The Thin Blue Line
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The Thin Blue Line
Errol Morris 1988
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The trailer
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The full Documentary
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The Synopsis
November 1973 .
Outside Dallas Texas, USA.
Dale Adams takes a ride from David Harris – a teenage boy.
Harris is using a solen car and when a police officer arrives to check the headlights he is shot dead.
The documentary follows the sotry of a framed murder.
It opens eyes to the flawed American justice system and in turn proves a man innocent saving his life.
The Purpose of the Documentary
The documentary purpose was to prove Randall Adam's innocence.
Some documents that Morris had unearthed in his research, and videotaped interviews used in the film which allowed Adams to finally be released after serving a life sentence for 12 years.
The tone of the documentary is set my dark, non-diegetic sound.
The Director
Errol Morris
His documentaries have repeatedly appeared on many ten best lists and have been honored by the National Society of Film Critics and the National Board of Review.
One of his recent documentaries was ‘The Unknown Known’ about Donald Rumsfeld and Bush’s US Presidency, Morris shows the how Bush’s administration justified the Iraq war
Morris has directed over 1000 television commercials, including campaigns for Apple, American Express and Nike
He is known also for inventing the machine called interrotron which means the interviewer and interviewee would be able to talk to each other through the camera lens.
Morris in 1985 was interested in a psychiatrist in Dallas, called Dr. James Grigson, who was nicknamed ‘Dr. Death’ for spending 15 years of his career testifying in many cases for the death penalty with the justification that it is ‘one hundred per cent certain’ they will kill again. In Texas the law is that the jury must be convinced they are guilty but are also sure they will kill again.
Through his interest in Dr. Grigson, he created the film about 36 year old Randall Dale Adams (the thin blue line)
At first Morris was sure of Randall’s innocence but after reading the transcripts of the trail and a meeting with David Harris at a bar, he was starting to doubt
When filming the documentary he was a private investigator for a well-known private detective agency specializing in Wall Street cases. Using his investigatory talent and interest in in-depth murder cases, he would be able to portray a gripping and honest documentary
The film was popularly known for being a main force in Randall Adams’ release from jail
Morris has claimed that the film is two films in one, the first trying to answer ‘did he do it?’ and the other being an essay on false history, saying that ‘literally everyone, believed a version of the world that was entirely wrong’
Some documents that Morris had unearthed in his research, and videotaped interviews used in the film which allowed Adams to finally be released after serving a life sentence for 12 years.
The Tone of the Documentary
Camera and Sound
The tone of the documentary is set my dark, non-diegetic sound.
They
used many close ups, which makes the film almost uncomfortale and
claustrophobic. It is because they wanted the documentary to cacpture
the emotionof uneasy that was surrounding the case.
The documentary is on the interviews, which makes it more factual; and it makes sense as the whole production was used to prove the innocence of Randall Adams.
The Target Audience
The Thin Blue Line has a film certificate of 15 - it contains strong language, violence, sex soft drug references.
Generally, this genre of film - crime drama - is appealing to both, man and woman, as well as a large age range.
It appeals to younger audiences as it focuses on issues within contemporary society, for example - drugs.
It is set in a mystery "who done it" style. The film is quite stylised. It contains the postmodern theme, and it was marketed in an arthouse style.
Arthouse style tends to appeal interested in art, which generally ranges from 17-25 and art students - it also to 25-60+, the type of people who travel to film festivals such as .
Statistics also show ages 15-24 are more likely to go to the cinema.
In Summary:
The target audience for this documentary is people who are interested in crime as well as arthouse type of films - this leans towards younger audiences who are more likely to go to a cinema or may be art students. It also may appeal to younger audiences due to the type of the issue approached in the documentary - such as murder or drugs. It does not exclude older audiences, who may also be interested in crime/arthouse films.
The documentary is on the interviews, which makes it more factual; and it makes sense as the whole production was used to prove the innocence of Randall Adams.
The Target Audience
The Thin Blue Line has a film certificate of 15 - it contains strong language, violence, sex soft drug references.
Generally, this genre of film - crime drama - is appealing to both, man and woman, as well as a large age range.
It appeals to younger audiences as it focuses on issues within contemporary society, for example - drugs.
It is set in a mystery "who done it" style. The film is quite stylised. It contains the postmodern theme, and it was marketed in an arthouse style.
Arthouse style tends to appeal interested in art, which generally ranges from 17-25 and art students - it also to 25-60+, the type of people who travel to film festivals such as .
Statistics also show ages 15-24 are more likely to go to the cinema.
In Summary:
The target audience for this documentary is people who are interested in crime as well as arthouse type of films - this leans towards younger audiences who are more likely to go to a cinema or may be art students. It also may appeal to younger audiences due to the type of the issue approached in the documentary - such as murder or drugs. It does not exclude older audiences, who may also be interested in crime/arthouse films.
The Director
Errol Morris
His documentaries have repeatedly appeared on many ten best lists and have been honored by the National Society of Film Critics and the National Board of Review.
One of his recent documentaries was ‘The Unknown Known’ about Donald Rumsfeld and Bush’s US Presidency, Morris shows the how Bush’s administration justified the Iraq war
Morris has directed over 1000 television commercials, including campaigns for Apple, American Express and Nike
He is known also for inventing the machine called interrotron which means the interviewer and interviewee would be able to talk to each other through the camera lens.
Morris in 1985 was interested in a psychiatrist in Dallas, called Dr. James Grigson, who was nicknamed ‘Dr. Death’ for spending 15 years of his career testifying in many cases for the death penalty with the justification that it is ‘one hundred per cent certain’ they will kill again. In Texas the law is that the jury must be convinced they are guilty but are also sure they will kill again.
Through his interest in Dr. Grigson, he created the film about 36 year old Randall Dale Adams (the thin blue line)
At first Morris was sure of Randall’s innocence but after reading the transcripts of the trail and a meeting with David Harris at a bar, he was starting to doubt
When filming the documentary he was a private investigator for a well-known private detective agency specializing in Wall Street cases. Using his investigatory talent and interest in in-depth murder cases, he would be able to portray a gripping and honest documentary
The film was popularly known for being a main force in Randall Adams’ release from jail
Morris has claimed that the film is two films in one, the first trying to answer ‘did he do it?’ and the other being an essay on false history, saying that ‘literally everyone, believed a version of the world that was entirely wrong’
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