The Golden Gate Bridge, a monument to human ingenuity, is also notoriously known for being a popular destination for the suicidal. The chilling documentary “The Bridge” by Eric Steel (2006) gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of those who jumped during the year of 2004. Through the voices of the loved ones of those who jumped that year, the film explores the fascinating and troubling reasons that people are drawn to the Golden Gate Bridge to end their lives. The brother of Lisa, a woman with schizophrenia who jumped off the bridge, said there was something “risky and glorious” about jumping from such a monument. The friend of a man who jumped described an appealing “romanticism” to the bridge. Perhaps it is that the Golden Gate Bridge provides a stark juxtaposition of the beauty that humans can create during their lives with the deliberate destruction of human life. Perhaps the reason for the bridge is more simple – as the friend of one jumper put it, “maybe he just wanted to fly one time.”
There is a lot to be learned from Steel’s film. Most notably, it becomes clear that preventative measures can make a difference and that suicidal talk to be taken seriously. During class, we learned that the majority of people who
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At the end of the film, it is revealed that twenty-four individuals jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004, and that it is the most common location for individuals who commit suicide in the world. In the footage shown of the bridge jumpers, it appears nearly effortless to jump over the iconic railing. While it may be costly, it is clearly necessary for some form of a suicide barrier or net to be installed to the Golden Gate Bridge. Engineers must work together to create something both cost-effective, but more importantly, something