The Trial of the Chicago 7: A Drama that Skips over the Emotion
Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7 feels like it could have happened yesterday. As you hear "the whole world is watching" being chanted as protests hit the streets it takes you back to what we saw this summer in America. The film sparks the conversation of how far we have come since the 1968 riots and the trial in Chicago of seven men wrongly accused of conspiring to provoke violence in the street at the DNC. It is heavily led by the ensemble of Jeremy Strong, Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and many more. It feels like the typical Sorkin film where the right thing is said every time and each actor is able to hold their own throughout the entire film.
Viewers are thrown into the chaos of 1968 right at the beginning as Sorkin introduces each key player in the trial of the Chicago 7. Each individual is planning their trip to Chicago to protest the Vietnam war during the Democratic National Convention. Tom Hayden (Redmayne) and Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp) encourage peaceful protests. Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) take a different approach by arguing that the system needs to be dismantled through disruption. David Dellinger ( John Carroll Lynch) assures his family nothing will happen to him at the protests and Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) promises he will be in and out quickly.
All of these plans quickly change as chaotic riots that gain international attention break out. The film begins months before the event where Attorney General John Mitchell gives Richard Schultz and Thomas Foran the case of their lives to try the men he thinks are responsible for the civil unrest. LBJ is gone and Nixon now has power, and the team of Mitchell and Nixon wan to use Hoffman, Hayden, and the rest of the group as examples of what happens when you go against the government. Mark Rylance is the attorney defending the seven and Frank Langella takes the role of Judge Julius Hoffman whose every move in court makes you want to scream at your TV and exposes the flaws of the United States Justice System.
Surprisingly with this big of an ensemble, there is no weak link like we see with a lot of Hollywood ensemble films. Each actor wields the power of Sorkin's words to create a powerhouse performance and shine in the most unexpected ways. It feels like you are watching an acting exercise as everyone is doing a different style that showcases their acting ability and meshes well with the other performers.
Sorkin has been developing this movie for over a decade as each interview he does about it starts with a story of going to Steven Spielberg's house and not knowing anything about the Chicago 7. The dialogue for something so chaotic feels way too polished and predictable at times. Even thing feels perfectly lit, framed, and executed which ruins the ambiance of the riots. It feels a little too planned and follows the traditional route of a political/ courtroom thriller. The stakes feel very small even though these men are facing prison time and war is happening. It also feels outdated with the BLM protests and MeToo movement. There is just something about seeing straight, white men fighting for their rights that feels a little phony to me. The dialogue is so sharp that the film lacks the emotion that should be accompanied in this historic moment.
There is a lot to enjoy in the film specifically Cohen and Stong's performance as two hippies. Mark Rylance proves to us why that surprise Oscar win was well deserved and he is able to make the dialogue sound real. The film succeeds in showing the bias and incompetency of the justice system that I hope inspires more people to hold them accountable and call for change.