Watch The Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix
Written by: Aaron Sorkin (screenplay)
Directed by: Aaron Sorkin
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Frank Langella, Michael Keaton
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
The story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding their protest of the Vietnam War at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Verdict
It's worth watching for the history alone. The movie is about a wild trial, but the entertainment is that this trial actually occurred, not just what's happening on screen. With so many characters, there isn't enough time to develop them, but the characters are just bit players in the circus of a trial. Those in power control the narrative, and while this happened in 1968, that message is still relevant.
Watch it.
Review
Sorkin wrote this movie in 2007, with the script bouncing around Hollywood through different directors until Sorkin got the job. This is the second movie he's directed after Molly's Game.
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| Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Sacha Baron Cohen play Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Abbie Hoffman |
It's a great cast, but this movie is about more than any one performance. The movie highlights that this crazy trial even happened. Much of the dialog and events in the movie come directly from court transcripts. While Sorkin is known for his dialog, and this is a dialog heavy movie, it doesn't feel like a Sorkin movie in the same way that The Social Network does. This doesn't have the time to develop characters.
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| Frank Langella plays Judge Julius Hoffman. |
Sorkin lifted from the court transcripts for the trial dialog. Per Wikipedia if anything, the actual case was even worse than depicted. It's President Nixon trying to silence protestors, and a judge that has the power to do whatever he wants. He interrupts the prosecutor during the opening arguments. If you didn't know what this would be, the judge's rambling introducing clarifies.
Judge Hoffman issued numerous contempt of court charges to the defendants and their lawyer, adding as much as four years to their sentences. Hoffman is clearly on the prosecution's side and serves as a physical villain, though the real antagonist is the President's assault on free speech. The problem is that the trial is rigged.
The trial is a miscarriage of justice, and that's the point. It still happened. despite the freedom of speech amendment, despite safeguards, it still happened. Reporters, court appointees, jurors, and witnesses, watched it happen.While the federal prosecutor Schultz doesn't like what's happening, he's pressured from his bosses to get it done. Schultz reaches his breaking point when a defendant, who isn't permitted a lawyer, is bound and gagged during the trial.
Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) is hilarious and you can't blame him, what else would you do but laugh? He's the most developed character and he sees the trial as a way to get press for his cause while indulging in his antics. He dresses up in judge's robes, and he is quick to interject during the trial.
All of the characters represent different types. Hayden represents the determined college student wanting to do the trial by the letter and be acquitted. Dellinger has a family, but we don't know much about him or the defendants other than they oppose the Vietnam War. This movie nudges you to find out more about what happened. I remained astonished that this trial happened, but I never thought, 'What a great movie.'
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