Randall adams, 28, runs out of gas on his way home from work. The film was released with english subtitles in the united states by toho international in july 1967. The film features powerful interviews with the victims of some of these crimes. The thin blue line is one of morriss bestknown works, and documents the murder of a police officer in 1976, the investigation of the crime. The films organizational structure roughly parallels the stages of the criminal justice process, from the investigation and arrest of ad ams to his trial, conviction, sentence, and postconviction litiga.
With randall adams, david ray harris, gus rose, jackie johnson. Instead, it is a masterful film that slowly reveals a hidden universe by simple allowing everyone involvedcriminals, judges, police. View location maps, descriptions and location images. Documentary about the police in america, and the problem of combating increased crime. Here are five documentary films plus some honorable mentions that did exactly that. Errol morris espn team spirit film or we can use this technique, out of focus. Watch blue bloods season 7, episode 22 the thin blue line.
Morris spent three years researching the thin blue line, talking to over 200 people and interviewing 24 people including, cops, judges, the district attorney, the defendant, and three surprise eyewitnesses to the murder, and obviously not everything he found made its way into the film dailey. Errol morris construction of innocence in the thin blue. Be careful, though, the only things that go in the main namespace are tropes and should be created through the ykttw system. The thin blue line did what it was supposed to do, and it held its audience for much of its life. Solving this mystery is going to be murder errol morriss unique documentary dramatically reenacts the crime scene and investigation of a police officers murder in dallas. The thin blue line is set in the police station of the fictional english town of gasforth. It will immerse you in the tale of a complete miscarriage of justice. The thin blue line is a 1966 film directed by william friedkin. Charles musser, film, truth, documentary, and the law. The thin blue line and the ambiguous truth inquiries.
In the years since, although he has worked on several projects, there has been no new morris film until the thin blue line. Foremost it has a score courtesy composer philip glass, and previsualized cinematography morris website contains storyboards for the film. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. She has watched tower many times since it was completed. A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in dallas county, texas. The thin blue analysis jess, joe, sam ap lang randalls attorney goes into more detail concerning randalls case and how everyone seemed to be against him while david was getting off easy which really just showed the viewer that the town was biased and had very little. The thin blue line bbc1 sitcom british comedy guide. Oct 10, 2007 the thin blue line did what it was supposed to do, and it held its audience for much of its life. It focuses on the police force, and the experience making it influenced friedkin on the french connection.
The scene is simple enough, depicting the scenario with the few objective facts. The thin blue line tv movie 1966 plot summary imdb. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay andor viewings of the thin blue line. Brilliant filmmaking that made a huge difference in a human beings life. Jul 11, 2004 the thin blue line employs the same concept. But errol morris the thin blue line is not sensational in any traditional sense. On november 28, 1976, when drifter randall dale adams was picked up by teenage runaway david harris, his fate was sealed.
Bbc arts bbc arts how dramatic reconstruction transformed the. The movie brought the case to national attention, but it was my investigation part of which was done with a movie camera that got randall adams out of prison. Brilliant film making that made a huge difference in a human beings life. In the season 7 finale, danny intercepts a shipment heading to a drug cartel in mexico, so this makes him a target of re.
Jun 11, 2011 w hen it was released, errol morriss the thin blue line went radically against the grain of documentary convention. Film summary errol morris chilling film, the thin blue line, tells the story of a regular man going about his everyday life when fortune turns against him. The thin blue line and the ambiguous truth inquiries journal. In one of the more impactful sequences, director william friedkins camera brings the viewer into the world of officer tony day as he patrols the city streets during his friday overnight. Revisiting the thin blue line 1988 and its missing. Ship this item qualifies for free shipping buy online, pick up in store is currently unavailable, but this item may be available for instore purchase. The thin blue line is one of the films that helped make documentaries a viable entertainment option for arthouse moviegoers during the indiefilm boom of the 1980s and 90s. Mar 25, 2015 e rrol morriss the thin blue line 1988 is widely recognized as a monumental achievement in the documentary tradition. As this article was being completed, a texas judge, following an evidentiary.
Documentary attempting to overturn the miscarriage of justice which saw the wrong man convicted for the 1976 murder of a dallas traffic officer. A recent poll by the british film institute ranked it fifth in the documentary pantheon. The thin blue line is one of the films that helped make documentaries a viable entertainment option for arthouse moviegoers during the indie film boom of the 1980s and 90s. The thin blue analysis by samantha eligene on prezi. Jan 28, 2012 according to an interviewee in the film, the police are the thin blue line between anarchy and society. But those law enforcers are willing to ignore evidence against harris and pin the crime on adams because harris isnt old enough to be executed. The thin blue line is an atypically constructed documentary with apparent production value. So powerful and convincing that it helped free an innocent man from prison, the thin blue line is one of the finest documentary features ever made boxoffice. Walking to the nearest gas station, a stranger stops his car and offers adams help. Morris also forays into obtrusive interviewing in the ultimate scene of the film when he uses an audio tape to record an interview with david harris. Instead, it is a masterful film that slowly reveals a hidden universe.
The thin blue lines place in film history would be secure had it only freed randall adams, but the film also codifies morris signature style, a hypnotic blend of talkinghead interviews. This is only to remind us that the thin blue line, like any film, has limits to what it is able to achieve in meditating on and revealing truth. This early film by william friedkin is a documentary about the american police force and the difficulties they face in. A work of meticulous journalism and gripping drama, it recounts the disturbing tale of randall dale adams, a drifter who was charged with the murder of a dallas police officer and sent to death row, despite evidence that he did not commit the crime. The thin blue line discussion guide influence film club.
This early film by william friedkin is a documentary about the american police force and the difficulties they face in combating escalating crime throughout the country. It was the second of three documentaries friedkin made for producer david wolper. Its one of the top 25 documentaries of all time, in my opinion. Way before making of a murderer there was the thin blue line. According to an interviewee in the film, the police are the thin blue line between anarchy and society. I have often heard people say that the thin blue line got an innocent man out of prison. Thin blue line essaysthe shooting death of a police officer, robert wood is a thrilling subject all in itself. Ive just watched this film again, just tonight, primarily because i wanted my wife to. Errol morriss the thin blue line is a prime example of this postmodern documentary. If you want to start a main thethinblueline page, just click the edit button above. The reason that this life was comparatively short was partly because the public simply wouldnt.
Having originally stumbled upon the subject, morris chose to make the documentary after he became personally persuaded of the convicted mans innocence curry 157. Most audiences would expect a documentary made about a police officers shooting death to be sensational also. In his 1988 documentary, the thin blue line, errol morris explores the 1976 murder case of police officer robert wood and the man convicted for the murder, randall dale adams. Through expressionistic reenactments, provocative interviews and a memorable score by philip glass, it tells the fascinating, controversial true story of the arrest and trial of randall adams for the murder of a dallas policeman in 1976and the film. Filming locations for the thin blue line including locations in watford. The thin blue line filming locations find that location. Acknowledgements the california highway patrol, the california bureau of narcotic enforcement, ucla school of law, thomas lynch, attorney general of california, wbkbtv news, chicago police communications sequence courtesy of wgntv, the rochester police bureau, the locust club and the dept. Apr 29, 2012 the thin blue line takes the docudrama genre to its outer limits, intercutting newspaper headlines, bulletwound diagrams and texas road maps with gradeb film noir fare. The central scene of errol morris remarkable documentary the thin blue line is a reenactment of a crime that resulted in the death of a dallas police officer in november 1976. The thin blue line takes detours with a deliberate linearity by interjecting anecdotes, fantastical images, and deadon shots. Morris next film, about the strange and wonderful people who can be found in and around a small southern town, was called vernon, florida. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. In this classic police sitcom, rowan atkinson plays inspector fowler, head of the uniformed branch of the fictional gasforth police station.
Among many critics, morris is lauded more for his open fascination with, and examination of, the salt of the earth eccentrics in his two earlier indie favs, gates of heaven 1978 and vernon, florida 1981. The result was the awardwinning film the thin blue line, so called because during adams trial the prosecutor said the police represent a thin blue line between society and anarchy. Almost two decades later, from the perspective of a mere passive viewer, the thin blue line distinguishes itself by its sense of gravity. That night, a police officer was shot in cold blood.
Revisiting the thin blue line 1988 and its missing pieces. The film also addresses the dangers faced by law enforcement in an interview with the widow of officer harold shaw, who was killed in the line of duty in 1959. The 1966 shooting at the university of texas, austin, where 14 people were killed. The thin line was distributed by toho and received a roadshow theatrical release on january 25, 1966. Finally, the the thin blue line script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the errol morris movie. In 2001, it was placed on the national film registry by the library of congress. Solving this mystery is going to be murder errol morriss unique documentary dramatically reenacts the crime scene. W hen it was released, errol morriss the thin blue line went radically against the grain of documentary convention.
Ive just watched this film again, just tonight, primarily because i wanted my wife to see it. In pure structural terms, this film is a swiss watch clock hands feature prominently in the film s montages and the score, in typical glass fashion, has a persistent metronomic quality to it. The film made something artful out of a horrific reallife event it changed. The thin blue line script transcript from the screenplay. While a prenewsreel film like troublemakers 1966, which follows the. In the opening credits, the blue of the films title is invaded by disorderly red. The thin blue line takes the docudrama genre to its outer limits, intercutting newspaper headlines, bulletwound diagrams and texas road maps with. The thin blue line tv movie 1966 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Jan 27, 2016 the thin blue lines place in film history would be secure had it only freed randall adams, but the film also codifies morris signature style, a hypnotic blend of talkinghead interviews. The thin blue line is relay team that competed in the blue ridge relay on september 910, 2011. Watch the interview with the director after watching the film its almost as good. Morris film proved that a thin blue line also existed between the truth and lies, as perjury by prosecution witnesses and malfeasance by the prosecutors.
Instead, it is a masterful film that slowly reveals a hidden universe by simple allowing everyone involvedcriminals, judges, police officers, and witnessesto talk and then talk some more. Among the most important documentaries ever made, the thin blue line, by errol morris, erases the border between art and activism. Welcome to the thin blue line official youtube channel. The film the thin blue line slowly reveals a hidden community by allowing everyone involved. This video tells the story of the two day adventure shot by members. Ship this item qualifies for free shipping buy online, pick up in store is currently. A truly pioneering film, morriss breakthrough changed the world of documentary forever. The blue refers to the color of the uniforms of many police departments. Prior to the conception of the thin blue line, morris originally planned to film a documentary about prosecution psychiatrist dr. Errol morris documentary director thin blue line two movies, movie tv, the. E rrol morriss the thin blue line 1988 is widely recognized as a monumental achievement in the documentary tradition. The shooting death of a police officer is a sensational subject. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Randall adams man in prison accused of murdering a police officer, david harris man who murdered police officer and then testifies that adams had done it, also prisoner on death row, edith james defense attorney for randall adams, various police officers, witnesses, and others.
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