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In 1968, eight anti-Vietnam War activists were arrested for allegedly starting a riot during the Democratic National Convention. Their trial was marred from the beginning by bias, unethical behavior, discrimination, and racism, primarily at the hands of Judge Julius Hoffman. That is part of the reason why one of the accused, Abbie Hoffman (no relation to the judge), argues the above.
The Trial of the Chicago 7, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, more or less drops us as the trial begins with little knowledge of how or why the riot began, which kinda puts us in the role of the "jury". As the trial unfolds, little snippets are revealed and we get to know the motivations of the characters; most notably Abbie (Sacha Baron Cohen), from the "Yippies" and Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), from the Students for a Democratic Society, who frequently clash as far as their methods go.
I'll say that there are many worthy aspects to this film, but if I had to give one kudos, I would probably give it to the character of Judge Julius Hoffman. From the portrayal by Frank Langella to Sorkin's dialogue, everything contributes to create a truly despicable character and an air of anger, not only against him but against the system. This is worsened by reading real accounts of Hoffman's career and how he led the case. Like Abbie said, it's not what they did, but who they are.
Up until that point, I would've given this a 4.5, maybe even a 5. Unfortunately, Sorkin drops the ball a bit in the last act with many climatic encounters, exchanges, and face-offs feeling more fabricated, and some directorial choices feeling too manipulative and even cringey. But I gotta give him kudos for a stellar first two acts.
Grade:
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
(2020, Sorkin)
A film with the number 7 (Seven, Seventh, etc.) in its title
(2020, Sorkin)
A film with the number 7 (Seven, Seventh, etc.) in its title
"We're not goin' to jail because of what we did, we're goin' to jail because of who we are!"
In 1968, eight anti-Vietnam War activists were arrested for allegedly starting a riot during the Democratic National Convention. Their trial was marred from the beginning by bias, unethical behavior, discrimination, and racism, primarily at the hands of Judge Julius Hoffman. That is part of the reason why one of the accused, Abbie Hoffman (no relation to the judge), argues the above.
The Trial of the Chicago 7, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, more or less drops us as the trial begins with little knowledge of how or why the riot began, which kinda puts us in the role of the "jury". As the trial unfolds, little snippets are revealed and we get to know the motivations of the characters; most notably Abbie (Sacha Baron Cohen), from the "Yippies" and Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), from the Students for a Democratic Society, who frequently clash as far as their methods go.
I'll say that there are many worthy aspects to this film, but if I had to give one kudos, I would probably give it to the character of Judge Julius Hoffman. From the portrayal by Frank Langella to Sorkin's dialogue, everything contributes to create a truly despicable character and an air of anger, not only against him but against the system. This is worsened by reading real accounts of Hoffman's career and how he led the case. Like Abbie said, it's not what they did, but who they are.
WARNING: spoilers below
Now, in case you're wondering, why is it called "The Trial of the Chicago 7", when I just said that eight people were arrested? Well, that's because Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), chairman of the Black Panthers, was among the arrested only to have his case declared a mistrial in the middle of it all. The circumstances by which this happens, which have to do with Judge Hoffman, were IMO the peak of the film.
I can't deal with injustice and racism, particularly when it's systemic or borne out of inequality and power. Which is why I had a particularly harsh and emotionally violent reaction to this scene. I mean, I got physically angry as everything transpired, and just when I sought the balm of the "this is a fictionalized account" statement, I hit the wall with the fact that things were actually worse in real life than what we saw.
Now, in case you're wondering, why is it called "The Trial of the Chicago 7", when I just said that eight people were arrested? Well, that's because Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), chairman of the Black Panthers, was among the arrested only to have his case declared a mistrial in the middle of it all. The circumstances by which this happens, which have to do with Judge Hoffman, were IMO the peak of the film.
I can't deal with injustice and racism, particularly when it's systemic or borne out of inequality and power. Which is why I had a particularly harsh and emotionally violent reaction to this scene. I mean, I got physically angry as everything transpired, and just when I sought the balm of the "this is a fictionalized account" statement, I hit the wall with the fact that things were actually worse in real life than what we saw.
Up until that point, I would've given this a 4.5, maybe even a 5. Unfortunately, Sorkin drops the ball a bit in the last act with many climatic encounters, exchanges, and face-offs feeling more fabricated, and some directorial choices feeling too manipulative and even cringey. But I gotta give him kudos for a stellar first two acts.
Grade: