The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Film: The Thin Blue Line

Director: Errol Morris

Country: USA

Released: March 1988

Runtime: 103 minutes

Genre: Documentary

Studio: American Playhouse (PBS) / Miramax

Influenced: Michael Moore, Alex Gibney, Sarah Koenig, Andrew Jarecki, Laura Ricciardi, Moira Demos

The legacy of Errol Morris' 1988 documentary, The Thin Blue Line, is vast. All the countless true crime dramas that now dominate streaming services like Netflix owe the film a huge debt. The idea for The Thin Blue Line began with Morris' interest in the story of Randall Dale Adams, a man who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death in Texas for the 1976 murder of a police officer named Robert Wood during a routine traffic stop. Morris became fascinated by the case and the inconsistencies in the evidence and testimony that led to Adams' conviction. Beyond exposing a wrongful conviction, the film employs innovative techniques and cinematic artistry to challenge viewers' perceptions of truth and reality. The Thin Blue Line serves as a compelling example of how documentary filmmaking can transcend its traditional role of conveying facts and information.  

By using re-enactments, subjective interviews and stylised cinematography, director Errol Morris invites the audience to question not only the case at hand but also the very nature of storytelling and memory. During the production of The Thin Blue Line, Morris introduced a novel technique that he called the "Interrotron", a device that allowed subjects to maintain direct eye contact with the camera while simultaneously seeing Morris on a screen beside the lens. This advance in interview cinematography resulted in more intimate and engaging interviews, as the subjects felt as though they were having a direct conversation with the audience. The Interrotron has since become a signature feature of Morris' documentary style and has been adopted by other filmmakers seeking to create a similar sense of connection with their interviewees.

Through a combination of interviews, re-enactments and archival footage, the documentary explores the events leading up to the murder, the subsequent trial and the various individuals involved in the case. The film's exploration of subjectivity and the malleability of truth underscore the potential fallibility of the justice system. Morris interviews both those who testified against Adams and those who offer different perspectives, revealing the inconsistencies in their accounts. One of the key figures in the documentary is David Harris, a young man with a criminal record who had initially implicated Adams in the crime. Harris later recanted his testimony, suggesting that he was the actual perpetrator. The Thin Blue Line also incorporates expert opinions, including forensic evidence and ballistics analysis, to question the validity of the evidence presented in court. In particular, the film explores the notion that Adams may not have received a fair trial due to inadequate legal representation and the rush to convict. 

One of several innovations in the documentary is the use of music to create an atmosphere of tension and unease. Morris approached Philip Glass to compose the film's score after the director had previously used one of Glass' compositions in a temporary soundtrack for editing purposes. Impressed by the impact of Glass' music on the film's tone, Morris decided to collaborate with Glass to create an original score for The Thin Blue Line. Glass' minimalist style, full of repetitive patterns and gradual shifts, created a hypnotic atmosphere. Glass cleverly makes the music mirror the film's exploration of different perspectives and the repetition of key details. As well as winning awards and critical plaudits, The Thin Blue Line also led to a re-examination of the case and ensured that Adams' conviction was ultimately overturned; he was finally released from prison after spending over a decade behind bars. It's a landmark documentary that not only uncovered a miscarriage of justice but also pushed the boundaries of filmmaking, sparking conversations about truth, perception and the complexities of the criminal justice system.