"The Thin Blue Line" is a documentary film directed by Errol Morris that uses the method of reproducing reality to restore the truth. This film was released in 1988, and its appearance marked the birth of the "new documentary film".
The new documentary film advocates the use of "new fiction" to express life scenes, which is contrary to the concept of direct film that advocates discovering the truth in a passive state. Through interviews with characters, the film then reproduces according to their narrative scenarios, simulates and reshapes the situation at that time, and uses multiple "truths" to arouse audiences' thinking about "truths". This method of expression enriches the details of the documentary, deepens the audience's memory visually and auditorily, and attracts the audience to devote more interest to the film.
The documentary "Thin Blue Line" is relatively clear in terms of editing. At the beginning of the film, the two protagonists describe the interviews of different incidents at the same crime scene, alternately inserting recurring fragments that simulate the scenes they said, until Adams was arrested. Arrest, investigate the details of the case, and judge Adams as a criminal based on the witness testimony of David and the gas station couple. Later, David was sentenced to death in the murder case. His previous history of various thefts and robberies was discovered. Adams confessed as his scapegoat, step by step clarifying the fact that Adams was wrongly convicted. The ending ends with the tape of David's last interview, reminding people that what they see may not be true. Under the superficial authority and justice, the judges and lawyers threatened Adams to confess, only to add a triumphant hypocrisy to his ever-successful official career.
The environment and color layout of the entire film have also been carefully considered. Beginning with the city of Dallas at night, it sets the tone of darkness and silence for the entire film. When recreating the scene of Adams being arrested and being trained by a police officer, the ashtray with many cigarette butts piled up, the clock on the wall spent a few hours, the police officer's pacing back and forth... These close-up shots are fully created. A tense, depressed atmosphere.
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