History Film / BrooklynBridge

* CorruptPolitician: Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed, leader of the city's Democratic Party, who paid a bribe to get a permit. Tweed goes to prison during construction.

* TheKenBurnsEffect: Burns' style was already fully formed at the time of his first film. The panning and scanning is heavily relied upon here, like when the camera pans down a diagram to emphasize how deep they had to sink the caissons for the bridge, or a zoom into a photo of a worker who died from decompression sickness.

* TheKenBurnsEffect: Ken Burns' style was fully formed at the time of his first film. The panning and scanning is heavily relied on in this film, like when the camera pans down a diagram to emphasize how deep they had to sink the caissons for the bridge, or a zoom into a photo of a worker who died from decompression sickness.

* NewYorkIsOnlyManhattan: Numerous references to a bridge "from New York to Brooklyn" are a reminder of the fact that, at one time, New York really ''was'' only Manhattan. Brooklyn was originally an independent municipality and would not be absorbed into the larger NYC until 1898, more than a decade after the bridge was completed.

* NewYorkIsOnlyManhattan: Numerous references to a bridge "from New York to Brooklyn" are a reminder of the fact that, at one time, New York really ''was'' only Manhattan. Brooklyn was originally an independent municipality and would not be absorbed into the larger NYC until 1898, more than decade after the bridge was completed.

* NewYorkIsOnlyManhattan: Various references to a bridge "from New York to Brooklyn" are a reminder of the fact that, at one time, New York really ''was'' only Manhattan. Brooklyn was originally an independent municipality and wouldn't be absorbed into the larger NYC until 1898, more than a decade after the bridge was completed.

* NewYorkIsOnlyManhattan: Various references to a bridge "from New York to Brooklyn" are a reminder of how, at one time, New York really ''was'' only Manhattan. Brooklyn was originally an independent municipality and wouldn't be absorbed into the larger NYC until 1898, more than a decade after the bridge was completed.

''Brooklyn Bridge'' (1981) is a 58-minute American documentary film by Creator/KenBurns chronicling the history of New York City's Brooklyn Bridge, one of the most famous suspension bridges in the world.

* {{Narrator}}: Historian David [=McCullough=] narrates. [=McCullough=] would later narrate Burns's most famous documentary, ''Series/TheCivilWar''.
* NewYorkIsOnlyManhattan: Various references to a bridge "from New York to Brooklyn" are a reminder of how at one time New York really was only Manhattan. Brooklyn would not be incorporated into New York City until the 1890s, over a decade after the bridge was completed.

* NewYorkIsOnlyManhattan: Various references to a bridge "from New York to Brooklyn" are a reminder of how at one time New York really was only Manhattan. Brooklyn would not be incorporated into New York City until the 1890s, over a decade afte the bridge was completed.

* TheStinger: One of the StockFootage clips is of WesternAnimation/BugsBunny in 1949 ''WesternAnimation/MerrieMelodies'' cartoon short "Bowery Bugs", telling a gullible mark about the bridge. After the credits roll, there's a clip of Bugs selling the bridge to the mark.

* StockFootage: A sequence late in the film has clips of various pop culture references to the bridge, like Creator/LaurelAndHardy talking about it in ''Film/WayOutWest'', or Music/FrankSinatra dashing over the bridge in 1947 film ''It Happened in Brooklyn''.

Proposed in the mid-19th century to span the Hudson River and link the then-independent city of Brooklyn with Manhattan, a contract is finally awarded to John A. Roebling, an immigrant from Germany. After Roebling dies in 1869, just two years into construction, his son Washington Roebling oversees the completion of the bridge.

Proposed in the mid-19th century to span the Hudson River and link the then-independent city of Brooklyn with Manhattan, a contract is finally awarded to John Roebling, an immigrant from Germany. After Roebling dies in 1869 just two years into construction, his son Washington Roebling oversees the completion of the bridge.

Proposed in the mid-19th century to span the Hudson River and link the then-independent cities of Manhattan and Brooklyn, a contract is finally awarded to John Roebling, an immigrant from Germany. After Roebling dies in 1869 just two years into construction, his son Washington Roebling oversees the completion of the bridge.

Burns's first documentary film, it was originally shown in theaters to qualify it for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination, and subsequently aired on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of its ''Series/TheAmericanExperience'' series. None other than Creator/KurtVonnegut provided one of the voices.

Burns's first documentary, the film was originally shown in theaters to qualify it for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination, and subsequently aired on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of its ''Series/TheAmericanExperience'' series. None other than Creator/KurtVonnegut provided one of the voices.

* TheStinger: One of the StockFootage clips is of WesternAnimation/BugsBunny in 1949 cartoon short "Bowery Bugs", telling a gullible mark about the bridge. After the credits roll, there's a clip of Bugs selling the bridge to the mark.

* TalkingHeads: Many, in classic documentary style. David [=McCullough=], author of a 1972 book about the bridge, narrates but also appears on camera to give some commentary.

Burns's first documentary, the film originally ran in theaters to qualify it for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination, and later aired on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of its ''Series/TheAmericanExperience'' series. None other than Creator/KurtVonnegut provided one of the voices.

''Brooklyn Bridge'' (1981) is a 58-minute documentary film by Creator/KenBurns.

It is a history of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the most famous suspension bridges in the world. Proposed in the mid-19th century, a contract is finally awarded to John Roebling, an immigrant from Germany. When John Roebling dies in 1869 just two years into construction, his son Washington Roebling oversees the completion of the bridge.

First documentary by Ken Burns. Originally ran in theaters to qualify it for the Oscars, later ran on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of ''Series/TheAmericanExperience'' series. None other than Creator/KurtVonnegut provided one of the voices.