LAW AND ORDER Cinema's Legacy

Throughout an unparalleled and remarkable career that spans more than 50 years, filmmaker Frederick Wiseman has set a benchmark for innovative and distinctive storytelling that is without peer. By the end of the 1960s, Wiseman’s now classic cinematic explorations of American institutions, including TITICUT FOLLIES (1967) and HIGH SCHOOL (1968), were well under way. Celebrating the 50th anniversary broadcast of Frederick Wiseman’s LAW AND ORDER (1969) on public television, AFI DOCS’ Cinema Legacy program re-visits one particularly timely and resonant work from this defining period.

For this film, Wiseman immersed himself in the day-to-day activities of the Kansas City Police Department, including training, management, and interactions with the community. By giving us privileged access to this world, filtered through his distinctive cinematic eye and masterful editing, Wiseman not only creates an engaging film but performs a valuable civic function. As relevant today as it was 50 years ago, LAW AND ORDER is quintessential Frederick Wiseman, a valuable document of a specific time and place, but a compelling work of art that speaks to us across the ages.