Some years down the road I wrote about a similar project released on the 2000's about the Chicago 8 and how I wasn't so impressed by it due to its insistence
on presenting the whole truth inside the maddening trial that convicted peaceful protesters on the Democratic National Committee in Chicago. I wrote in the other
film review that I liked the film but also that I'd wait for the highly publicized version of Spielberg that was announced back then. Well, that version is in the
development hell and I guess we're all gonna have to wait for a feature film of the infamous trial. As for this project here, despite a stellar cast with the likes of
Robert Loggia, David Clennon, Peter Boyle and Elliott Gould, I simply couldn't believe my eyes and ears simply because the makers of it managed to deliver a weaker film,
excrutiangly amateur-ish and unsastisfying all along.
Lots of viewers praise the film because the real-life figures (such as Abbie Hoffman, Bobby Seale, David Dellinger and others) all appear to present their versions of the
trial at the same time the director freeze-frame or cuts to present the actors playing the roles in this filmed theatre of a movie. I'd be fine with such device had
director Jeremy Kagan not make such an ugly and dated collage of images mixing actors and the real key figures of the trial. It all looks like a cheap video clip of the
1980's, all messy and with one face over-imposing the other. And when Hoffman appears there were times I wasn't sharing his sense of humor or getting why he's being so funny
about the whole thing (he is presented as a larger than life humored guy, as evidenced by all the transcripts of the trial). Had Mr. Kagan used of the scheme presented by
Warren Beatty in "Reds" where he showed interviews with the historic witnesses of events and then jumped to the movie then we'd benefit more with it.
Again, it's amateur-ish at its worse. Just because the real trial case was amateur thanks to a lousy judge and the truth facts must be shown it all
doesn't mean a film made for such curious audiences should be equaled to such amateur-ish craftsmanship. I liked the idea of not showing the jury, instead the actors look at the camera, break the fourth wall to us and suddenly we are the jury. And once we're in the jury and see what goes down inside court, watch the
defendants, the witnesses and the undercover people attacking the defendants, that's when the movie gets interesting. For those who know the story, you know the drill that
you're going to see a lunatic judge overruling every objection made by the Chicago eight; the government gets everything easily done; and Bobby Seale is all for wanting
his constitutional rights preserved to the point of receiving a gag from court - that part was too repetitive, it's like half an hour goes by with just him asking for
his rights. Basically, my thoughts were: give me the truth but I don't need 100% of it because there'll always be artistic licences and by creating a nauseating scenario
that keeps repeating itself over and over, not going anywhere, we're all gone lose it.
The film has good performances by the cast - highlights to the lawyer played by Robert Loggia, who steals the show with memorable and important speeches about law,
going after the judge and the actor seemed to be having fun all around and that's nice; Boyle is also great just as Barry Miller; Ron Rifkin as Allen Ginsberg seems a
little off-mark but saves when its time to showcase the poet's work on court. All the actors playing the fighters against the system captured the essence of the period, counterculture of the 1960's, much of what needs to come to surface these days of social/political tyranny. There are brave performances in this movie, almost inspiring but
the film gags with a bureaucratic script, square direction and lack of a better development. It's not entirely a waste, there are plenty of accuracies and fine acting, but the experience doesn't satisfy as a whole.
I'm still waiting for a new take coming from Hollywood, a theatrical release on a subject that needs to be explored more and to wider audiences. It's perfect for the times but in a way it's all about timeless topics. The freedom to protest your government, freedom of thinking and expression. 5/10
P. S.: the Spielberg version was released actually done by Aaron Sorkin "The Chicago 7", nominated for several Oscars and winner of Best Ensemble at the SAG awards, and it turned out to be the best film about the subject. It was worth the wait.
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