The Trial of The Chicago 7

"I think the institutions of our government are wonderful things....that right now are populated by some terrible people." Abbie Hoffman, 1969, speaking words that hit pretty hard in 2020.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is one of those films you'll need to do a bit of research on before you watch it. Writer/director Aaron Sorkin gives us the broad strokes during the film but to get the most out of it a wee trip online might be required, both to get the backstory of the events depicted and to learn a bit about the odd eccentricities of the US legal system. Just 10 minutes on wikipedia and you'll be sorted. The downside is you'll then realise that much has been changed to service the flow of the film instead of telling the actual story.

In August of 1968 the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago with the intention of choosing a presidential nominee to run for the party. '68 was a torrid time in America. Martin Luther King jr had been assassinated in April. Riots in 100 cities then ensued. Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down in June. The draft for the Vietnam war was in full flow and the late 60's counterculture and a growing anti war movement was changing the mindset of young people nationwide. They were sick of the governing classes and swarmed to Chicago to protest at the DNC. Hippies ( Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman), student activists (Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner), members of the Black Panther party (Bobby Seale) and pacifists who were just plain sick of it all (David Dellinger) came together, some preaching non violent action and others deciding force was necessary if used against them. Inevitably it all kicked off and this film is the story if the people blamed for starting all the trouble. Yes, there are 8 mentioned. I know.

This has Aaron Sorkin written all over it. Rousing speeches, compelling conversations, many overlapping at once, a couple of perfectly polished killer one liners, the kind you could imagine flying between previous Sorkin characters like Josh and Toby from the West Wing. It's fun, in places it's a blast courtesy of Jeremy Strong's Jerry Rubin and Sacha Baron-Cohen's Abbie Hoffman, but as a history lesson it feels lacking especially for any audience going into the story cold. Months of the trial are skipped over. 3 of the 7 are barely given any screen time, the circumstances behind Bobby Seale's (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) involvement are left vague and his timeline in the trial is confusingly muddled, important witnesses with trial altering evidence are introduced late in the day like real life deus ex machina plot points. Things like this leave the film feeling a bit messy.

But one thing I loved was the film's bluntness. In 2020 there's no time for subtle barbs anymore. Taking the higher ground is pointless. Here the government and the cops are most definitely the enemy as they still are. In 1969 as in 2020 Black men are still seen as the boogeyman by the establishment, witness Seale's horrifying courtroom treatment just for having the temerity to open his mouth. Pointed dialogue such the lines in the first paragraph above are thrown around nonstop and the films strongest theme of all is the suggestion that unless the left can put aside it's many differences and come together then nothing will ever change. The eight (7 white men, 1 black, notably separated from the others) on trial all want the same thing but infighting and differing ideology threatens to rip them apart many times. Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), the man accused of actually kicking off the riot, is accused by the others of being too respectful to the court. It was happening in 1969 and its still happening right now on twitter. If you aren't with me on everything, you are against me.

A great cast breathes life into what could be a croaky old courtroom drama too. Strong's Rubin gives the film it's most likable central character, Cohen makes us understand why so many looked up to Hoffman as a leader, Abdul-Mateen II's Seale smoulders with righteous anger and Redmayne is solid as a decent man trying to please everyone. Frank Langella, now in his 82 year plays Judge Hoffman (no relation to Abbie) with a power that will remind you of the scariest characters of his career and Joseph Gordon-Levitt does fine work as a prosecutor who know, in his heart that he's on the wrong side of history. The strength of the performances here help paper over the films other shortcomings.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is showing in Omniplex cinemas but if like many others this pandemic has you wary then you won't have to wait long as it's going to be coming to Netflix later this month.