The Bridge - Series 1 [DVD] [2011]

The Bridge is another example of the achievement of the much praised "Nordic Noir" with first class production values, a good believable script and a fine team of actors. As so often it is necessary to suspend reality and enjoy the series as a well crafted thriller. The pluses are such that a viewer is prepared to accept a plotline where yet another demented genius, armed with a stockpile of both extraordinary knowledge and equipment goes on a murderous rampage in order to achieve a very singular vengeance. Fine characterisation is evident throughout the series which includes a revolving door of interesting personalities who are a focal point in a number of episodes before disappearing. The introduction of the ultimate villain is cleverly handled for the perpetrator of so much death and destruction is barely noticed on a first meeting. Much of the success of the series is due to the acting skills of the two central protagonists. By a peculiar twist of fate the kick off murder becomes the joint responsibility of a bi-national investigating team. Denmark is represent by Martin, a family man whose most obvious flaw is his inability to turn his back on a bedroom opportunity. Saga, the Swedish detective, is a truly original creation for although totally committed and blessed with amazing deductive powers this Nordic beauty is both an isolationist and socially awkward. An obvious eccentric Saga manifests some of the differences associated with the now much discussed Asperger's Syndrome for her communication skills are seriously rudimentary and she is addicted to obsessive routine. Another plus is the easy to appreciate subtitles which fully complement the action. Trottman

This is a fantastic show. The excellent, very original, storyline gains momentum and - not dissimilarly to The Killing - takes many a twist and turn before arriving at its satisfying conclusion. Firstly, Sofia Helin is wonderful! She has a great face for portraying someone with a personality type that`s not inconsistent with Asperger`s; her blank expression and short answers are combined with a failure to engage and understand social convention, but her driven and intelligent personality make her a great investigator, who is completely reliable and faithful. Some of her remarks to her investigating partner, Martin, are fantastic. He`s a strong character too, and a likeable one (despite being unable to remain monogamous); in fact, there aren`t too many unlikeable people involved and as ever, the Danish/Swedish landscape and indeed actual Bridge look great...maybe it`s just me but there`s definitely something about Scandanavia that lends itself to these sorts of thrillers...the countries, actors and writers sure pull off a fine show. Season 2 coming Winter 2013, according to "sources".

If you don't mind subtitles then you will absolutely love The Bridge! The Bridge is Danish drama about a murder investigation where a dead body is placed on Øresund Bridge which links Denmark and Sweden but the killer has placed the body on the border line and because of this both Sweden and Denmark work together to solve the case. The main characters are Saga Noren who is the lead detective for Malmo Police, Saga is a very sweet and innocent character who speaks before she thinks and has very poor social skills. Martin Rohde the lead detective for Copenhagen Police, Martin is a family man and he is a good man with a sense of humour. When Saga and Martin are paired up you immediately think this is a recipe for disaster but the more you see them together their relationship grows and Saga who is almost like a robot with no feelings begins to befriend Martin because he shows her kindness and he tries teaching her simple social etiquette, for example buying someone flowers on their birthday or wanting to get to know your colleagues, this is alien to Saga but Martin is patient with her even when she is difficult but they form a great partnership and you begin to love the characters. I don't want to say much more but it is a must watch and very well written and well made TV Series. The Bridge will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish and I really hope you enjoy it!!!!!!

As someone who watches minimal TV I arrived at this series airing on BBC 4, quite by chance. I was aimlessly flicking channels in the vague hope something could hold my attention before bedtime. "The Bridge" certainly did just that, delivering in spade loads. It wasn't ideal that I'd started viewing half way through the 5th episode of course. I seen enough in the next half an hour to know I was watching a rare bird ....a crime thriller of the highest quality. Having missed half the show and BBC i-player starting to remove earlier episodes, the pristine boxset's appeal at under £25 from Amazon was a no brainer. Being able to watch "The Bridge" from start to finish at my own leisure,..heavenly. The plot,the acting,catchy theme tune, subtle humour, the gritty subject matters delved into and the Scandinavian inner city backdrops make "The Bridge" a television CULT CLASSIC !

Everyone has heard of 'The Killing', and 'The Bridge' was made in the shadow of 'The Killing'. It has clearly been strongly influenced by it (and several of the actors are in both serials.) It's possible that without the success of the first serial, not a lot of people in the UK would have noticed 'The Bridge'. These two series have to be compared, even though comparisons are odious! 'The Bridge' is a gripping tv detection-story. But it is not quite the equal of its outstanding predecessor: in most departments it's maybe a notch down and closer to standard tv drama. The general layout of the two series is very similar (e.g. the tense relationship between the two leading detectives.) The story has some resonances with 'The Killing' Series 3. The very gruesome and bizarre plot certainly holds the attention, however it lacks some of the sense of reality, and some of the richness of detail and incident seen in the earlier series, which was so vivid. The direction, pacing and photography in 'The Bridge' are not quite the superb work seen in 'The Killing'. Lund, the unforgettable policewoman in 'The Killing' is replicated by another female-lead, Saga, of about the same age. Her odd and challenging personality has been made 'off-the-wall', in a possible attempt to make us forget Lund ! This engaging if puzzling character, played by Sofia Helin, is not as layered or believable as Lund. (Sometimes Helin's face reminds you of another Swede, Garbo.) The difference is that Saga is an interesting piece of acting -but Lund doesn't look as if she's acting at all ! The previous serial was so absolutely outstanding that 'The Bridge' looks like a runner-up, and in fact it is. This is perhaps a shame because in it's own right 'The Bridge' is definitely effective (though maybe not as interesting as for example, the French serial "Spiral"). This doesn't mean "The Bridge" isn't worth seeing! It is worth seeing, but at the same time, I was slightly disappointed.

I watched this series for the first time ages ago, and although I enjoyed it, there were a few events that were confusing. However, having watched it for the second time, I now understand all the relevant actions and characters. The interaction - or lack of it - between Martin and Saga is so well written and acted. People who criticise Saga Noren have not realised that she has Asperger's Syndrome. Her colleagues make allowances for her abrupt manner because she is a superb detective, and dedicated to her job. Many other characters added to the story, such as Hans, who appreciates her talents and foibles. Someone complained that the series did not do justice to Sweden and Denmark as countries to visit, but this was NOT a travel series. You easily get used to the subtitles, and the plot and subplots unfolded cleverly and with many twists. One comment was that in American detective series the characters have got whitened teeth, perfect hairdos and smart clothes. In all of these Nordic Noir series the characters look real, and that enhances their credibility. I love Saga's Porsche! I shall now start the second series for the second time. I shall

The Bridge begins well enough with a mystery, great main characters and a culture clash between Sweden and Denmark. However by episode 5 the crime has become so overburdened with significance that we are in the territory of a "state of the world" critique. Then in the latter episodes we are back to a fairly basic crime thriller/ revenge tragedy. There are so many brutal sadistic incidents that one obsessive psychopath would have been stretched far beyond his limits. The police forces of Denmark and Sweden would have had the CIA and MI5 breathing down their necks by the time factories were burning, in fact Dr Who might have been called to lend a hand ! It is a shame it gets so implausible as the acting is fine throughout and it is worth watching for the great performance of Sofia Helin alone, Saga is a great character and it would be good to see more of her, but sadly The Bridge is nowhere near as good as The Killing in terms of plot and emotional truth !

Very happy with my purchase

Interesting characters and pairing of lead protaganists. Arch villain stymies police from two countries. Serious attempt to portray an adult with autism who is functioning even though challenged in human relationships.

Quelle: Wikipedia Das Hauptmotiv der Serie ist die polizeiliche Zusammenarbeit Dänemarks und Schwedens in der Öresundregion. Hintergrund sind Verbrechensserien und global-politischer Terrorismus, die beide Städte, Kopenhagen und Malmö, unmittelbar betreffen. Jede Staffel entspricht dabei einer in sich abgeschlossenen Handlung. Starkes Merkmal der Reihe ist, dass viele Nebenhandlungen für den Zuschauer nicht sofort erkennbar mit der Haupthandlung zusammenhängen. Auch werden mitunter mehrere Parallelhandlungen über mehrere Folgen fortgeführt, bis sich schließlich der Zusammenhang zur Haupthandlung ergibt. Dies brachte der zweiten Staffel von der dänischen Boulevardzeitung BT die Kritik ein, dass zu viele Handlungen und wechselnde Verdächtige den Zuschauer überfordern. Zu Beginn der ersten Staffel wird nach einem Stromausfall auf der Öresundbrücke eine Leiche gefunden. Der dänische Kommissar Martin Rohde von der Kriminalpolizei Kopenhagen und die schwedische Kommissarin Saga Norén von der Kriminalpolizei Malmö nehmen gemeinsam die Ermittlungen auf. Die vielen positiven Rezensionen haben mich dazu veranlasst, die 1. Staffel zu kaufen. Ich habe den Kauf nicht bereut. Die Schauspieler sind exzellent gecastet, insbesondere die Rolle der Saga Norén wird erstklassig von Sofia Helin dargestellt. Saga Norén hat das Asperger Syndrom, eine Form des Autismus. Sie kann Gefühle und Mimik anderer schlecht bis gar nicht einordnen, Lügen, Ironie, aber auch Empathie sind ihr fremd. Ihr zur Seite steht Martin Rohde, gespielt von Kim Bodnia, ein bodenständiger Typ mit Frau und 5 Kindern, der so seine Anfangsschwierigkeiten mit Sagas Art hat. Schließlich werden sie aber ein sehr gutes Team und Martin beginnt, Saga und ihr Asperger Syndrom immer besser zu verstehen. Die Handlung ist sehr spannend, erfordert aber große Aufmerksamkeit. So mal "nebenbei" gucken geht hier nicht. Ich musste einige Male zurück springen, weil mir ein kleines Detail entgangen war. Die Farben sind sehr zurückgenommen, fast wirkt das Bild schwarz-weiß. Aber das passt zur Stimmung der Story. Die Aufnahmen von der Brücke sind aus fotografischer Sicht genial. Inzwischen habe ich mit der 2. Staffel angefangen, die der 1. in nichts nachsteht. Klare Kaufempfehlung für jeden, der gute Krimiserien mag.

Bron / Broen (or the Bridge) in its first season follows an individual's plunge from an officer of the law to vigilante and subsequent conversion into a psychopathic killer. This series is set in the in-between space physically occupied by the "Bridge" that links Malmo in Sweden to Copenhagen in Denmark. Metaphorically, the series establishes a liminal space between the Danish and Swedish psyche, as two police officers from either side of the border learn to co-exist, sharing the political, jurisdictional, personal and societal pressures, to finally apprehend the killer. Saga Norén the Swedish cop (Sofia Helin) and Martin Rohde her Danish counterpart (Kim Bodnia) are superb - Saga with her lack of social skills (reminiscent of people afflicted by autism) and Martin with his self-assured and sometimes desperate need for approval in work and personal relationships are partners who are diametrically opposed in their view of the world, and by extension to police work. However, as the series unfolds, we are taken on a journey that explores the internal depth of each of their characters and we slowly begin to appreciate the bond between them as they overcome personal and professional obstacles. Both of them manage to carry through on the investigation, influencing each other's world view, and quite unconsciously affecting behavioural changes in how they relate to people surrounding them. Both actors play their parts with a great deal of restraint never allowing us as viewers to feel distracted from the ethos of the overall vision for the series. The series is austere in its depiction of Malmo as an industrial dystopia, and the suburbs of Copenhagen as equally dysfunctional. Most of the characters seem to be alienated from society, whether it is the attention craving tabloid journalist or the awkward (and at times creepy) social worker dealing with his own inner demons. It seems that the cultural differences which are quite obvious in the first few episodes vanish as we are taken into the liminal space (head space) of the twin cities. The production itself adds to the "darkness" surrounding issues and physical places, as we are taken to various extremes by the killer in his search for justice/revenge against societal institutions (government, businesses, personal/marital relations, etc.). The cinematography and production design add to the starkness of the setting. The cast of complementary characters both within the police force(s)and in society at large is painstakingly thought through, and each scene is set with a carefully rendered directorial interpretation. This is a disturbing, but highly original series produced as a Danish/Swedish co-production with support from other Nordic countries. We are waiting for Season 2 to be released in the Region 1 (NTSC)format. Amazon and MhZ networks are still distributing Season 2 in its PAL (European format). A highly recommended series for anyone who enjoys Nordic productions.

Based on that statement and having loved both the Danish and American version of The Killing, I got this show and really, really enjoyed it. Its in Danish & Swedish so you have to be willing to deal with subtitles, but its worth it for the great story and the characters. Once you get the hang of reading subtitles it gets easier and easier to watch the film and only focus on the words out of the corner of your eye. And this 'skill' just opens up a whole world of amazing films/TV shows you can't see on american TV. In fact if you do what I finally did and get a multi region DVD player you can reward yourself with ALL kinds of great cop shows available at Amazon.co.uk not possible to watch on US DVD players. This wonderful, intense, far fetched at times, cop show has 2 partners with totally different personalities and you come to have great affection for both of them by the end of the show. Season 2 is being released on Amazon.uk in Feb and I can't wait to see it.

Je ne suis pas encore au bout de la série, mais déjà conquis. J'avais eu envie de découvrir l'original de la série "The Tunnel": il est excellent. D'abord, cela change agréablement de voir une série en Europe du Nord: l'univers est tout à fait singulier. Ensuite, l'intrigue est parfaitement menée, mystérieuse, voire angoissante, à souhait. Les personnages très intéressants (l'opposition de styles entre la policière suédoise névrotique et le danois bonhomme est bien gérée). La photo est superbe, souvent dans des clairs-obscurs. A voir!