REFLECTIONS OF THE THIN BLUE LINE: THE POLICE IN MOVIES

Since the beginning of moviemaking, compelling stories about law enforcement, from street cops on patrol to determined detectives on the hunt, have long endured.  Classic films such as Detective Story (1951), In the Heat of the Night (1967), The French Connection (1971), and others have depicted figures of law enforcement with both vibrant colors and ambiguous shade.  Many films like The Naked City (1948) and Fargo (1997) have portrayed the police in an unmistakably heroic light, protecting and serving the public with selflessness and dogged determination, while others such as DIRTY HARRY (1971) and New Jack City (1991), can be considered critiques of how police authority is expressed in public and in the back rooms of power.  Stories about law enforcement have inspired admiration and gratitude, as well as fear and outrage, reflecting larger cultural conversations of their eras.  Join this distinguished panel for an illuminating and frank discussion on how the movies have shaped our perceptions and opinions of these ubiquitous figures in society.