The Bridge (1991) User Reviews

Atmospheric slow-moving historical drama

[maggie-9 · 8/10 · 18 October 1998]

A fictional story based on a painting by English 19C painter, Philip Wilson Steer. Depicts the growing attraction between Steer and a married woman amid the confines of Victorian society. Slow-moving but well-acted with beautiful images of the Norfolk coast, it ultimately has an unsatisfying ending and you might wonder what the point was. Nevertheless, worth watching.

A subtle examination of an artist's conflict between his life and his art

[kluismans · 10/10 · 31 August 2002]

This is a wonderful film, made the more interesting by the fact that Steer, the main character, is based upon a real artist. what seems to have initiated the impulse to write the story is the interest the author had in the difference between Steer's early and late work. Steer was a practitioner of French painting techniques in the late nineteenth century, his earlier works vibrate with colour and light. WIth his later pieces he concentrated on conventional portraits and landscapes. Art historian think of this as a disappointment and the author wonders what was it that caused this marked change in direction. The author's theory is a fascinating one. Steer had fallen in love. The woman that he loves though is forbidden him. She is married to a man who is a shining example of mercantile respectability. The two men are seen in distinct contrast with each other, they are both attractive but there is no competition, Isobel, is in love with Steer. Steer's dilemma is whether he is able to live his life as his art would tell him. The art is revolutionary, a reaction to the vulgar materialism of the age, but his own life is staid. Will he be able to run off with Isobel and accept society's disapprobation? Or will he just leave her to fester in a loveless marriage, whilst he himself remains alone and dissatisfied. In the end this film is about failure, and what makes us fail, in life and art.

Incredible textures

[robturney · 10/10 · 12 January 2001]

I saw this movie in 1992 during its premier in Los Angeles at Paramount Studios or one of the other ones...I think it was on Melrose.

That was 9 years ago and I can still remember walking out of the film completely wowed! I can still vividly see the incredible textures that were found throughout the film, from the opening credits, to the shafts of light filtering through windows, to the scene where a drowned man is dragged back to shore. The film is not an action packed thrill a minute joy ride through Manhatten. There are so many slight hints and little nuances that allow the viewer to discover the film instead of laying it in front of them like christmas turkey. I have often told friends of this incredible director that I was fortunate enough to meet that evening and of his incredible film. I was so surprised and happy to find it was listed here, I have always wanted to see it again. Hopefully that is possible through this service (my first time here). If you have the means to see this film, do so, you will not I repeat not regret having done so.

A lovely, evocative and highly atmospheric film.

[ajpreece · 19 October 2004]

I have watched this film several times and have always greatly enjoyed the images and the atmosphere. The Suffolk coast has been a long-time favourite of mine and the film does it great justice. I was not familiar with the paintings of Philip Wilson Steer but this film provides a wonderful introduction. The story is pretty lightweight but the excellent acting makes it all come to life quite magically. I'm not sure why the film was not more successful. It has plenty of drama, the setting and characters are beautifully filmed and the direction has just the right pace. Perhaps the movie world of the 1990's was not ready for the delights of Victorian Suffolk and its very distinct characters!

The Bridge-- Take What Life Throws at You

[Strivingforfairness92 · 10/10 · 22 January 2011]

There are many top-notch qualities in this film: The director's style, cinematography, writing, acting, ambiance and soundtrack are truly memorable. It is very true to the novel of the same name on which it is based, which won a literary award. The misery in it is haunting but it is not about failure. If one views it with careful attention to the dialogue and the last frames, there is much wisdom to be gleaned from it. Sometimes, themost surprising and effective art can result from tough times and disappointments in life. It is really about making lemonade out of a lemon. It is definitely worth viewing (and more than once), especially to people trying to make their way through the difficulties of creating art.

Stand alone quality

[visus · 10/10 · 16 May 2004]

This film like not many other films has moved me to tears. The blending of moods and visuals is stunning and above all refined. It never crosses the line of being a tearjerker,yet it has all the

ingredients of it. Especially the music is so haunting that upon this day i can hum it in my mind, though it has been some 10 years since last seeing it.

I'm looking forward owning it on DVD when it is released on that format. The scene in which the village-fair is crowned by a fireworks which the main characters view sitting besides each other is superb, and the acting is topnotch for the withheld sense of longing and isolation. A great movie.

Should be available on DVD! A must-see.

[cmsdtspectacles · 10/10 · 20 October 2018]

What a shame that such a stunning and evocative film isn't available on DVD! A VHS tape doesn't do justice to this delicate, subtle and intelligent film which mirrors the Impressionists' art! More than a slice of Steer's life (albeit fictional), this slow paced, profound film unfolds an artist's selfish passions: can art mingle with (com)passion? Despite the appearances, between fervent Phillip Wilson Steer and devious Reginald Heatherington, the one who loves best may not be the obvious one... Despite David O'Hara's sometimes wooden presence, every character, big and small, shines through this summer of delights, pain and passion. And the directing, photography and music are enchanting. A brilliant drama set in Victorian England.

A masterpiece of cinematic art

[robert-temple · 10/10 · 29 March 2024]

This film disappeared soon after its release and I can hardly believe that it is only now, 33 years later, that I have been able to see it again on a private DVD. It is a genuine masterpiece of British cinema. It has atmosphere reminiscent of PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK and the emotional intensity of BRIEF ENCOUNTER, with which it shares the theme of an overwhelming love which is suppressed and rendered impossible by circumstances. The film is set on the Suffolk coast in the 19th century and concerns the Victorian painter Phillip Wilson Steer, who spends the summer there. Steer is perfectly cast and played by David O'Hara, who beautifully underplays every scene, thus contributing to the film's amazing subtlety. But the outstanding performance is by the female lead, Saskia Reeves. It may well be the best thing she has ever done. She displayed at this early stage in her career that she knows how to act and convey overwhelming emotion without saying a word, one of the most difficult tasks in the acting profession. She was at this age hauntingly beautiful. As someone who is only five foot four inches tall, one never knows this from the way the film is shot, though I believe it was a handicap in her career. Some of Britain's best supporting actors appear in the film as well: Joss Ackland, Rosemary Harris, Anthony Higgins, and Geraldine James. As the desolate Mrs. Todd, whose husband and son are drowned at sea in a storm, Geraldine James is magnificent in her grief and her poverty, upheld by a pride of the sort one finds in Greek tragedy. This incredible film was directed by Syd Macartney, whom I knew fairly well in the early 1990s. He is from Northern Ireland and immensely talented and so effortlessly amiable. The failure of anyone to take any notice of this film upon its release was a terrible disappointment to him. There is no question that he was and is one of the most talented directors England has seen in decades. The artistry and genius he shows in every scene of this film has, in effect, been lost to creative cinema. He was one of the most noted directors of television commercials, for which he had his own company. And he has directed countless television dramas over the years. But he should have been the next David Lean. He was catastrophically under-appreciated and should have won many Oscars and gone on to make so many inspiring famous films. Syd has more talent and inspiration than any ten other directors put together. But we live in a world where the best are often not seen for what they really are, and where mediocrity is prized above all else. This film is so powerful and tragic. If only everyone could see it. Apparently it has never been available on DVD commercially. What a terrible loss to British culture and to British cinema!