1988 documentary
Rating: 16/20
Plot: A look at the murder of a police officer in Texas and whether or not the man in jail is actually the one who committed the crime.
Burger King product placement made me laugh as I was supposed to be focusing on how the "wheels of justice" are capable of doing a lot of harm. There's a lot that is haunting about this Errol Morris look at the story of Randall Dale Adams, a drifter who was accused and convicted of a murder he didn't commit. Knowing that the whole thing has a semi-happy ending with this documentary playing a part in the discovery that Adams was indeed innocent makes it a little easier to watch, but here's a guy who lost 11+ years of his life, prime years when he could have gotten all kinds of women with that bushy hair and mustache combination that he had going on. Most chilling might be a tape recording played right before the closing credits. The crime is also shown from various angles in these artsy reenactments. I didn't know how to feel about them at first, but that slow-motion flight of a Burger King cup with a chocolate milkshake convinced me that I was watching something great. Also chilling were these words--"It takes a great prosecutor to convict an innocent man."
I'll tell you what really threw me off here. In the interview segments with Adams, I couldn't help hearing Nicolas Cage. He has a very similar cadence or rhythm to his voice as Cage.
Loved the score, a very typical Philip Glass thing that fit perfectly.
I wonder what Werner Herzog had to eat after Errol Morris completed this documentary. My guess--a Burger King chocolate milkshake.
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