Are you looking for a film to escape the harsh reality of the summer of 2020? Were the protests, the news coverage of the protests, the protests against the protests, and the arguments over the protests too much for you to handle? Are you tired of hearing about police brutality? Are you in desperate need of a film that transports you 50 years into the past, to a time where protests were not the topic of everyone’s discussion in America? Well then, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is not the film for you.

Aaron Sorkin, the legendary playwright who penned the Broadway hit A Few Good Men and then went on to write the screenplay for the Hollywood adaption, returns to the court room with a film based on the real case of The Trial of the Chicago 7. In today’s day and age, many viewers know to be cautious when a film boasts that it is “based on” or “inspired by” a true story. Many times, those statements could mean that the film has about 5-10% shred of truth to it, covered and buried by 90-95% “creative liberty”, also known as fake bullshit. The Trial of the Chicago 7, thankfully, does a tremendous job of covering the true events of this unbelievable court case. 

In August of 1968, down the street from the Democratic National Convention, Grant Park in the city of Chicago was taken over by approximately 15,000 protestors. The city had denied all requests for permits for this demonstration, and police and the Illinois National Guard were brought in to deal with the protestors. Two riots later and television networks across the country had plenty of footage of the violence on the streets of Chicago. The Attorney General at the time, Ramsey Clark, ordered an investigation which concluded that the violence was primarily caused by the Chicago Police. A few months later, after President Nixon was elected, the new Attorney General, John Mitchell, charged eight high-profile protestors with federal crimes including conspiracy to cross state lines to incite violence. 

The film boasts an absolutely incredible ensemble cast made up of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne, and more. Each provide stellar performances, and some (especially Sacha Baron Cohen) are nearly impossible to differentiate from their real-life characters. Mark Rylance and Frank Langella unequivocally soar in their roles as William Kunstler and Judge Julius Hoffman as they present courtroom moments at times on par with the unforgettable “you can’t handle the truth” scene in A Few Good Men.

Oh, and if you think that a film about the 1968 Vietnam War protests couldn’t have any parallels to the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, you’re sorely mistaken. While the film may be called The Trial of the Chicago 7, it reminds the viewers that there were originally 8 defendants in the trial. The eighth defendant, Bobby Seale (co-founder of the Black Panther Party) was forced to attend the hearings despite not having any legal representation present. While some films that are “based on a true story” tend to exaggerate certain events to punch up the movie, Sorkin’s adaption actually downplays the arguably most disturbing moment in the trial. Without spoiling the film, a horrific event appears to take place over only a few minutes in the film, when in reality, it lasted several days and caused the defense attorney to describe the court room as “a medieval torture chamber.”

While some might believe that this film was made to coincide with the election, as it does seem to present an eerie mirror of today’s administration and it’s response to the people’s protests, this film has actually been in the making for over 13 years. After Sorkin wrote the screenplay in 2007, Steven Spielberg was supposed to direct. When things fell apart, it took eleven years to appoint Sorkin as the director, and Paramount Pictures later planned the theatrical release. As we have watched the 2020 Hollywood schedule get ravaged this year by COVID-19, Paramount decided to sell the streaming rights to Netflix in order to release the film. I am so glad that they did. 

Made for the low budget of $35 million, I’m not sure how this film would have performed in the theaters. Perhaps I’ve become pampered and accustomed to the high-quality of streamed films and tv series lately, but I felt like Netflix was the perfect place to release this film. I do believe, however, it is absolutely Oscar worthy. As with every screenplay penned by Aaron Sorkin, the writing in The Trial of The Chicago 7 is beyond superb. The film clips along at a refreshingly fast past, while covering a lot of ground at the same time. The acting, editing, and cinematography make for a crisp production. In the end, The Trial of the Chicago 7 delivers a fantastic courtroom drama that, especially in these times, reflects a story so inexplicable and yet simultaneously plausible, that it should ring true in the hearts of most of us living in 2020.

RORSCHACH RATING

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Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by) and more. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. The Trial of Chicago 7 is property of Netflix and Paramount Pictures. We do not own nor claim any rights. This review was edited by Cam Smith. The Trial of Chicago 7 is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.

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