The Bridge (1928) - A short film about metal that’s actually pretty cool

You should definitely watch this if you’re the kind of person who likes seeing how things actually work inside. It’s perfect for a quick break when your brain feels like mush. People who need a plot or characters like in The Passion of a Woman Teacher will probably find this totally pointless. 🚂

It’s only about twelve minutes long. I watched it while eating a sandwich and didn't even want to check my phone once.

Joris Ivens, the guy who filmed this, basically just hangs his camera off the side of a massive railway bridge. You see the tracks racing underneath and it’s kind of dizzying. Not the bad kind of dizzy, but the kind where you feel like you're actually moving.

The steam escaping from the train engines is so thick and white. It looks like it’s going to come right out of the screen. I love how the camera just stares at the gears ratcheting.

There’s no music, or at least the version I saw was silent. You just end up imagining the clunk-clunk of the metal. It feels heavy. You can almost smell the grease and the old coal smoke.

One shot shows the cars coupling together and it’s weirdly satisfying to watch. It’s like those ASMR videos people watch now, but from 1928. There are no actors here, just the bridge being the main star.

I noticed there’s a moment where a signal changes and it’s so simple but it feels important. Like the whole movie is just waiting for that one little piece of wood to move. The rhythm is all over the place, sometimes it's fast and then it just stops to look at water.

It made me think about The Paleface for some reason, maybe just because of the old film grain. But this isn't a comedy. It’s more like a love letter to a big pile of iron. 🌉

The way the counterweights move is my favorite part. They look like giant blocks of stone just floating in the air. It’s a bit scary how much weight is hanging over the water.

Ivens gets the camera so close to the gears you can see the little bits of dirt on them. It’s not polished or pretty. It’s just real.

If you liked the energy in Keep Moving, you’ll probably get a kick out of how this moves. It doesn't try to explain anything to you. It just shows you the bridge and then it ends.

I think the world needs more movies that are just twelve minutes of a machine doing its job. No drama, no crying, just steel. It’s honestly a bit of a relief.

I did find one shot where the camera shakes a little bit. It makes it feel like a real person was standing there holding it. It’s not perfect, and that’s why it’s good. 🛠️

Anyway, go find it on YouTube or wherever. It’s short enough that even if you hate it, you didn't waste your whole afternoon.