Landmark Work

The Thin Blue Line

Documentary and Nonfiction Film

The Thin Blue Line is a 1988 American documentary directed by Errol Morris examining the 1976 murder of a Dallas police officer and the wrongful conviction of Randall Dale Adams, a man with no direct connection to the crime, based largely on the account of another man who was later shown to have likely committed it. Morris's investigation, presented through stylized re-enactments and extended interviews rather than a conventional documentary narration, uncovered evidence suggesting that several witnesses had committed perjury during the original trial. Publicity generated by the film contributed directly to Adams's conviction being overturned and to his release in 1989 after twelve years in prison, making The Thin Blue Line one of the clearest examples of a documentary film producing a concrete real-world legal outcome.

Facts
Release Year
1988 1
Country
United States 1
Genre
Documentary 3
Classification
Original Language
English 1
Award
National Film Registry 2
FAQs

When did The Thin Blue Line enter the National Film Registry?

It was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2001.

The Thin Blue Line was inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2001. The Library's complete registry listing gives the film as released in 1988 and inducted in 2001, thirteen years after its release.
Connections

Created By

Errol Morris, Figures
Source The Thin Blue Line (1988 film) (Wikipedia)

In Medium

Film, Media Forms
Source The Thin Blue Line (1988 film) (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Original Language

Also in Language Atlas: the original language of this subject.

Originated In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationThe Thin Blue Line, Description, original language
Quote, The Thin Blue Line, Description, original language
The Thin Blue Line is a 1988 American documentary directed by Errol Morris examining the 1976 murder of a Dallas police officer and the wrongful conviction of Randall Dale Adams, a man with no direct connection to the crime, based largely on the account of another man who was later shown to have likely committed it.
View the Source
2. Library of Congress, National Film Preservation Board: Complete National Film Registry Listing
Library of Congress, National Film Preservation BoardNational Film Registry listing row: film released 1988, inducted 2001
Quote, National Film Registry listing row: film released 1988, inducted 2001
The Thin Blue Line 1988 2001
View the Source
3. The Thin Blue Line (1988 film) (Wikipedia)
  • Lead paragraph, genre
    The Thin Blue Line is a 1988 American documentary film by Errol Morris, about the trial and conviction of Randall Dale Adams for the 1976 shooting of Dallas police officer Robert W.
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_Blue_Line_(1988_film), opening sentence
    The Thin Blue Line is a 1988 American documentary film by Errol Morris, about the trial and conviction of Randall Dale Adams for the 1976 shooting of Dallas police officer Robert W. Wood.
  • Created By: Errol Morris, Infobox: director
    Errol Morris
  • In Medium: Film, Lead
    The Thin Blue Line is a 1988 American documentary film by Errol Morris, about the trial and conviction of Randall Dale Adams for the 1976 shooting of Dallas police officer Robert W.
View the Source
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