Hippies, Punks, and Scholars: The Chicago 7

     We’ve all heard that adage that goes “there are two sides to any story,” but, as Aaron Sorkin explores in his film The Trial of the Chicago 7, there are often even more sides than that. This was the case for the anti-war movement which reached its height at the Democratic National Convention in 1968. Between the anti-establishment hippies of the Yippie (Youth International Party) organization, the clean-cut progressives of the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society), and the hard-headed black men and women of the Black Panther Party, activists were constantly butting heads with one another about the goals and methodologies of the movement. Sorkin effectively explores the multifaceted nature of the late ‘60s’ anti-war movement through the interwoven narrative of the like-minded, yet constantly at odds, Chicago 8 (later 7).   

    After a chaotic opening statement, the Chicago 7 (every defendant except the Panther’s Bobby Seale) meet in a side room to discuss their plans for the remainder of the trial. Right off the bat, we see the ideological disparity between the members of the different organizations. Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) confronts the group with the issue of whether they’re using the trial to defend themselves or to say a “pointless ‘fuck you’ to the establishment.” Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) responds in favor to the latter, recognizing the trial as an opportunity for true cultural revolution. Hayden doesn't take this well and responds with an attempt to discredit him to gain the support of the others: “Guys, before you tether yourselves to this man, just know that the last thing he wants is to end the war. I don’t have time for cultural revolution, it distracts from actual revolution.” With this line, Sorkin highlights the major distinction between Hayden’s Students for a Democratic Society and Hoffman’s Youth International Party: the former prefers more traditional means of bringing about a change, the latter favors more unconventional methodologies. This intellectual battle continues throughout the entire film, acting as the driving force of the plot. A.O. Scott comments on Hoffman and Hayden in his article ‘”The Trial of the Chicago 7’ Review: They Fought the Law”: “That rivalry — the clash of two smart guys who have trouble separating ego from idealism — is the Sorkinian engine of the plot, giving shape and momentum to a sprawling and crowded pageant.” Through these two characters, the viewer can visualize the vastly different ideas of anti-war activists at that time. But Sorkin doesn’t stop with these two organizations.  

    In addition to Hayden and Hoffman, Sorkin draws from the Black Panthers’ Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Fred Hampton (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) to exemplify the diversity of the movements at that time. The first moment this can be seen is in the same scene described above. Soon after Hoffman’s and Hayden’s argument takes place, Hampton bursts through the door to the room and unleashes his pent-up anger on the other defendants over their handling of the trial. “Bobby’s life is at stake and you guys are playing to the crowd,” he exclaims. Hayden, in agreement with Hampton, responds with a patronizingly emphatic “thank you.” Hampton immediately turns on him, pointing to their bourgeois meeting place as evidence for the vastly different circumstances of Seale’s trial: “Shut up. White guys sitting in a furnished room eating sandwiches while Bobby’s sitting in a holding cell.” Through this dialogue, not only the characters in the film, but the audience itself recognize a key difference between the white activists and the Black Panthers. One group is tolerated if not supported by a fair portion of the country, while the other is met with severe backlash.  

    Sorkin continues to explore this dynamic throughout the film, most notably in the scene that follows Fred Hampton’s assassination. The Chicago 7’s lawyer, William Kunstler (Mark Rylance), sits at a table in a prison visiting room with Hayden standing behind him. Bleak fluorescent lights wash over the scene, creating a feeling of hopeless dreariness. Seale is ushered in through a pair of metal double doors, a hopeless expression occupying his face. When Kunstler delivers the news of Hampton’s murder, Seale’s face remains unchanged. He already knew. The next lines carry enough weight to knock Hayden flat on his back: “The 7 of you... you all have the same father, right? I’m talking to you. You all got the same father, right? Cut your hair, don’t be a fag, respect authority, respect America, respect me. Your life is a ‘fuck you’ to your father, right? A little?” A quiet “maybe” escapes Hayden’s lips. “And you can see how that’s different from a rope on a tree?” Through this dialogue, both Hayden and the viewer are forced to reconcile with another clear difference between the primarily white student organizations led by Hayden and Hoffman and the primarily black organization led by Seale. One is fighting for their right to individuality, and the other.... for their lives.  

     The Trial of the Chicago 7 tackles some incredibly complex themes, but most prominent is the multifaceted nature of the anti-war movement. Through Hayden of the SDS, Hoffman of the Yippies, and Seale and Hampton of the Black Panther Party, Sorkin visualizes the conflicting groups of people that were working towards the same goal: peace and justice. The story of the Chicago 7 is a fascinating one indeed, exposing the corruption of the government and further shedding light on the evil of the Vietnam war, but most fascinating of all is the fact that people with vastly different backgrounds and ideas were able to cooperate to make such an impact.  

Works Cited 

Scott, A. O. “'The Trial of the Chicago 7' Review: They Fought the Law.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Sept. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/movies/the-trial-of-the-chicago-7-review.html. 

Sorkin, Aaron, director. The Trial of the Chicago 7. Netflix, Dreamworks, 2020, www.netflix.com/watch/81043755?trackId=14751296&tctx=5%2C0%2Cc2bed64b-a4b3-4ce2-83e6-825a8453b6dd-26921401%2Cdfba6e74-fc48-40e5-9a03-74d224ed3d69_97212520X55XX1617487177191%2Cdfba6e74-fc48-40e5-9a03-74d224ed3d69_ROOT%2C.