go there to end their lives.
Cutting
together a full year's footage (taken by four cameras positioned on
either side of the bridge) throughout 2004 Steel and his crew have
managed to capture some of the tortured souls who plummeted into the
abyss on film, with the film slowly piecing together the puzzles
(thanks to interviews with the family and friends of the deceased) as
to why they threw themselves off the mammoth man-made structure.
Where Hostel
is a guilty pleasure (in that, while you get to experience the thrill
of something you would never ever contemplate in real life - knowing
full well that it's make believe), you can't help but feel sick to the
stomach while viewing a real human plummet to their death. Even worse,
witnessing the mental struggle they go through in the moments prior
(and not having anyone do a single thing to stop them).
It
raises the question as to what responsibility lies in the hands of the
crew (who are admittedly miles to far away to physically stop them -
but surely not far enough away from a mobile phone to call
authorities). And the scary thing is that after the initial shock of
the first suicide - you very quickly become desensitised to the act.
And when the next one comes along, it almost forget that it's a real
human at the lowest pits of despair (a completely personal and private
turmoil they are enduring and have no clue whatsoever that it's being
caught on film).
While The Bridge
is an utterly despicable attempt at raising the profile of the film
maker through controversy - you simply can't go past the fact that it
does a superb job of raising awareness of depression and suicide. The
fact also that the families are so open in their discussion also gives
some credibility to the cause - and you can't help but thinking that
you simply wouldn't get as involved in the film if the reality of the
situation wasn't as present as it is.
An absolute moral dilemma
- can you support a film which (at it's heart) could alert many to the
signs of troubled family members which is also, in a way, a snuff flick
minus the sex?
Deeply disturbing - utterly engrossing. EXTRAS
Not
much besides a rather interesting "Behind The Scenes" with the director
and the crew who take a look back at their experiences on the film.
Eric
Steele still seems to have no regrets about the appalling nature of the
film, while there are quite visible signs of strain seen on the faces
of the camera crew who were (by and large) young film students simply
looking to get some industry experience.
Is making films worth
the image of a man leaping to his death ingrained into your memory
worth it? Just look at the faces of the camera crew as they recall the
events they witnessed - and you can answer that question for yourself. Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: 60%
|
