The Errol Morris DVD Collection
(Gates of Heaven/Vernon, Florida/The Thin Blue Line)
(MGM Region 1 NTSC DVD)
(1980/1981/1988)
review by Head Cheeze

After finally winning an Oscar for his superlative examination of modern warfare, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, Errol Morris was finally rewarded for more than two decades worth of some of the finest examples of documentary filmmaking ever committed to film. His works have been highly regarded in critic's circles for years, often topping year end "Best of" lists, with three of his films in particular considered to be amongst the best documentaries of all time. These three films, Gates of Heaven, Vernon, Florida, and The Thin Blue Line have now been released on DVD.

1980's Gates of Heaven examines the world of pet cemetaries, and the people who pay thousands of dollars (back then!) to bury their beloved companions within their confines. Morris unobtrusively focuses on two places; a successful family-run cemetary, and a burgeoning business run by a parapalegic who still pines for his beloved Collie. We also meet the people who have pets buried in such places and, while the majority are a tad eccentric, it's touching and often amusing stuff. This film is filled with characters who will stay with you for the rest of your life, and, while on the surface this film is about animal cemetaries, this is very much a meditation on the very human side of death and dying.

Vernon, Florida introduces us to a small town known as "Stump City", where everyone has a story, and, believe me, they are more than willing to share it. Morris spent a year interviewing the colourful denizens of Vernon, and they offer up some truly fascinating and entertaining tales. This is a very different sort of documentary in that the subject isn't the town or its history, just the life experiences of the people who inhabit it. Just as in Gates of Heaven, Morris is never seen or heard, but his "voice" comes through in the way he painstakingly edits the film together, creating a poignant and fascinating little film.

Perhaps best known for the fact that it helped set an innocent man free, Morris' 1988 documentary, The Thin Blue Line focuses on the case of a murdered Dallas police officer, the man who was charged with the crime, and the guilty psychopath who walked away from it unscathed. This is a punishing drama that ruffled some feathers in it's day, as it exposes the holes in the American legal system. Morris teams up with experimental composer, Philip Glass, and the results are hynpnotic, horrific, and, ultimately, infuriating. It's a fantastic work, and easily the best of its kind.

All three films are available as a part of the Errol Morris DVD Collection, or can be purchased individually. The only extra to speak of is a short film included on the Thin Blue Line disc, but the notoriously shy Morris isn't the type to grant many interviews, nor would I think he'd talk over films he chose not to narrate in the first place. What you see is what you get, and for fans of documentary filmmaking, you get nothing but the best. An essential addition to any collection.