The Bridge Flashcards
Where is The Bridge set?
Oresund bridge that connects the Swedish and Danish
How long did it run for?
2011-2018
How many seasons does it have?
4 seasons
How many episodes are there per season?
10
What season/episode do we study?
Season 3, episode 1
Who created/wrote The Bridge
Hans Rosenfeldt
What UK company bought the screening rights?
BBC
When was it screened?
Saturday 9pm “subtitled drama” slot
What channels was it shown on?
BBC 4 and BBC HD
What are the expectations of BBC 4
Cultural, diverse, arts, documentaries, international products and intellectually stimulating content
Why did the BBC want streaming rights?
BBC were called out for not being diverse enough
Had fired middle aged woman and employed younger women
Got the rights to counteract this
What is nordic noir?
A type of Scandinavian crime fiction and television drama that features dark storylines and bleak urban settings
Crepuscular gloom in The Bridge
Lack of bright colours
Lack of sunlight
Dim lighting
Damp and gloomy feel
Cold, bleak and oppressive
Over-cast skies
Lighting in The Bridge
Naturalistic low-key lighting
Muted and cool tones
Overcast, dull lighting
Investigations sets in dim lighting to create suspense
Saga is shown with minimal lighting on her
Musical score in The Bridge
Sun by Choir of the Young believers
Minimalistic atmospheric music
Electronic and industrial sounds to link with the theme and setting
Haunting melodies evoke a sense of loneliness and despair
Repetition
Cynical
Nordic folk influence
Dark, brooding and reflective of the emotion and moral ambiguity within the show
Unusual camera placements in The Bridge
Wide shot through a door positions the audience in a way in which they are peering into the scene. of a family
Creates suspense, mystery and an unsettling feeling
Invisible editing in The Bridge
Simple cuts
Smooth transitions
Long takes to allow the audience to follow the plot
Cross cutting to create links and tension
Seamless dialogue exchanges
Tracking shots
Establishing shots
Silence in The Bridge
When the two workers walk into the room full of the doll silence is uses to create suspense and a tense environment: creates drama and makes the audience feel on edge
When the trailer is blown up: impactful
Slow and melancholic pace in The Bridge
Deliberately slow
Focuses on detail
Sense of realism
Episodes build slowly and reveal things one by one to create suspense
Cold, bleak and inhospitable landscapes in The Bridge
Urban spaces
Empty industrial sites
Desolate rural landscapes
Moral ambiguity
Blurring the lines between good and bad
Saga challenging stereotypes
Neuro-divergent but seen in in a high up job
Her “differences” make her very good at her job but less socially aware
Breaks the “blond bimbo” type
Lisa challenging stereotypes
We see her showing her daughter how to fight back, physically which challenges representations of women and men are normally the violent ones
Constructs her as a potential suspect as she is seen as violent
Lisa conforming to stereotypes
As a protective mother
Ricard challenging stereotypes
He is a male cleaner, usually women are in domestic roles
Lisa’s cleaner
Ricard conforming to stereotypes
Typical trope of getting someone suspicious near a woman who could potentially be vulnerable
Steals Lisa’s necklace and has a spider which makes him appear creepy
Morten challenging stereotypes
Shown as sensitive when he goes to his mum’s house, who’s been killed, to get something sentimental
Shows him as vulnerable as we see a different side to him
Morten conforming to stereotypes
Seen carrying a knife
Presented as the dodgy loner who lives alone in a trailer park
We immediately suspect him as he is separated from everyday life
Henrick conforming to stereotypes
A man who has a lot of power and cheats on his wife with her knowing
Swedish stereotypes
Uptight, reserved, politically correct, bureaucratic
Danish stereotypes
Expressive, warm, laid-back, down to earth, free willed and rule breakers
Do Denmark and Sweden follow a social democratic political ideaology
Aims to maximise labour force participation
Promoting gender equality
Egalitarianism
Benefits
Extensive income redistribution
Social cohesion
Working together as a society to create a successful unit
How does Saga challenge stereotypes?
Saga who is neuro-divergent and is seen in a high up job, it makes her very good at what she does but less emotionally away
How does Lisa challenge stereotypes?
Lisa is violent, almost linking in with male violent characteristics
It is not typical for a mum to teach their child how to fight back
How does Ricard challenge stereotypes?
You don’t usually see male cleaners in a domestic settings
How does Ricard conform to stereotyoes?
Typical trope of getting someone suspicious near a woman who could potentially be vulnerable
How does Henrick conform to stereotypes?
he id aa man who has a lot of power and cheats on his wide
We suspect him as he in unfaithful and we think he has something to hide
How does morten conform to stereotypes?
Seen carrying a knife and he looks dodgy
Meets stereotype of a guy who lives alone, seperated from his mum (who is the victim) and is a loner
What do liberal feminists focus on?
On fighting fro power through gaining equal, legal rights for women in society
What do liberal feminists believe in terms of the media?
The media perpetuates sex role stereotypes because they reflect dominant social values
What do liberal feminists believe in terms of men?
Men are no the enemy and they men and women can live alongside each other as equals
What do radical feminists believe in, in terms of men?
Men control a patriarchal society through dominance and physical strength
What do radical feminists want for women?
They want women dominating society
Reject typical gender roles
What do socialist feminists believe in?
Class and economics
What do socialist feminists believe in, in terms of women at work?
Economic values of domestic labour are not recognised
Women are exploited as part of a capitalist system
What do socialist feminists believe a woman’s economic value is linked to?
Race, ethnicity, class and sexuality
How can audiences relate to Saga?
Saga having to deal with an estranged mother
She doesn’t have a romantic partner, which makes her appealing
What is cultural capital?
Invites audiences to feel superior they have chosen to engage with no easy to understand texts
What does John Fiske say about fans?
Fans in forums gain respect because they can tall about certain culture texts with great knowledge
What is Nordicana?
A festival that started in 2013 to tap into a European fandom by UK distributor of Nordic products, Arrow films
What is the festival?
Two day event, hosting screenings of 12 films with top creators talents, writers and commentators
Who produced the Bridge?
Co-produced by Denmark and Sweden
Who were the novels written by?
Ola Larsmo
Who were the podcasts produced by?
The Danish public broadcaster DR
What did the podcasts feature?
Interviews with the cast and crew, behind-the-scenes stories and fan questions
How did other countries gain rights to adapt the tv show?
The producers of The Bridge sold the format rights to countries like the US, Mexico, Germany, France and the UK
What do the remakes help create?
A loyal and engaged fan base for the series
Who was “The Tunnel” produced by?
Co-produced by Sky Atlantic and Canal+
What was The Tunnel praised for?
Faithful adaptation of the original plot and characters as well as its exploration of the cultural and political differences with France
How did the show interact with fans?
Through an official facebook, twitter and instagram accounts where it posted news, teasers trivia and polls
What fan events took place?
Q&A sessions, exhibitors and tours where the fans could meet the actors, see locations and experience being on set
What challenges did the Bridge face?
Co-producer, the German Broadcaster ZDF, decided to withdraw due to low ratings in Germany
Where else did the series receive support from?
Creative Europe media programme
Who else did the series obtain funding from?
From the Nordic film
Copenhagen film fund
Malmo film fund
Who else did the series secure co-production deals with?
France’s Canal+
Norway’s NRK
Finalnd’s YLE
Benelux’s lumiere group
How was The Bridge distributed in the UK?
Through the BBC
When did the BBC acquired distribution rights?
After its success at the MICOM festival in Cannes where it won the Coup de Coeur award
Where was the series broadcasted in the UK?
BBC 4, the channel that is dedicated to foreign language drama documentaries and arts
How many views did an episode have on average?
1.4 million
Why was nordic noir so popular with British BBC4 audiences?
In contrast and similarity to the British crime drama genre
How does buying international products help the BBC
They can save money as they do not have to invest in producing their own original content
Who was the Bridge originally broadcasted by?
SVT in Sweden and DR in denmark
How many countries was the Bridge distributed to?
150
Who did the third season receive funding from?
The Copenhagen film fund
What did the funding from the Copenhagen film fund achieve?
More Danish crew members being employed on the third season than on the previous
