Documentary Movie Reviews

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The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Rate: 4
Viewed: 3/15

ThBl
3/15: Let's get this out of the way to understand what happened: one year after The Thin Blue Line was released, Randall Dale Adams was set free due to a series of technical errors during the trial after his case was reviewed.

In all probability, David Harris shot Robert Wood, a Dallas police officer, during a routine traffic stop on November 27, 1976. Sitting on death row for eighteen years for an unrelated murder, he was executed in 2004. Although free, Adams lived six years longer than him.

Since the propaganda piece called Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills left my head shaking, I've been leery of falling into the same trap again because the problem is: I'm not in possession of all facts of the case. Only members of the jury have them, and they're the only ones who can make an informed decision.

The artful skill of editing can move somebody into thinking in a certain way by giving support to one side. If there's a documentary that's all in for the convicted killer's case of innocence, it can be countered by another documentary that makes an equally compelling case of his guilt; the race is then on in terms of who makes a better case based on how well the film is made. Well, that's just wrong; it's what courts are for.

Again, I don't have all facts of the case, so I'll refrain from making a comment about it. Hence, I'm going to shift my attention toward the technicalities of The Thin Blue Line. It's one of the worst documentaries I've ever seen. However many re-enactments of the crime are shown, it's never been so confusing and incoherent. At first, I see the police officer walking toward the blue car during a routine traffic stop before being shot; hence, I'm left with the impression that's exactly what happened.

Yet there's another re-enactment, presenting new information that shows a car driving past the spot of the eventual murder. Okay, I have to change the picture mentally of how it went down. Then later, there's another re-enactment, showing a second car driving past. Oh, my goodness gracious! Can Errol Morris just fucking show one and only one re-enactment of the crime from start to finish for the sake of completeness?

It's amusing to see the minutiae details to be inconsistent with the actual facts of the case. When the milkshake was thrown in the air and it was strawberry flavor, the police report said it was chocolate. One of the interviewees mentioned it came from Whataburger, yet it's Burger King in the re-enactment. None of the two cops in the re-enacted scene of crime looks anywhere near the likenesses of Robert Wood and Teresa Turko.

The most infuriating part is Robert Wood was briefly mentioned as the slain cop. There are no more details about him thereafter. It must have felt like a huge slap to the face for his family, especially when David Harris' childhood pictures were shown. Let's not forget Robert Wood died in the line of duty as service to his community.

Inappropriate are the shots, which are usually done in close-up, of an ashtray, a timepiece, a milkshake, a siren, etc. For a documentary about murder, you just don't make a mockery out of it by taking the MTV-style route. Meanwhile, none of the interviewees is labeled; it's hard to know who they are which is like watching a parade of nameless characters who happen to have some information about the case.

All in all, most murder cases are straightforward which can be summarized in thirty minutes or less, but the story told in The Thin Blue Line is too stretched out, incomprehensible, chronically out of place, repetitive, and full of technical annoyances.

The following link is the best explanation of the case: The Longest Ride of His Life.