Customer Reviews

The Thin Blue Line [VHS]

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an extraordinary documentary in which film maker Errol Morris shows how an innocent man was convicted of murdering a policeman while the real murderer was let off scot free by the incompetent criminal justice system of Dallas, Texas. The amazing thing is that Morris demonstrates this gross miscarriage of justice in an utterly convincing manner simply by interviewing the participants. True, he reenacts the crime scene and flashes headlines from the newspaper stories to guide us, but it is simply the spoken words of the real murderer, especially in the cold-blooded, explosive audio tape that ends the film, that demonstrate not only his guilt but his psychopathic personality. And it is the spoken words of the defense attorneys, the rather substantial Edith James and the withdrawing Dennis White, and the wrongfully convicted Randall Adams that demonstrate the corrupt and incompetent methods used by the Dallas Country justice system to bring about this false conviction. Particularly chilling were the words of Judge Don Metcalfe, waxing teary-eyed, as he recalls listening to the prosecutor's summation about how society is made safe by that "thin blue line" of cops who give their lives to protect us from criminals. The chilling part is that while he is indulging his emotions he is allowing the cop killer to go free and helping to convict an innocent man. Almost as chilling in its revelation of just how perverted and corrupt the system has become, was the report of how a paid psychologist, as a means of justifying the death penalty, "interviewed" innocent Randall Adams for fifteen minutes and found him to be a danger to society, a blood-thirsty killer who would kill again.

This film will get your dander up. How the cops were so blind as to not see that 16-year-old David Harris was a dangerous, remorseless psychopath from the very beginning is beyond belief. He even took a delight in bragging about his crime. As Morris suggests, it was their desire to revenge the cop killing with the death penalty that blinded them to the obvious. They would rather fry an innocent man than convict the real murderer, who because of his age was not subject to the death penalty under Texas law. When an innocent man is wrongly convicted of a murder three things happen that are disastrous: One, an innocent man is in jail or even executed. Two, the real guilty party is free to kill again. And, three, the justice system is perverted. This last consequence is perhaps the worst. When people see their police, their courts, their judges condemning the innocent and letting the guilty walk free, they lose faith in the system and they begin to identify with those outside the system. They no longer trust the cops or the courts. The people become estranged from the system and the system becomes estranged from the people. This is the beginning of the breakdown of society. The Dallas cops and prosecutors and the stupid judge (David Metcalfe), who should have seen through the travesty, are to be blamed for the fact that David Harris, after he testified for the prosecution and was set free, did indeed kill again, as well as commit a number of other crimes of violence.

The beautiful thing about this film is, over and above the brilliance of its artistic construction, is that its message was so clear and so powerful that it led to the freeing of the innocent Randall Adams. Although the psychopathic David Harris, to my knowledge, was never tried for the crime he committed, he is in prison for other crimes and, it is hoped, will be there for the rest of his life. Errol Morris and the other people who made this fine film can pride in these facts and in knowing that they did a job that the Dallas criminal justice system was unable to do.

You can probably think of a handful of movies that seemed to affect your consciousness. Like the way some people say Catcher in the Rye changed their lives. But whether they actually changed you in a real, permanent way remains to be seen.

The Thin Blue Line is a different matter. This movie fundamentally affected at least one person's life in an irreversible way. Without giving away the plot, Randall Dale Adams will certainly never be the same.

The movie deals with the killing of a Texas Trooper and whether or not Texas justice got it right. Morris reveals the facts of the case using strange and haunting reenactments to cover multiple stories and exploring what people said vs. what the physical evidence suggested. He does not push a viewpoint but carefully crafts it, allowing you to accept or reject the various positions. Soon, you are drawn into the central issue of guilt or innocence and the many areas of gray in between.

It's a documentary that plays like a murder mystery, but it is frighteningly true. It's burned as much into my mind because of the number of high-profile cases in Texas where people were either in prison on death row despite being innocent; CBS news magazine 60 Minutes profiles many of them.

But you do not have to have an attitude toward the death penalty to be drawn to The Thin Blue Line. It is entertaining in and of itself. Errol Morris fans will enjoy experiencing one of his earlier works. It also features what I think is one of the better Philip Glass scores.

If you're looking for violence, sex, car chases, or explosions - stay away, you'll hate this. But if you can handle a movie that is more seductive than explosive, this is for you. The final scene -- where a handheld tape recorder sits on a table and plays part of an interview - will chill you to the bone. It makes me shiver even now, and I'm working from memory, not having seen this movie for 15 years or so.

I've been waiting for this to come out; I even sent e-mail to Morris' website to find out when it would be released. This is a special one.

I am a movie buff from Widener University, who bought this documentary on VHS as an afterthought while buying two other critically acclaimed docs, Streetwise and Gates of Heaven (both given 4 stars by Roger Ebert, who's like a second father to me). Although some people might not like the fact that this VHS version was pan-and-scan, the visual impact of the filmed interviews as well as the soundtrack still shines through. Anyone who wonders why so many people oppose the death penalty should see this film. People who have served jury duty (or are considering it) will also benefit. The Thin Blue Line not only shows how justice can miscarry all too easily, it makes its viewers get to know the interviewees all too well. Errol Morris's reconstructions of the different versions of Officer Wood's murder show up the inconsistencies of the witnesses' testimony so strongly that the real murderer, David Harris (who was only sixteen when he shot Wood)confessed to the crime. Of course by then Harris had nothing further to lose; he was already on Death Row for a subsequent murder. I would be surprised if Roger Ebert didn't raise his rating for this doc from 3 1/2 stars to four and include it in his list of "The Great Movies."

This superb documentary, despite being criticized for its use of fictitious re-creation scenes, provides convincing proof that a Dallas man was wrongly accused of killing a police officer. The accused man, who had been put on death row for 12 years, was eventually freed because of this film. Comprised mainly of interviews of the people involved in the murder case (including, chillingly, the person believed to be the real killer), the film paints a frightening picture of our justice system gone haywire. The dramatic re-creations, complete with film-noir like camera work and music score, to some violate the rules in documentary films, which traditionally contain only 100% documentary footage. Director Errol Morris' response to the criticism was that, "the re-creations are not supposed to depict the truths, but the LIES people have told. I believe David Harris shot the policeman, but the re-creations NEVER show that."

A bit of injustice was served to this film as well, as it was not nominated for a best-documentary oscar.

Going into this film, I had no prior knowledge as to the most recent developments. I went into it expecting a manipulative, anti-cop documentary utilizing fancy storytelling and cinematography. The first half seemed to prove me right. Then we got to the three supposed witnesses. The bleached-blonde woman had mannerisms and expressions to the face that were undoubtedly that of a psychologically abnormal person. I've dealt with several individuals exactly like her and immediately knew she could not be trusted. Then we find out the circumstances surrounding her "testimony", which totally verified this. The African American man, who was in the other car, kept covering his face, while his eyes watered and he looked frightened. Any polygraph expert on the planet would have seen through this behavior even without his equipment. These two also had the telling habit of saying "I like helping the police; I have extra-ordinary memory." If this wasn't enough already, "Doctor Death" gives the accused an under 20 minute pseudoscientific personality evaluation, which is used to conclude he'd kill again. At the same time that was occurring, the very person who originally pointed the finger at him is out conducting armed robbery, attempted rape, and finally homicide, which hilariously he blames on the dead man for defending himself -- a common response from apathetic criminal minds. Morris caps all this off with the perfect ending: ... The fact that this director could so easily fool me early on, then gently change my mind shows just how talented he is. The film stands as damning evidence against Texas and southern "justice".

It is impossible to see this movie and continue to support the death penalty. Innocent people do end up on Death Row, and this is a movie about a Dallas prosecutor who lied to the judge and jury to get a death sentence against an innocent man - and then fought like hell to keep him there. It was only because of the two million dollars spent making this movie that Randall Adams - an innocent man - walks free today.

How many Randall Adams have been executed, in Texas and elsewhere - without anyone putting that amount of resources into researching their case? Everyone who thinks they support the death penalty needs to see this movie.

This incredible film will leave you mortified. The director has taken a complex real story of law enforcement and the courts gone wrong--REALLY wrong-- and made it come absolutely alive. The director is in command of his medium. If you are a student of how to make a spell-binding documentary, this film will deliver a knockout punch!! If you are interested in human nature or the justice system-- another knockout punch!! This film takes both the intellect and the emotions on a ride down one of the dark corridors of real American cultural history.

Errol Morris' documentary works are unique in that one often remembers the story telling and film making techniques employed as much as the subjects being examined. Here, for example, there's a moody Philip Glass score, artful slow-motion dramatizations of witness testimony, and- in what has evolved into a typical Morris trademark- inserts of props and old movie clips to underscore what interview subjects are saying. In one scene, for instance, we see a haunting image of a swinging watch on the end of a chain when one of the subjects discusses how the female police officer on the scene was ultimately hypnotized to help her recall details of the crime. To his credit, however, Mr. Morris never quite lets his showmanship, as memorable as it can often be, upstage the subject at hand. As a result, "The Thin Blue Line" ultimately resulted in an innocent man being set free.

Unfortunately, viewers won't learn that fact from this DVD, which includes just the movie and no further information about the wheels that were set in motion after the film was released. The only "extra" here is a 27-minute episode of Mr. Morris' "First Person" TV interview program, which features an interview with a man who is an expert on "extreme evil". The interview subject spends the show enthusiastically talking about lovely folks like the Boston Strangler and Hitler, then- in the best moment of the show- suddenly gets tongue tied and is at a loss for words when Morris asks him, "Now, what do you think there is about you that makes you so interested in heinous crimes and truly evil acts?" It's a hoot.

In any event, the TV episode is an interesting little addition to the DVD, and it does tie in somewhat to the theme of "The Thin Blue Line", but I would have preferred some specific, after-the-fact information about the movie itself rather than a sample of Mr. Morris' TV show.

Still, aficionados of true-crime stories and documentary film making shouldn't hesitate to pick up this DVD. More than fifteen years after the fact (yes, it's already been that long since this movie was in theaters), "The Thin Blue Line" remains powerful and engrossing, making you truly care about both the specific case in question and the larger criminal justice issues the case illuminates.

Errol Morris is one of the few filmmakers who allows real people to speak their voices. One can tell when seeing his documentaries that the people speaking are talking from their hearts and minds, and not reading a screenplay or Q-card. In his movies, one can sense a level of rawness not found from other filmmakers. In 'The Thin Blue Line', Morris tries to aquit an innocent man of murdering a police officer.
The story is told in a breath-taking fashion, with Morris going back to the scene of the crime and telling it from as many viewpoints as possible. When doing this, he also exposes the manipulative nature of people, showing how they will go to great lenghts to save themselves and make a quick dollar. The subject matter might bore some people after a while, but the last interview with the real killler at the end of the film is simply haunting and unforgettable.

Innocence and guilt are two opposite facets in regards to the consequences of an individual's actions in a specific incident. Usually, guilt and innocence are related to the justice system in the United States and the rest of the world. In the best interest of society this concept should be balanced fairly and justly without any consideration of human emotion or concern, or it could have a dire aftermath for people. The familiar blindfolded statue in the courts throughout the United States that holds a scale in one hand and a sword in the other symbolically demonstrates the fair blindness of true justice. Nonetheless, there are people who end up behind bars while society points them out as guilty despite innocence. The Thin Blue Line tells such a tale of a true incident where justice was put aside and a human decision was based on personal feelings while gains took precedence.

The documentary opens with a couple of shots of Dallas, Texas, where Randall Adams discloses why he came to town. This is also followed by David Harris providing the reason of how and why he came to Dallas as a sixteen year old. Both of them disclose how they met, which seems to be the only version that seems genuine in regards to the beginning of a dreadful police murder. The story goes into great detail to provide the contrasting elements, as Adams tells his version and the police officers on the case reveal their facts. In addition, Harris's version offers the audience a third and slightly different narration of the account of the police murder. Their stories are cleverly incorporated with a reenactment of the crime scene where Adams supposedly shot the police officer.

All of the interviews in the documentary are provided through first person monologues where individual's various importance disclose their connection with the case. These people are suspects, witnesses, judges, police officers, and lawyers. The audience can quietly sit and watch their reactions and facial expressions while they give their testimony. It is an intriguing approach, as Morris lets the audience use the same manipulation of facts by reading meaningless stimuli such as facial expressions and voices regardless of Adams innocence or guilty. Even one of the police officers points out Adams' emotionally blasé behavior in regards to the murder and suggests that he was guilty due to his lack of remorse. Later in the documentary, Adams' defense lawyer points out that an innocent would not show any remorse, because they have nothing to feel sorry about. Thus, in an intelligent way Morris turns the tables on the audience by using first person interviews with the camera.

There is a thorough investigation of what would the state gains to give the ruling guilty to Adams. There are several intriguing facts that are revealed such as the merciless prosecutor Douglas Moulder who has never lost a case, the competitive nature of a judge stating he won against the supreme court, and "the Killer Shrinks." There is also the questioning of the validity of testimonies provided at the court while the defense lawyer has been portrayed as an Eastern educated liberalist to a high seat of the Ku Klux Klan. This is not to mention Davis' criminal background and the reason he was in Dallas. It is a sad mess of injustice that emerges when viewing this film, however, hopefully this film could function as a tool to improve the legal system of this nation.

In an interview with judge Don Metcalfe, he restates how the the final argument by Douglas Moulder emotionally affected him, which stated, "the thin blue line of the police that separated the public from anarchy." It is with a grave sense of irony that this judge makes this statement, as he crossed the line when he heard it. The blind objectivity of justice seems to have heavily leaned on subjective reasoning for a large number of reasons, and it seems like Adams has been caught between personal desires and the legal system. Errol Morris does a fascinating job of directing this film where he captures human subjectivity at the core of humanity and its dire aftermath, which will linger within the viewer for many years to come.