First of all, I would just like to say that watching this film was an extremely difficult. I didn’t know anything about the film and was seriously surprised when I realized what it was about. I honestly couldn’t wait until it was over.
I do not believe that “The Bridge” is a snuff film. This film was not very entertaining for me. I was, in fact, thoroughly disturbed by it. At first, I was not sure if the footage of the people jumping was real. While watching the film, it became apparent that the people being filmed were the ones who actually jumped. I do find it slightly exploitative of the filmmakers to secretly film such a sensitive subject. A 2005 article from the San Francisco Chronicle says, “Eric Steel initially told officials he planned to spend a year filming the "powerful and spectacular interaction between the monument and nature…”
After reading this, my initial instinct is to say that the director’s intention to videotape suicides is wrong. Not only is he filming an incredibly delicate topic, but he also lies about his objective. However, the more I think about I wonder what his true intention was with this film. Was it to only talk about the suicides themselves? Or perhaps it was to open the door to discussion about mental illness? According to their family and friends, most of the people who jumped struggled with depression, bi-polar disorder, or other mental disorder. If this was his purpose, was the actual footage necessary? Or did it make the film more effective?
You raise some excellent questions, Chris. It *is* easy to wonder about the director's intentions here. On the other hand, we might ask why it matters what his intentions were... the film itself is a work that is before us to judge on its own merits.
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely clear why you say he 'lies about his objective' -- as is, and I'm probably missing something, that seems a bit strong.
I think what Chris meant when he said Steel had lied about his objective was that although ultimately filming suicides, he initially claimed only to film the "powerful and spectacular interaction between the monument and nature."
ReplyDeleteConcerning his "real" intentions, I think there's some merit to what he did. I'm sure he took no pleasure in watching the people jump, and he even alerted the police when he thought people might do so. But making a film that has actual suicides can be powerful and make viewers really think more about its irreversible consequences.
What I meant by Steel lying about his objective is exactly what Eric said. Steel said that his reason for not telling officials the real reason for taping was to keep people from jumping on purpose to get on film. I suppose this is a good reason as he kept the footage of the jumpers real.
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