The Trial of the Chicago 7 Review: Good Trouble, Big Message

A riot erupts in the city of Chicago in 1968 with the backdrop of the Democratic National Convention and the Vietnam War looming large. The counterculture protesters want their voices to be heard, but they are silenced by the state and are forced to pay the consequences of speaking out against a bloody, deadly war.

This is the inciting moment for The Trial of the Chicago 7, a long-gestating project that passed through the hands of Aaron Sorkin, Steven Spielberg, and back to Sorkin again. As writer and director, Sorkin finds a lot of success through telling this story, but with some shaky moments in the process.

As a courtroom drama, the film is fantastic, where the balance of peaceful protest and riots speak to not only today’s America, but to the issue of having a voice, whether the justice system can be used to silence that voice, and how far someone will be pushed before they have enough.

Some of the film’s best moments come from the frustration of seeing the justice system tilt completely off its axis and become a one-sided fight against oppression, where its characters unite under the need to speak out against an unjust fight.

Despite the defendants all wanting the same thing, they all come at it from different angles, leading to infighting and perspectives clashing, where spirited debate, while absent from the current climate the movie releases within, makes up a lot of ground by really digging into who these characters are.

The film is undeniably rousing when it’s dealing with ideas and the power of ideas, and reaches its most impacting moment when discussing that very power on the stand.

But these moments do come scattered and not in full force, as the movie hops about through various moments to show the broader scope rather than focus on its most important features.

However, the film makes a point to never forget why these people are all here: to condemn the war. It’s mentioned at a couple of different points, both to hammer it home for the audience and to remind others within the movie of why they’re there, and why they’re fighting.

It’s those sorts of rousing pieces that make up solid groundwork, along with the fantastic cast.

There are some weaknesses, however, mostly through telling rather than showing. We catch glimpses of the riot and the bits and pieces around it, but it’s done in such a way that it’s more implied than given its entire scope. It’s for a reason, but ends up hurting the flow a little.

At times, the film lays it on a little too thick with its message, where some characters have a change of heart or have more revealed about them that doesn’t feel entirely earned. Given the size of the cast, though, there is this feeling that there’s a lot that may be cut from the film, leaving those moments flimsy by reduction.

There’s also some odd editing choices, with a few sudden cuts not matching and a key witness questioning that doesn’t match up with the text on screen. They’re small in the grand scheme of things, but noticeable enough.

The cast is a major reason the movie works as well as it does.

Mark Rylance makes the largest impression with the least flashy character, as defense attorney William Kunstler. His mild manner and careful words show him as a steady hand wrangling all of these large personalities, while rising to the occasion when facing unfairness and tampering. He is a quiet presence, becoming the film’s secret weapon.

The flashiest of roles goes to Sacha Baron Cohen, whose Abbie Hoffman is a major force both in history and within the film. Cohen is great here as always, managing to walk the fine line of Hoffman’s persona of provocateur and counterculture icon with enough humanity in there.

This is in contrast with Eddie Redmayne’s Tom Hayden, whose plight is well done but Redmayne doesn’t quite end up working as well as intended during the bigger moments, especially later during the third act. A specific moment requires immense emotion, and Redmayne can’t get there here while being fantastic in other roles.

The rest of the cast is great, with two other standouts: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jeremy Strong. Abdul-Mateen is an unbelievably strong performer and continues that here, portraying the outrage and the injustice Bobby Seale faces with command. Strong is somewhat the comic relief for the film, but his aloofness and kindheartedness goes a long way.

Despite the issues mentioned, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is still a worthwhile film about an important subject. Peaceful protesting and letting your voice be heard not only in the streets but at the ballot box is the film’s most powerful message, and there it finds massive success.

With a wonderful cast and fairly solid writing and directing from Sorkin, there is a rousing call here that gives The Trial of the Chicago 7 power beyond being simply a good movie, and makes it one to look out for.

 

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The Trial of the Chicago 7 is available on Netflix.

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