The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Trial of the Chicago 7

By

  • Genre: Drama, History
  • Release Date: 2020-09-25
  • Runtime: 130 minutes
  • : 7.67
  • Production Company: DreamWorks Pictures
  • Production Country: United States of America
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7.67/10
7.67
From 3,222 Ratings

Description

What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.

Trailer

Reviews

  • sykobanana

    9
    By sykobanana
    Sacha Baron Cohen has now delivered my 2 favourite & memorable characters of the year in the same fortnight. This movie is a strange incongruence. It inspired/engaged/enraged me at the same time as it made me feel flat. It could have been longer (the time flew by) and drawn out the characters more, but I felt that it had said what it needed to say. And the melodrama felt just above where it needed to be. Having said that, the editing is top notch and the performances are at least "on par", if not outstanding (Baron Cohen, Abdul-Mateen II, Rylance and Langela). And regarding the Direction - its not perfect, it likely would have been better done in the hands of a master. But if this was my second film, I would be f$%^ing stoked. Watch this movie.

  • Arshia Borjali

    6
    By Arshia Borjali
    It is important for a film to say what it wants to say correctly and to somehow overcome its claim. "The Trial of the Chicago 7" is one of these films. A coherent narrative with a perfectly acceptable script and no extra glamor. Adapting in cinema has always been a difficult task, whether from another literary work or a real event. The film also manages to make this historical adaptation and not only shows the details well, which gives it a new spirit with the art of cinema, so that it has the necessary impact on the audience. An important point is that the film is successful in creating a feeling and does not seek to hide its weaknesses by crowding the film by using unnecessary Techniques or tricks. Throughout the film, we see a variety of emotional atmospheres that are sometimes very lively and sometimes very calm and quiet. The director, however, has been able to create emotion both in crowded spaces and in the silences, that sometimes take the audience to a deeper layer of the movie. The actors in the film are all acceptable, However, some of them do not become characters in the script, and in the meantime, “Langella” acting as the judge and “Sacha Baron Cohen” as Abbie was better than others. “Sorkin” has once again shown that he has an acceptable ability in screenwriting, and this time he has performed well in directing too. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is a compact movie that works to the best of its ability And it tries to get closer to the form, though it cannot be said that it has done it completely, but in some places it gets close to the form. It should be noted that the film is very successful in its purpose and the use of old images and videos helps to convey this purpose to the viewer. What this film has done, that is, create a sense of criticism and sometimes hatred for a corrupt system, is something that not every film can easily do. In general, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is a good movie that will be alive for a long time and anyone of any age and period can communicate with it.

  • r96sk

    8
    By r96sk
    Very well made, up until that ending anyway. It's not a bad conclusion, but man is it cringe-inducing. It seems they were going for an end to match 'A Few Good Men', which was also written by Aaron Sorkin of course. From the overly uplifting score, to the slow clap, to the freeze-frame. Per Esquire, the scene is not even how it went down IRL either. I'm all for 'Hollywood endings', just less of the cheese please. The rest of 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' is, though, very good. Sacha Baron Cohen (Abbie) is the greatest performer, the role is mostly comedic - which he nails - but even in the more serious moments he is terrific. Jeremy Strong (Jerry) is notable alongside him, also. Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance and Joseph Gordon-Levitt merit props, too. I did enjoy how it portrays the (true) story, one that is very interesting no doubt. Overall, I had a pleasant time watching this - though I'd rate it a tad higher if not for that (not negative, just a bit lame) ending.

  • badelf

    10
    By badelf
    Watching "The Trial of the Chicago 7" was difficult, not just because it depicts such a profound miscarriage of justice, but because these were my contemporaries. I wasn't in Chicago, but I was in Washington later, chased with tear gas. This wasn't history—it was memory. Casting Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman is probably the most perfect casting ever in cinema history. He captures Hoffman's anarchic brilliance, his refusal to treat the farce with the dignity it didn't deserve. And make no mistake, this was a farce. Judge Julius Hoffman made it absolutely clear that this wasn't a trial—it was a railroad. The courtroom became a kangaroo court where the verdict was predetermined and justice was a performance for those in power. Remarkably, Aaron Sorkin had to tone the judge down to a more reasonable level because the actual behavior wouldn't have been believable to modern audiences. That's how grotesque the reality was. Sorkin threaded an impossible needle here: balancing viewer engagement with historical truth, making the absurdity comprehensible without diminishing its horror. At the time, people were disgusted with that judge. Sorkin ensures we still are. We grow up believing in "liberty and justice for all," and seeing a man bound in chains and gagged in a court of law simply because he was Black and otherwise entitled to defend himself is a betrayal of everything America claims to stand for. The Trial is a reminder that liberty was won at great cost, and that it must continue to be won with great vigilance and action. In Nepal, Gen Z killed the Prime Minister, burned down the Parliament and elected a new government on Discord. In the USA, ICE kills unarmed American citizens with impunity. Where are the millennials, the massive protests?

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