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
Classification
Original Language Release Year 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.
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Also in Language Atlas: the original language of this subject.
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Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundationen.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.
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 2001Quote, National Film Registry listing row: film released 1988, inducted 2001
The Thin Blue Line 1988 2001
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