The Thin Blue Line
1988movie
People
Where to Watch
Sundance Now
Criterion Channel
AMC+
PhiloSundance NowCriterion ChannelAMC+PhiloIn short, The Thin Blue Line presents its characters more in the style of fiction films than of traditional documentaries. Certainly, Morris incorporates newspaper items and other documents, but he duplicates and presents these records in an aestheticized way, displaying an indifference to traditional signs of authenticity. Likewise, Philip Glass’s haunting score often plays under the testimony of the interviewees, providing an emotional inflection to their statements that documentaries have traditionally avoided as undesirable manipulation.
'The Thin Blue Line' was produced with a pioneering approach to storytelling. Morris conducted in-depth interviews and employed dramatized reenactments, a technique that was not commonly used in documentaries at the time. The film was scored by Philip Glass, whose minimalist music adds a layer of tension and urgency.Themes and Analysis. Errol Morris's The Thin Blue Line explores ideas surrounding the complexities of truth, harsh realities within the justice system, and the intricate artistry used to tell Randall Adams' story.
