Story of the "police riots" at the 68 Dem. Convention in Chicago and the resultant trial of 8, reduced to 7, symbolic defendants. Film by Brett Morgan.

Certainly not unbiased -- and I say that as a liberal who count the Chicago 8 and their attorneys (which makes 10) as qualified American heroes. It really doesn't show just how much of a circus the trial became. Most of the film deals with the protests during the convention through archival footage. The trial parts of the film are done in animation -- which seems very appropriate. Still a nice beginning of a history lesson. Those who get their appetites whet can can delve deeper.

It appears folks may have a chance to delve deeper later this year, or sometime next year. Steven Spielberg is supposed to be making The Trial of the Chicago 7, with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Casting is largely rumors right now, but include...


Will Smith ... Bobby Seale (rumored)

Kevin Spacey ... (rumored)

Sacha Baron Cohen ... Abbie Hoffman (rumored)

Philip Seymour Hoffman ... William Kunstler

Colin Hanks ... Rennie Davis (rumored)

Jeff Daniels ... Dave Dellinger (rumored)

IMDb link

I saw that Spielberg had a Chicago 7 project going. It seems to me this is a really hard event to cover in a film. Mini-series maybe - or even a season long series. Opera maybe. There was just so much going on in the culture that was reflected in the trial. I think "mockery of justice" has many meanings in this trial. Just finding all the ways that is the case would make for an interesting film -- and a decent title for a film on that trial.

The Chicago 7 film seems to be going through a lot of directors. Spielberg has dropped out. Paul Greengrass is now listed at IMDb, but has also apparently decided to take a pass, which is too bad. His style worked so well with making Bloody Sunday such a realistic reenactment, that I think he could have really recreated the circus atmosphere of this trial and the events surrounding it. Now The Hollywood Reporter is saying that Ben Stiller has been approached to direct this for Dreamworks.

Story here.

FWIW, I didn't want to start a new thread for Chicago 7 until it is officially under way.