Illuminating truths of history aren’t always entertaining to watch, but that’s one of the many brilliantly tough combinations in the new epic biography drama The Trial of the Chicago 7. Funny, brazing, well-researched and commanding in its message, it’s one of the best movies of the year.
Great courtroom dramas have defined tentpole moments in cinematic history, ranging from Twelve Angry Men to A Few Good Men and everything in between. Make no mistake: this is the next among the greats.
In August 1968, anti-war and Democrat counterculturist protestors in Chicago were subject to the attacks of riot police at the ’68 Democratic National Convention. After a federal investigation concluded the police started the riots, President Nixon’s new attorney general John Mitchell reopened the case in 1969 and sought prosecution against a group of protest leaders for inciting the riot instead.
These leaders of different groups became known as the Chicago 7, and the film chronicles their lengthy 1969 trial process and a look into what actually happened in the summer of 1968.
Aaron Sorkin is a veteran screenwriter and new director (this is his second time in the director’s chair after 2017’s Molly’s Game) is making a compelling argument that American justice is exclusively about politics today, just as this trial was 50 years ago.
By far the film’s best selling point is the dynamite cast. There isn’t one member among the 15 named stars or the dozen or so cameo parts that isn’t at the top of their game.
The two biggest standouts are Sacha Baron Cohen’s Abbie Hoffman and Frank Langella as Judge J. Hoffman. (They are, as hilariously described in an early scene, not related to one another.) But this is also career-defining work from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Strong and Alex Sharp. Stars Eddie Redmayne and Mark Rylance are just as formidable.
One short example to highlight the consistent strength and power of the actors: I had a difficult time deciding which to feature and which to list in the credits at the bottom of this review. Despite having settled for the 10 most prominent characters below, I could write a thesis on each of the films’ named stars with pleasure.
While I would’ve liked to see less testosterone in the lead acting credits, I’ll concede that this is simply a story populated by men. On rare occasions like this one, this separation can be forgiven.
Sorkin is well-prepared and researched to tell this story with both accuracy and gusto. His four seasons writing The West Wing would have prepared him well for this topic, and his ravenously popular 2018 stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway has taught him how to masterfully structure a courtroom story both in and out of the courtroom setting.
Nevertheless, this is a history story with dramatic liberties taken and should be looked at accordingly. While the statistics are correct, some of the dialogue is exaggerated from what the record says occurred. But that’s Sorkin as a writer: his slickness is what makes him both entertaining and often holds him back from perfection.
There is clearly liberal bias at play, with the villains looking and behaving like they would in a comic book. Then again, given the brutality that we factually know took place, maybe that’s how some of them really did behave.
Judge Julius Hoffman is an incredible, formidable character that showcases the danger of judges that have already made up their minds. The movie isn’t an exposé of conservative vs. liberal policies or ideas - it’s an exposé of how rigging courts will eventually lead to anarchy.
Aside from the grand scope of how history is being amplified, the modern democratic societies of the world need amplification to show that politics influencing the outcomes of justice will be the ultimate blow to destroy democracy itself. What this dilm does so well is make that concept entertaining to learn about.
Just as the previously mentioned Mockingbird adaptation was needed to amplify the voice against racism in American justice, The Trial of the Chicago 7 will amplify the voices against police brutality and the politicized, bigoted militarization that urban policing has become.
That idea is even more resonant after the revolution that erupted around the world this summer, and just as they were in 1969 Chicago, “the whole world is watching.”
Hopefully the world will be watching this film. It’s one of the most engrossing and excellent movies of 2020.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
9 out of 10
14A, 2hrs 9mins. History Biography Epic.
Written and Directed by Aaron Sorkin.
Starring Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Rylance, Frank Langella, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Alex Sharp and Michael Keaton.
Now playing at Cineplex Winston Churchill & VIP. Begins streaming on Netflix for subscribers October 16, 2020.
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