Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sascha Baren Cohen, Alex Sharp, Yahya Abdul-Marteen II, Joseph Gordon- Levitt
Directed by: Aaron Sorkin
Written by: Aaron Sorkin
Netflix’s The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is based on the true story of the Chicago 7, a group of Anti-Vietnam War protesters who were unfairly charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The entire trial was a losing battle as it was considered a “political trial”, which is clear from the beginning as the Attorney General of that time, John N. Mitchell seemed very much intent on crucifying the Chicago 7 along with Bobby Seale the National Chairman of the Black Panther Society. To add insult to injury the judge, Julius Hoffman showed extreme prejudice toward the defendants most especially Bobby Seale.
The Undeniable Talent Of This Chicago 7
The performances from this ensemble cast were impeccable, especially from Sascha Baren Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Marteen, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Sascha Baren Cohen basically played himself, he played Abbey Hoffman the co-founder of the Youth International Party, commonly known as “Yippies”. Although he was not the main lead he was my favorite character, he was a comedic genius in more ways than one. Not only was he hilarious but he was brilliant and insightful.
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The main lead was Eddie Redmayne who played Tom Hayden, the President of the Students for Democratic Society. Redmayne portrayed Tom Hayden as a strong lead with a boyish charm and a quiet intensity.
The Undeniable Talent Of Yahya Abdul Marteen And Everyone Else
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Yahya Abdul-Marteen’s Bobby Seale was a strong critical presence, each line he delivered was accompanied by a righteous and just rage. Each scene he was in was thought-provoking, relatable, socially relevant, and at times heartbreaking. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Richard Schultz was conflicting as he played the prosecuting assistant district attorney, a strong opinionated, patriotic man who at times was sympathetic to the Chicago 7.
Now I say conflicting because Levitt portrayed Schultz in such a way that has me unsure of whether or not I like him. There’s a strong but subtle duality between a “devil’s advocate” and a caring human being in his role which was certainly reflected in Levitt’s performance.
Aaron Sorkin’s Artistry And Ingenuity
Aaron Sorkin crafted this movie brilliantly with his unique style similar to The Social Network one of his previous works. Although this movie is based on a true story, Sorkin takes quite a few creative liberties here which is to be expected. There are very few people who can find an equilibrium between fact and fiction to deliver a fresh compelling story and Aaron Sorkin is one of those people.
This movie was nothing less than captivating from beginning to end. “The whole world is watching”, is a recurring line in the film so I’ll say this, the whole world should be watching The Trial Of The Chicago 7.
Will you be watching The Trial Of The Chicago 7? For those of you who have seen the film, what are your thoughts? Do you think Aaron Sorkin did justice to the story? Who do you think gave the most compelling performance? Let us know in the comments below.
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