The thin blue line

Documentarian Errol Morris (A Brief History of Time; The Fog of War) got his start with Gates, an oddly affecting exploration of loss focused on a pet cemetery business. Vernon centers on a few eccentric denizens of its titular town. Interesting as they are, both are strictly interview-driven. Thin breaks new ground, using stylized reenactment footage to dramatize the recollected testimony of convicted killer Randall Adams, an innocent man whom the film helped to free. It is a must; the earlier works are more for die-hard Morris fans. [Page 54]. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"Among the most important documentaries ever made, The Thin Blue Line, by Errol Morris (Gates of Heaven), erases the border between art and activism. A work of meticulous journalism and gripping drama, it recounts the disturbing tale of Randall Adams, a drifter who was charged with the murder of a Dallas police officer and sent to death row, despite overwhelming evidence that he did not commit the crime. Incorporating stylized reenactments, penetrating interviews, and haunting original music by Philip Glass (Koyaanisqatsi), Morris uses cinema to build a case forensically while effortlessly entertaining his viewers. The Thin Blue Line effected real-world change, proving film’s power beyond the shadow of a doubt."

Recounts the story of Randall 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.