Political dramas are tricky to execute, especially in these socially divided times. Some try to tell stories with a balanced approach, which is quite admirable, but that is an even trickier proposition. And some, like The Trial of the Chicago 7 (which was nominated for six Academy Awards® in 2020, but won none) refute that objective approach from the start because they are engineered to hammer home a sharply defined perspective, on one side or the other. This film describes the aftermath of the riots which took place at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It fabricates a bit of the drama, yet promotes an intensely powerful view of history gone wrong. Let me put it this way: I was born in the Chicago area (Hinsdale) and have great affection for that area. This movie made me ashamed to be from Chicago.
Aaron Sorkin’s chronicle of the riot aftermath focuses on the politically motivated prosecution of eight men who attended the Democratic National Convention to protest the government’s involvement in the Vietnam War, its treatment of women and minorities and other social ills. Some of the defendants barely know each other but they become acquainted as the six-month trial unfurls. We get sporadic views of the trial on certain dramatic days, with flashbacks utilized to illustrate various points, issues, relationships and moments. Some of the names involved will jog memories — attorney William Kunstler, activists Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin and Bobby Seale; others are more obscure. And I don’t remember any of the trial because I was seven at the time.
A very good cast enlivens this admitted political diatribe: Sasha Baron Cohen (never better), Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, Yahya Abdul Mateen II, Michael Keaton, John Carroll Lynch, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Caitlin FitzGerald and Frank Langella. That this is a diatribe is clear pretty early on, as Langella’s Judge Julius Hoffman controls his courtroom with an iron fist, consistently flouting legal standards and common sense. And according to everything I have since read about this infamous moment in legal history, Aaron Sorkin went very easy on the judge, mostly because the actual decision-making, rantings and actions against Bobby Seale were much worse, so much so that they would not be believed.
Anyone who ever enjoyed Sorkin’s TV series “The West Wing” is bound to appreciate this legal drama / satire. As a director, Sorkin is sure-handed but perhaps somewhat formless. It is Sorkin’s dialogue and the byplay between the characters which is so strong. The acting is first-rate and the outrage is palpable. To witness governmental power be applied so misguidedly is infuriating. To witness a well-made movie about it is quite rewarding, if still infuriating. ☆ ☆ ☆. 15 July 2025.