Review of The Trial of The Chicago 7

The Trial of The Chicago 7 came out on Netflix on September 25th, 2020. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the movie chronicles a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters that are known as the ‘Chicago Seven’. The group was charged with conspiracy of crossing state lines with the intention of violence. The seven individuals were in Chicago to protest the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

This film has an all star cast. Along with Aaron Sorkin penning and directing the project, the film starred Yahya Addul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne, and more incredible actors.

Eighty-five percent of this film takes place in a courtroom. Using this setting for that long would ordinarily be sure to make the storyline boring. But, the way Sorkin used the room was both impressive and intriguing. The story of the riots and protests was told throughout the case, in the courtroom. Sorkin told two stories at the same time; he illustrated the legal process and aftermath of the trials, while intercutting scenes of the riots and the events leading up to the trip to Chicago. The movie started with the beginning of the trial, and ended with the group of seven being arrested. Chronological order was thrown out the window, but because of this storytelling tactic, the audience will stay engaged up until the last moment. 

Aaron Sorkin is no stranger to incredible writing. He’s won awards for penning The Social Network, Moneyball, Steve Jobs, and The West Wing. The Trial of The Chicago 7 was his second attempt at directing, with his first being the 2017 movie, Molly’s Game. It’s no secret that Sorkin’s storytelling skills are impeccable, whilst his directing skills are still developing. That being said, the pace of the film was entrancing. It’s a difficult task to capture the attention of viewers when the majority of the film takes place in one room. However, Sorkin was able to portray the intensity of the situation with quick and smart dialogue, as well as intelligent camera angles.

This film would not necessarily have received such positive reviews if it weren’t for the cast. Individually, the actors gave their characters new life. As a group, the way they played off of each other was incredible. As a viewer, you can feel the tension when the plot got extreme; when the characters were uncomfortable or attacked, the audience was also uncomfortable and attacked. 

Originally, the film was intended to have a theatrical release, but the distribution rights were sold to Netflix due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

All in all, my eyeballs were glued to my screen while watching this movie - the two hours and ten minutes flew by. I was clutching my chest with stress and yelling at the screen in anger and disbelief. Additionally, the film looked visually beautiful. Using color to illustrate the darker side of history, and utilizing light tones to exhibit the nicer and positive parts, helped with establishing the mood and tone of the piece. Although Sorkin took some creative liberties regarding the timeline and dramatization of certain dialogue and events, the film is nonetheless an intriguing illustration of American history.