The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Dan S

  
  A disturbing look at a judicial system infected with chaos and corruption, specifically in the true story of an innocent man named Randall Adams who is sentenced to life in prison for a murder he did not commit. Instead of feeling the need to put his own stamp on the story, director… More
  A disturbing look at a judicial system infected with chaos and corruption, specifically in the true story of an innocent man named Randall Adams who is sentenced to life in prison for a murder he did not commit. Instead of feeling the need to put his own stamp on the story, director Errol Morris, like he did in "Gates of Heaven", elects to let the people tell the whole story. The result is a detached though interesting case of a good man who got caught in the wrong spot at the wrong time. The negligence by the Dallas County Police is nothing short of repulsive, as they continually ignore the facts of the man they should be going after, instead looking for a quick fix find to nab someone so that they can find closure for the murder of one of their own policeman. It feels longer than it is at 100 minutes, and I would have liked some sort of way to feel more attached and emotionally invested to the story, but I still found myself interested and wanting to see Adams let go. It did not happen when this film came out originally, but the influence of this movie was so great that it prompted the case to be re-opened, and Adams was released in 1989. In addition to providing a saddening story about a chunk of a man's life ruined by a lazy judicial system, this movie also serves as a testament to the power and influence film can have on our society. It can free a man from prison.

• AJ V

  
  A very slow calculated documentary that goes over and over a crime as if the audience are the investigators. I found it really repetitive, but some people may like that, so I'll say it's so-so.

• familiar s

  
  While this documentary enlightened about the miscarriage of justice, it is executed in such a way that you don't get too involved in it. I liked 'Dear Zachary' as that documentary was interesting thoroughly. Mind it that 'Dear Zachary' was also a documentary… More
  While this documentary enlightened about the miscarriage of justice, it is executed in such a way that you don't get too involved in it. I liked 'Dear Zachary' as that documentary was interesting thoroughly. Mind it that 'Dear Zachary' was also a documentary & not a docudrama like 'In The Name Of The Father' (one of my favorites), 'Let Him Have It', 'The Onion Field', etc.

• Curtis L

  
  This movie is cool because after it was made, the accused man in the documentary was found innocent due to this film. Errol Morris is my son. However, it's not something you end up watching over and over.

• Stephen E

  
  "The Thin Blue Line" is an absolutely riveting piece of documentary filmmaking, touching on issues both moral and within the justice system. Morris conducts a series of interviews with people involved in the case, gradually bringing more depth to the two main suspects,… More
  "The Thin Blue Line" is an absolutely riveting piece of documentary filmmaking, touching on issues both moral and within the justice system. Morris conducts a series of interviews with people involved in the case, gradually bringing more depth to the two main suspects, Randall James and David Harris, and shows us the facts of what actually happened. In the end, we know who committed the crime, but we almost feel sorry for him. We learn about instances in his past that may have made him this way. With "The Thin Blue Line", Morris is undoubtedly trying to show us the mistakes that can be made in a court of law, but he is also showing us the life of David Harris, a murderer, and what it was that drove him to a life of crime. The result is a splendid documentary that was so provocative and powerful that it caused for the innocent, Randall James, to be released from prison. Add in a magnificent score by Philip Glass and you've got one of the best documentaries ever made.

• Kit X

  
  Although it is understandable that many may dismiss this as a formulaic 'talking head' documentary, this film is one of the best of its ilk. The noir style re-enactments illustrate the vagueness of witness accounts appropriately and complement the tone perfectly. This film… More
  Although it is understandable that many may dismiss this as a formulaic 'talking head' documentary, this film is one of the best of its ilk. The noir style re-enactments illustrate the vagueness of witness accounts appropriately and complement the tone perfectly. This film is testament to Morris? directorial finesse. Morris' exceptional technique results in a well paced film that is equally engaging whether or not you are familiar with the background of the case. The Thin Blue Line is a great film.

• Patrick D

  
  I haven't seen all of it. I missed the last 20mins, but it's a pretty decent crime documentary. Being a fan of show like American Justice and the like it felt like a feature length version of those shows and I really enjoyed that.

• Buddy A

  
  One of the most interesting documentaries I have seen. Morris has created what is essentially a non-fiction "film noir" that plays exceptionally well, in no small part because it's a real-world case. The usual interviews are here (sans narration, a brilliant move), and… More
  One of the most interesting documentaries I have seen. Morris has created what is essentially a non-fiction "film noir" that plays exceptionally well, in no small part because it's a real-world case. The usual interviews are here (sans narration, a brilliant move), and Phillip Glass' wonderful minimalist score adds greatly to the mood and drama of the enfolding story, but the technique that really grabs your attention is the use of reenactments that change depending upon whose point of view is being presented. Morris' background as a detective is very evident in this excellent work, and it serves him well. A must-see documentary, even if only for the fact that it's one of the few that ever truly resulted in real-world action (its subject was freed from prison and was never re-tried due to the massive reasonable doubt this film presented). Highly recommended.

• Christopher B

  
  Morris cemented his place as one of the greatest documentarians of all time with this amazing work that actually got a man freed from prison. Must see.

• Tom S

  
  Amazing. People need to see this. Errol Morris is a genius.

• Wu C

  
  So good that it freed an innocent man from prison. Legendary doc.

Read all 11 featured audience ratings