Recently, I was able to watch “The Trial of the Chicago 7”: a Netflix movie based off of the real events, as well as the trial, of the Chicago 7, a group of anti-Vietnam war protestors.

Chicago in the late 60s, specifically 1968-69, was a time of turmoil and protest regarding the Vietnam War. Moreover, roughly 10,000 protestors came to the Windy City to initiate their movement at the Democratic National Convention. The Chicago 7, however, were seven specific protestors that went on trial for conspiracy and crossing state lines. As seen in the movie, the trials for this group went on for several months, with many unexpected events and cliffhangers from the court system and the police.

One aspect of the film that I would like to point out is the strong emotional connection that the audience immediately forms with the Chicago 7. Throughout the movie, the viewer sees the mental and emotional conundrum that the group is in, and this makes the audience feel sympathetic.

I began to also dislike the police and the judge in the movie, as there was a clear bias against the protestors, which resulted in partiality and an unfair ruling. Throughout the movie, the judge makes illegal decisions, and constantly exemplifies a dislike for the Chicago 7, and clearly prefers the police and FBI. In order to understand more about this situation, I would highly suggest watching this movie, as it is eye-opening about the flaws of the government.

Overall, I would give this film a 9/10. I found this movie to be educational, as it told me more about a situation that I had not known much about before, and also informed me more about the legal system and what rules were broken in these trials. Additionally, I enjoyed this movie because of the strong emotional attachment that is created with the group, and it was very impactful for the audience to see the turbulence that the group underwent, and how they were consistently wronged by an entity that should be trusted in the government. I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in government or politics, or even someone who is looking for an interesting movie about past events in American History.