Morris next film, about the strange and wonderful people who can be found in and around a small southern town, was called vernon, florida. Errol morris construction of innocence in the thin blue line. It will immerse you in the tale of a complete miscarriage of justice. Among the most important documentaries ever made, the thin blue line, by errol morris, erases the border between art and activism. The thin blue line 1988 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Jun 26, 2011 the film that proved so crucial to mr. 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. Instead, it is a masterful film that slowly reveals a hidden universe. Walking to the nearest gas station, a stranger stops his car and offers adams help. 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. Adams was the thin blue line, directed by errol morris and released in 1988.
The film, in morriss estimation, only proved the latter. Randall adams, 28, runs out of gas on his way home from work. The thin blue line discussion guide influence film club. Engage your students during remote learning with video readalouds. The story of randall adamss crime in the film the thin blue line 909 words. Telling a fictionalized version of the battle of mount austen, which was part of the guadalcanal campaign in the pacific theater of world war ii, it. In this classic police sitcom, rowan atkinson plays inspector fowler, head of the uniformed branch of the fictional gasforth police station. The shooting death of a police officer is a sensational subject. In 2001, it was placed on the national film registry by the library of congress. Director kevin macdonald touching the void talks to mina holland about the power of 1988 documentary the thin blue line published. Surface analysis of polymers, but cannot perform ion etching analysis of polymers. In his 1988 documentary, the thin blue line, errol morris explores the 1976. Jan 09, 2017 one of the most important tools that can be used in documentaries today is the reenactment, however it is hardly used as much as it should be.
The thin blue line analysis by katie jones on prezi. A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in dallas county, texas. We dont have an article named analysisthethinblueline, exactly. This nonfiction film reveals injustice, but doesnt seem too surprised by it. The thin blue line is a symbol representing the men and women of law enforcement that hold the divide between order and chaos. If there is a central character in the thin red line, it is private witt jim caviezel, an enigmatic and charismatic presence, who marches to a different drummer, much like martin sheens kit in badlands. Ive just watched this film again, just tonight, primarily because i wanted my wife to see it. In short, one could imagine the thin blue line as a quite different film, one about an innocent man convicted of murder because the police believed he was gay. In his taxing, fascinating the thin blue line selected theaters film maker errol morris builds a powerful case against texasstyle justice while attempting to bring to the documentary form an. Awesomethe thin blue linefilmthe thin blue linefunnythe thin blue lineseriesthe thin blue linetriviathe thin blue lineymmvthe. Ftir analysis 1 2 micrometer depth, chemical bond analysis.
Detect and identify thin organic or polymer film on metal or semiconductor surface. Morris became interested in the case while doing research for a film about dr. In the thin blue line, morris did start conducting interviews with a very specific goal in mind. The story of randall adamss crime in the film the thin blue line. The thin blue line and the ambiguous truth inquiries journal. The thin blue line takes detours with a deliberate linearity by interjecting anecdotes, fantastical images, and deadon shots. The black space above the blue line represents society, order and peace, while the black below, crime, anarchy, and chaos. The film the thin blue line slowly reveals a hidden community by allowing everyone involved. Directed by errol morris 1988 united states among the most important documentaries ever made, the thin blue line, by errol morris, erases the border between art and activism. Identify thin organic film used to prevent reactions of a thin film structure with the environment as in corrosion. The thin red line by gavin smith subscribe to the magazine there has truly never been a film about modern war quite like this one. It told a harrowing story, and it had the effect of helping to bring about. 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 describes us, in essence, as the sheepdogs that we are all familiar with. The thin blue line running between them, the police, separates the two, keeping crime separated. Fowler is constantly in battle of wits with di grim and the criminal investigation department. This truth revealed by the end of the film is simply morris interpretation and. E rrol morriss the thin blue line 1988 is widely recognized as a monumental achievement in the documentary tradition. 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. After its release, repeated legal attempts finally resulted in a retrial. The thin red line, arguably the greatest war film ever made, ended two decades of silence from terrence malick, cinemas wandering auteur. Instead, it is a masterful film that slowly reveals a hidden universe by simple allowing everyone involvedcriminals, judges, police. 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. The thin blue line synopsis favorite theater button overview.
An analysis of the documentaries as a form of movie media known as a nonnarrative formal system. Welcome to the thin blue line official youtube channel. Morriss graceful camera isolates witnesses and evidence against dark. 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. Thin film analysis anderson materials evaluation, inc. 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. Revisiting the thin blue line 1988 and its missing pieces. A recent poll by the british film institute ranked it fifth in the documentary pantheon. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Death for testifying with 100 percent certainty of a defendants.
In his taxing, fascinating the thin blue line selected theaters film maker errol morris builds a powerful case against texasstyle justice. 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. This is a video analysis of errol morris 1988 film the thin blue line, which ultimately led to the release of the wrongfully convicted, randall dale adams, from prison a year later. The thin blue line the importance of reenactments youtube. Errol morriss unique documentary dramatically reenacts the crime scene and investigation of a police officers murder in dallas, texas. 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.
Well, i think in spite of my reservations which boil down to personal squeamishness, the thin blue line remains an undeniably masterful exercise in form. The thin blue line is a docudrama that includes conventional elements as well as fictionalized dramatization. Having originally stumbled upon the subject, morris chose to make the documentary after he became personally persuaded of the convicted mans innocence curry 157. From the first american police force being founded in eighteen thirty eight in boston to present various departments in modern times there has been great fluctuations in public opinion toward these defensive entities. The term began as an allusion to the famous thin red line, when a british infantry regiment held off a russian cavalry charge during the crimean war in 1854, where red referred to the color of the british uniforms. I have often heard people say that the thin blue line got an innocent man out of prison. I spent the rest of the film in a state of hypnosis. The film made something artful out of a horrific reallife event it changed. Thin blue line essaysthe shooting death of a police officer, robert wood is a thrilling subject all in itself. In the years since, although he has worked on several projects, there has been no new morris film until the thin blue line. The thin blue line is a colloquial term for police forces. The film argues that randall adams was wrongfully convicted in the murder of a dallas policeman in 1977 and suggests david harris is the real culprit. Dec 11, 20 in the thin blue line, morris did start conducting interviews with a very specific goal in mind. The film argues that david harris, who adams was with that evening, actually committed the murder, while.
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. Those moments are the result of a 30month investigation by errol morris, one of americas strangest and most brilliant documentary filmmakers. Directed by 1 writing credits 1 cast 70 produced by 4 music by 1 film editing by 3 casting by 1 production design by 1 art direction by 2 costume design by 1 makeup department 3 production management 1 second unit director or assistant director 4. The alternative interpretation is just noise created by those who want to create controversy. Errol morriss revolutionary film boldly investigated the truth of a murder case while reimagining documentary cinema aesthetics. But errol morris the thin blue line is not sensational in any traditional sense. A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a. In the thin blue line, director errol morris investigates the wrongful conviction of texan randall adams, who, in place of a more obvious. The film touches on issues of feminism and racism, but when it comes to sexual orientation, the thin blue line is silent.
The thin blue line is a 1988 american documentary film by errol morris, depicting the story of randall dale adams, a man convicted and sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit. Mar 25, 2015 e rrol morriss the thin blue line 1988 is widely recognized as a monumental achievement in the documentary tradition. 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. It is the second screen adaptation of the 1962 novel of the same name by james jones, following the 1964 film. The thin blue line, a documentary film by william friedkin about the police and the problems they encounter. A documentary which argues that randall harris was wrongly convicted of the murder of dallas police officer robert wood by corrupt system of justice. The thin blue line is a phrase that refers figuratively to the position of police in society as the force which holds back chaos. An investigation of a police officers murder in dallas, texas in the thin blue line. The thin blue line and the ambiguous truth inquiries. The first lines, like so much of the interview material in the thin blue line, come so effortlessly.
The thin blue line is a 1988 american documentary film by errol morris, about the trial and subsequent conviction of randall dale adams for the murder of texas police officer robert wood. James grigson, a psychiatrist known in texas as dr. The thin blue line, a documentary film by errol morris concerning the murder of a police officer. One of the most important tools that can be used in documentaries today is the reenactment, however it is hardly used as much as it should be. An electric blue line shot through the screen during the title sequence, and i remember thinking, i have no idea what this blue line is all about, but im drawn to it. Film critic roger ebert, who lists morris 1979 gates of heaven as one of the 10 best films ever made, called the slighting of the thin blue line the worst nonnomination of. This minor character in the novel, a crazy sentimental kentuckian sharpshooter who longs for a chance to save the lives of his fellow soldiers, is reinvented as a serene emersonian. The thin red line is a 1998 american epic war film written and directed by terrence malick. Created by ben elton, the series aired from 1995 to 1996. Mar 19, 2020 this is a video analysis of errol morris 1988 film the thin blue line, which ultimately led to the release of the wrongfully convicted, randall dale adams, from prison a year later. The thin blue line, which opens today at the lincoln plaza, reinvents its story even as it reexamines it. The silence wasnt entirely selfimposed, since during this time he tried to launch a few productionsincluding a tale of nineteenthcentury psychoanalysis and a jerry lee lewis biopicthat didnt reach the shooting stage.
The thinblueline, protecting the prey from the predators, the good from the bad. Through the construction and ordering of the nonlinear story morris presents, he reveals an easytofollow narrative implicating harris instead of adams, not unlike the story that implicated adams in the first place, because it presents an easytobelieve retelling of history. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the thin blue line near you. The thin blue analysis by samantha eligene on prezi. The thin blue line proves more profound than a more selfconsciously political film might have. This truth revealed by the end of the film is simply. The thin blue line film actually presents two plots. Most audiences would expect a documentary made about a police officers shooting death to be sensational also. Jun 11, 2011 w hen it was released, errol morriss the thin blue line went radically against the grain of documentary convention. Holland about the power of 1988 documentary the thin blue line.
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