Convergence of high-style and low-style cinematography
The Thin Blue Line vs.America's Most Wanted


The Thin Blue Line is a documentary by Errol Morris. It describes the shooting of a police officer in Dallas, TX. Morris tells the story through interviews of key people who were involved with the case. He also often uses shots of newspapers and photographs of evidence to emphasize what the people are talking about in their interviews. To make up for a lack of footage, there are re-enactments of crime and interrogation using actors. The crime scene re-enactment is shown at least 12 times, and the interrogation at least 4. Morris also uses music in his documentary to create moods of suspense.
America's Most Wanted is presented in a manner reminiscent to that of The Thin Blue Line There are also shots of potential crime scenes, interviews, and photographs. However, America's Most Wanted has a much more rushed feeing to it. While Errol Morris takes time to present his story, often showing several minutes worth of interviews, America's Most Wanted changes from scene to scene quickly.
However, there is a distinct difference between The Thin Blue Line, which is a full-length movie, and America's Most Wanted, a syndicated TV series. The TV audience has a shorter time span. The show is constantly distracted by commercials, and the viewer is at home, where they are more susceptible to distractions as well. The Thin Blue Line, which was made for the big screen, has almost two full hours of purely story. The viewer sits in a theatre, surrounded by darkness, doing nothing but watching the story unfold. The methods of story telling used in The Thin Blue Line have become present in almost all modern TV crime shows. While these shows may not be as sophisticated as Morris's documentary, they are greatly influenced by his cinematographic techniques.