Netflix has unveiled our first look at the highly anticipated true story from writer extraordinaire, Aaron Sorkin. His The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a perfect illustration of the old adage, if you ignore history, you are doomed to repeat it. How so, you ask?
“The Chicago 7,” as they were called, were at the center of a protest during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in the Illinois city that sought to shine a spotlight on an army of issues that were plaguing our country at that time. Sadly, the film is timely because many of those same issues are still ingrained into the fabric of our society.
If there is anyone out there in Hollywood who one would want to hear this story from, it is the man whose gift with prose knows no bounds. Sorkin gave us West Wing and The Social Network and his penchant for eloquent dialogue that simultaneously enlightens and entertains is unmatched.
Seeing the images in this teaser may feel like you are witnessing CNN on any given evening. Legions of protestors lined up ready to battle against police brutality and systematic racism and lack of justice could be on the streets of Portland, Minneapolis, or Washington, D.C. It’s not, it is 1968 and these “Seven” were charged with intending to incite a riot.
As is the case with many a Sorkin project, the cast is sublime. Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, Alex Sharp, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II lead the charge in the film that is sure to attract some serious Oscar buzz.
Sorkin not only wrote the script, but this is his second directorial effort—after the Jessica Chastain starring Molly’s Game.
Have to love the chanting mantra that permeates this trailer. “The world is watching.” After the events of the last several months in America, those same words were uttered at protests across the nation. Let’s hope that the arrival of The Trial of the Chicago 7 ushers in a new era in America—one where we learn from the past to better our present and future.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 bows in a few theaters and on the streaming giant on October 16.