The Trial of The Chicago 7 is a 2020 American legal history film. It premiered on in select theatres on September 25, 2020, and on Netflix on October 16, 2020. Originally a Paramount Pictures venture, the film became Netflix’s property due to the pandemic. The film has widely acclaimed amazing responses and reviews from the critics and the audience. The ensemble, to the script, to the locations, everything aligns perfectly to make the film a legal blockbuster. Running for 130 minutes, the film had a budget of $35 million. Only after a few days of it going worldwide, the film has gathered $104,048. The film is based on the Chicago seven. Seven defendants whom the US government charged with conspiracy concerning the US-Vietnam War.
The plot of The Trial of The Chicago 7
The film revolves around a show trial to overpower the power movements to the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon made this attempt and order two federal prosecutors to handle the case. It actively shows the countercultural protests that broke out in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The film takes us along the court procedures and the part of the defendants and the judges.
Who is in The Trial of The Chicago 7
The cast of the film is legendary. All the more reason why the film is in news. In the lead roles, you will see Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, Frank Langella as Judge Julius Hoffman, and John Damon as John N. Mitchell. Sacha Baron Cohen played the role of Abbie Hoffman, John Carroll Lynch the role of David Dellinger and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II that of Bobby Seale.
The ending of the film
The justice system against the “radical” has an influential setup in the film. The ending of the film delivers all the justice that we wanted to achieve. The Trial of The Chicago 7 finishes off with a satisfactory ending. The courtroom drama is not completely historical, just like any other film. However, it is too close to delivering what we know of history. The testimony from Attonerny Ramsey Calrk may have been influential for the defendant. But, it dies out when William Kunstler says he has evidence of Tom Hayden staring at the Chicago riots. Fellow defendant Rennie Davis tries to mellow down the escalated situation but a cop hits him in the back of his head.
Then, Tom takes a mic and starts saying, “Rennie’s skull is cracked open. If our blood is going to flow, let it flow all over the city.” He then goes on to say that Abbie Hoffman should speak as a witness. And Abbie Hoffman delivers. The 151st day of the trial sees all the defendants are shoved into the court one last time. In The Trial of The Chicago 7, Tom reads all the names of the soldiers who died in Vietnam. The iconic moment leads everyone to stand with him.
The film may differ in some points, however, the spirit of the Chicago Seven can be easily seen in The Trial of The Chicago 7.
