Review of The Thin Blue Line (1988) by David D — 14 Jun 2007

Stunning. Errol Morris accomplishes two amazing feats in this documentary: he basically pioneers the whole concept of the dramatic re-enactment (later perfected by "Unsolved Mysteries"), and he gets a whole spectrum of people to open up and make unsettlingly revealing comments about themselves and the unfolding situation. And without the use of sodium pentathol.

Another achievement in all this was its effect on the case it examines; his prying into the case led to its later being overturned. But that's sort of unimportant as you're actually watching the film, getting drawn into the story, and trying to piece the mystery together and critically evaluate everything the people are saying. It's dramatic, and it's engaging, and it stands the tests of both time and multiple viewings.