The Bridge (Complete Seasons 1 & 2) - 6-DVD Set ( Bron/Broen ) ( The Bridge - Complete Seasons One and Two ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]

It's difficult to praise this series enough. The acting and cinematography are superb, and the suspense spell-binding. Saga Norin is a highly original and extremely interesting character, compellingly portrayed by Sofia Helin. The abstract stylized manner of the filming of the urban landscapes of Malmo, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark, and the looming presence of the Oresund Bridge adds to the otherworldly atmosphere and the sense that all is not what it seems beneath the clean and gleaming facade of modern Scandinavia. The gruesomeness of death is evident and is not for children, but it is not gratuitous. These are murder mysteries, after all. The sex scenes are likewise fairly explicit but are congruent with the character's lives and not overdone by modern standards, although again are not for children. The overall tone of this series is very pessimistic, almost nihilistic, and yet so involving that it is a relief to return to real life when the shows end. The plots may seem far-fetched, but they are no more unbelievable than the real terrorist attacks of 9/11, Madrid, and London, or the anthrax attacks of 2001.The underlying theme of this series, even more than in other "Nordic Noir" series, is the omnipresence of evil in human life and the impossibility of eluding one's fate or destiny, no matter how hard one tries. This series in particular hasn't the slightest element of Christian or even secular redemption in it, reminds me strongly of the pagan fatalism and bloody-mindedness of the Icelandic sagas. I don't believe it's an accident that the female protagonist's first name is "Saga".These dvd discs are made for Region Two players, so you can't watch them on a Region One (North American) dvd player. I watch them using my Windows 8.1 lap top with an HDMI connection to a flat-screen tv, using the VLC media player, a free open-source media player from the VideoLAN Project. So far, I haven't had any difficulty watching Region Two dvd's using this system.I haven't seen the American or Anglo-French versions of The Bridge, but it would be difficult to top the originals.I am looking forward to Season Three and the further adventures of Saga Norin and Martin Rhode. Seasons One and Two will be hard acts to follow.epops

Not much, but 2 seasons surely is! If you are new to this jointly funded and produced Danish/Swedish masterpiece: how about instead of just dipping your toe in the water, you go ahead and jump in? Because if you watch s1 you'll surely want to watch s2, and buying this bundle saves $$ over buying the 2 seasons separately.One thing to keep in mind is that a Season 3 has been produced, so feel free to get invested in the characters; however, s3 is set to air overseas in September, and will probably take a while before it becomes available on discs with English subtitles.Comments:🌉 At the time of this writing, there are only 5-star reviews written for this 2-season collection of Bron/Broen. Probably not a coincidence. The Bridge can perhaps be considered the Nordic equal of  The Wire , which is critically acclaimed as one of the finest American serials ever put out.🌉 The two protagonists couldn't be more different, yet both excel at their jobs while unknowingly compensating for each other's weaknesses. A trope we're all familiar with, but the magic of this particular matchup churns away in the background as a consistently enjoyable anomaly that serves as more than just comic relief: it's a "perfect fit."🌉 The closest in quality I've seen akin to this Nordic Noir production lately on the small screen is season 2 of True Detective (most notably the gritty shots of California separating the character scenes). I've yet to see the U.S. version ( The Bridge ) so can't compare and contrast here, but I'd be surprised if it could match Bron/Broen.

Why can't American TV be this good? The closest I have seen coming from the U.S. would be: 1. cable/satellite: The Wire 2.network: 24. It makes me wonder that Hollywood thinks viewers have no ability to stay with a plot week-to-week i.e. must have resolution of the story in 60 minutes. Maybe that is true to some extent due to the nature of social media, internet etc. but I think 24 proved that at least some of us have a normal attention span. In any event, this is a great series. I liked it even better than the original version of "The Killing". Saga Noren is a special character. She may be compared to Emily Deschanel's character in "Bones", but because of her nature, she inadvertently produces many moments of high humor. Sonja Helin even got to show another side to Saga in the second season i.e. bits of emotion that actually played well to her character.So buy a reasonable DVD player for all regions (I got a decent one on Amazon by Philips for under $70.00) and be prepared to binge on the original "The Bridge" and then look at a few episodes of the U.S. version and shake your head and ask why, why don't directors and producers here get why these shows are so revered in Europe.

Doesn't play on ordinary US players. You need an International Player or you can watch it on your computer via software that's not deterred by Region specificity. This said, I love the two seasons made of this show. It's top self in the Swedish and Danish Detective productions. And it was an alternative to the USA playable DVD's offered for the second season, which I could not obtain without finding the 2nd & 3rd discs damaged by circumferential scratching (I ordered and returned 5 sets of the DVD's). The Blu-ray's were in perfect condition.

Forbrydelsen (The Killing) Danish; Octopus - Italian; Spiral - FrenchNow I have the fourth best-of-the-best The BridgeOwning many other "Region 2" TV series, none compare to these four. I loved them all. I think The Bridge topped all the others in fast-pace and complexity.

I am so glad to have purchased both Seasons 1 & 2 of "The Bridge." Beautifully written, great stories and characterizations. Love the "nordic noir" detective series in both Denmark, Sweden & Norway - and here you have Denmark & Sweden equally represented.

This is a review of series 1 and 2, previously submitted individually.This sublimely plotted Nordic Noir tale about betrayal, revenge and retribution is almost Shakespearean in tone with its complex diverse characters orbiting the fascinating central relationship between the two detectives attempting to solve the brutal murders taking place on both the Danish and Swedish side of the Oresund Bridge. Sofia Helin and Kim Bodina excel in their roles as contrasting central characters slowly developing a mutual respect for each other while coping with their own personal demons. As the narrative progresses and with red herrings galore we slowly comprehend the true nature and meaning behind the gruesome events unfolding before our eyes, as it becomes apparent that past deeds and behaviours have unexpected consequences. With its haunting theme ‘Hollow Talk’, exceptional cinematography, powerful ensemble acting and adroit pacing and this is quite possibly the best Scandinavian television crime series I have watched.The consequences of the conclusion of the first series underlie the surface narrative (an entertainingly convoluted plot with ludicrous twists concerning eco-terrorism) as we observe Martin Rohde suffering from post-traumatic stress and struggling to come to terms with his situation, his behaviour even testing the friendship between himself and his enigmatic colleague Saga Noren, herself quietly enduring her Asperger’s. Again, despite the challenging and complex storylines, with each episode ending with a ‘cling hanger,’ it is the heart-breaking predicaments in which the two leads find themselves which dominate with outstanding performances from Kim Bodina and Sofia Helin. The quality of the writing remains high with the skilful use of finely judged humour accentuating a pervading pathos, invoking an involuntary response to laugh while simultaneously masking an empathetic sadness. Outstanding.

First-class Scandi noir. Whether future series will be as effective now that Saga Norén (Sofia Helin) will be without former partner Martin (Kim Bodnia) remains to be seen. But Bodnia's refusal to go along with the scriptwriters' apparently far-fetched device to extricate him from the spot of bother in which he finds himself at the end of Series 2 may be The Bridge's saving grace and save it from following in the footsteps (and seemingly inevitable decline) of such none-Scandi series as The Fall and Broadchurch. As far as Series 1 and 2 and this blu-ray are concerned, the quirky partnership between Helin and Bodnia made it compelling television, a worthy successor to The Killing and much better than most of the UK crime series output.UPDATE (December 2015): My concerns about Series 3 in the absence of Kim Bodnia were wide of the mark. For my money this latest series, with Sofia Helin's Saga joined by new partner Henrik (Thure Lindhardt), added a new dimension to this brilliant Scandi noir series and I rate it one of the very best things on television through 2015. The complicated multiple-murder plot was less interesting than the developing relationship between and psychological examination of Saga and Henrik and, by comparison, the interplay between Saga and Martin in Series 1 and 2 was less interesting. That the marvellous weekly Guardian blog on the series was attracting in excess of 1,000 comments a week is testimony to the huge impact The Bridge has had! I'm not normally a fan of sequels, but I really hope we do get a fourth series of The Bridge - and maybe Kim Bodnia might make a brief reappearance? I watched Series 3 on BBC4 as it was broadcast, but if you haven't yet caught up with The Bridge you should go for the complete Bridge trilogy, preferably on blu-ray  The Bridge Trilogy [Blu-Ray ] or otherwise on DVD  The Bridge Trilogy [DVD ]. The Bridge Trilogy [Blu-RayThe Bridge Trilogy [DVD

It's not exactly a promising title - the word 'bridge' sounds about as interesting as 'underpass' or 'roundabout'.Do not be misled. 'The Bridge' is an absolutely ripping police thriller. Albeit a massively long one - don't expect any early clues or easy arrests.In fact, each season is a story in its own right. So there are two complete epics in this set.For me, as a UK viewer, the fresh locations and cast make for easy suspension of disbelief and immersion in its vast length and depth.That aside, the titular bridge is an incredibly useful and powerful metaphor on a number of levels. It symbolically spans several Swedish and Danish divides: between rich and poor, equal and unequal justice, the healthy and the sick, the living and the dead.Much of 'The Bridge' is an uncomfortable deconstruction of the darker side of Scandinavian social problems, cleverly examined through the device of police investigations. Not always easy to watch, but ultimately very satisfying.Sofia Helin plays Saga Noren, of the Malmo County Police Force, as a high functioning person with autistic difficulties - she makes even Sherlock Holmes look chatty.

Bought this after watching the danish version of the killing (excuse me not trying to spell it). Really, really loved this series.And despite thinking nothing would top the killing this either comes very close or may even be better!Gutted when we got to the end.Its impossible not to love the main characters and you find yourself laughing at Saga (did I spell that right) and her social awkwardness.Its gripping, tense, full of twists and turns, keeps you constantly guessing. But is also humorous in places, and brilliantly written with superb acting performances.Why are the Danes so good at making this kind of program?Just one point to note. I first bought the blu-ray and season 1 was fine but when playing season 2 there was virtually no sound at all once you get past the menu. Its a technical glitch as the audio isn't designed for a home cinema system. I think its just stereo!So I had to return the blu-ray and bought the dvd. Shame but nothing to do with Amazon.The DVD works fine and the picture quality is decent.

I`m still totally in thrall to the magnificence of this program, and the two truly wonderful and very different series. I`m sure I`m not alone in finding it via The Killing and other Scandanavian imports; but this is the greatest of them all in my opinion.I can think of no other series that combines a breathtaking, labyrynthine story with perfect casting and acting that exudes convincing emotional depth; ironic bearing in mind Saga displays almost no emotion at all.Sofia Helin and Kim Bodnia are the two leads; and I should probably confess that I could hardly be more mesmerised by the way Sofia Helin portrays Malmo Police`s Saga Noren. She is...well, enigmatic does not do her justice. Asperger`s? Possibly, probably, but it isn`t confirmed. Whatever her quirks, I can`t think of anyone I have been more drawn to in a television series. Martin Rohde - Saga`s Danish counterpart - is a man with many flaws, but is still strangely loveable. He`ll be missed in Season 3.My wife and I travelled to Copenhagen and Malmo as a result of this, as I had to see the Oresund Bridge!