Trial of the Chicago 7
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Yahya Abdul-Mateen, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Reason for watching: First time viewing/awards season
Number of times I’ve watched it: first time
***
If writer and director Aaron Sorkin is known for anything, it is witty and fast-paced dialogue. Words flow from his pen (or typewriter or computer keys) fast and furious, and each sentence flows likes a bizarre kind of poetry where two people are playing ping pong with progressively larger paddles with rocket boosters strapped to them. And usually, it fits and works in almost every circumstance you can imagine. But a story as timely as this, when there are still protests in the streets and confrontations with police, needs to be slowed down a bit and the important content needed to be pulled out a little bit more. And Sorkin delivered.
First of all, Sorkin is not a newcomer to terrific courtroom scenes. Yes, all three of those hyperlinks were from the same movie but the guy wrote A Few Good Men! You make that movie, and you don’t need to make another courtroom drama. But where his previous entrance into the genre is filled with dramatic scenes and interrogations, Chicago 7 explores the gritty nature of a trial where the judge might have not been the most upstanding personality and certainly wasn’t shy about asserting his authority. There are many important conversations that dive into the psyche of these men on trial when they are conferring with their counsel outside of the courtroom. Particularly near the end of the movie, we get a great practice examination between Mark Rylance (as attorney William Kunstler) and Eddie Redmayne (as defendant Tom Hayden) where the beginnings of those Chicago riots against the Vietnam War started to play out.
Another huge positive (spoiler alert: I have no negatives for this movie): this is a murder’s row of talent and big role fillers. You’ve got Marius from Les Miserables (Redmayne). The creator of the Oasis from Ready Player One (Rylance). That dude from Billions (Jeremy Strong). Batman shows up (cameo/two-scene role from Michael Keaton). Borat or a second 2012 Les Miserables cast member depending on what floats your boat (Sasha Baron Cohen). And we get Dr. Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen). Each of them shining during their moments in the spotlight. Particularly I must commend Abdul-Mateen’s big scene as Bobby Seale, former leader of the Black Panther Party, where he is chained to his chair and gagged, and despite this treatment he defies the court. The greatest moment of relief in the movie comes when he is granted a mistrial.
The editing and cinematography shine as well. Personally, I am not a fan of jump cuts, but the technique is used well here to bring out the terror of the riots. Also, I would have liked to see more of the events leading up to the trial. But this movie has an excellent opening montage where we get to meet our titular Chicago 7 and understand their starting places. So that critique is waived.
In a movie full of great scenes, one scene stands above the rest: the closing remarks. Since I can’t spoil this for you because you can look up the result of the trial, I will talk about this freely. Judge Julius Hoffman had made up his mind (quite possibly before the trial) that the defendants were to be found guilty of crossing state lines with intent of causing violence. Addressing Tom Hayden (Redmayne) he promises to be lenient in his sentencing if he keeps his final remarks brief. In response and in an attempt to remind everyone of the reason for their original protest, Hayden takes a list from his friend and fellow defendant Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp) of all the American soldiers who have died in Vietnam since the trial began. This final act of defiance sticks with me and should with all of us.
The USA we are living in now in 2020 is not that different than the USA of 1968. Protesters are still taking the streets to protest police brutality and the unjust deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and numerous others. And yet, the conversation turns to a place of politics instead of one of human rights as soon as one turns on the news or logs onto social media. The real tragedy and real issues are pushed aside by powerful institutions, who only wish to promote their stances. Even when the majority of Americans think alike regarding change, distractions are put in place through political advertisements, smearing of political opponents, and instigating further division among us. Yet I believe and hope for change along with my fellow Americans who aren’t afraid to keep up the fight. Some things might take a while, like a trial. But if justice is truly served and the people stand united, true change can occur.
Sorkin delivers some of his best work with his new movie. And it came here with the sound of a thousand voices crying for justice, drowning out an unjust gavel.
9/10
Until I see another one.