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Last night I decided to watch Errol Morris’s 1988 participatory documentary The Thin Blue Line. The story revolved around the shooting of a police officer in Dallas Texas in 1972 and puts forward an argument that the wrong man was committed for said crime. The cinematography utilised heavily stylised images, such as the above shadow that lent the reconstructions the tone and mood of a film noir fictional thriller. Footage of official documents was also included, filmed in close ups on key written lines and paragraphs that removed any sense of official status such as institutional headers and signatures. Philip Glass’s brooding orchestral score, playing out over the interviews and reconstructions, combined the fictional and nonfictional footage into one tonal whole, further adding to the overall style of the film. Ultimately I don’t think I would like to pursue this style of documentary for my own project. I found The Thin Blue Line to be a bit dry overall, maybe due to over exposure to films and TV shows of a similar nature down the years. How ever it was quite effective at putting the perceived miscarriage of justice across to the viewer in a definitive way and very effective at blurring the lines between fact and fiction in such a visually stylish way that it didn’t cause me to question the validity of the facts being presented. By the end of the film I came to believe that the wrong man had been sentenced. This documentary, directed by Matthew Reed, left a very big impression on me and ended up being one of my personal highlights of this year’s Encounters short film festival. I have always been very compelled by documentaries that feature unique personalities that do not consider themselves to fit into and feel uncomfortable in society as a whole. I found the fragility of the twins and their self-imposed exile to be heart wrenching yet their bond and dedication to one another to be uplifting and life affirming. The lo-fi, experimental pop music that the twin’s created under the name of From Nursery To Misery that features in the documentary made for a perfect soundtrack to these haunted, eccentric and creative personalities. |
AuthorMy name is Clay Sandford and I am currently studying an FDA in Film and Media Production at University Centre Weston. I have a keen interest in directing, cinematography and camera operating. ArchivesCategories |