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But herein lies one of the film's biggest problems: its tendency to force-feed "modern-day application" rather than let it be a compelling glimpse into one of the most pivotal years (1968) in American history. I would have liked to seen better development of the major figures in the trial (Seale, Abbie Hoffman, David Dellinger, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, etc.) and a little more in the way of historical context. The idea, I'm sure, is to make it seem vague and universal—as if something like this can and does happen in the 21st century. But the reality is that what happened that summer and that year was very unique to the zeitgeist of that time. This is not to say that protests and "taking it to the streets" can't happen today, just that we should understand why it happened then … before we try to sell it as a "must-have experience" to the youth of today.

Director Brett Morgen on the set

The film feels most relevant when it ponders the image of culture and the morphing fusion of politics, spectacle, and celebrity. Abbie Hoffman is the central character in this discussion. In planning the Chicago demonstration with the other Yippie leaders, Hoffman routinely speaks of it as being "conceived as a total theater" in which "we are all actors." He knew better than anyone that the cameras would be recording and broadcasting the protests and that the "performances" of the protesters would be crucial to how the events would be spun. Hoffman's own persona in front of the cameras led him to become something of a celebrity in the late sixties. One of the most interesting sequences in the film shows Hoffman's rise to icon status—complete with a Rolling Stone magazine cover and paparazzi chasing him around with cameras flashing. He was a countercultural rebel who ironically became a mass-marketed commodity. In this way he forecast the future—the increasing importance of subversion/rebellion/counterculture for the ever-adaptive system of capitalism in America.

The implicit and somewhat cynical message of a film like Chicago 10 is that high-stakes politics and activism are, in some ways, constructions of the indifferent media who only care about high drama and higher ratings. As a result, we should trust nothing that we hear and resist being told what to do. On the contrary, we must rely on our own communities and personal will to make change happen, if it is going to happen. As Bobby Seale asserts in the last line of the movie: "All power to the people."

Talk About It

1. Where does the blame lie in what happened in Chicago in August of 1968? Does the movie portray heroes or villains? Or is everyone equally culpable?
2. Can you envision riots on this scale occurring in America today? Why or why not?
3. Abbie Hoffman consistently uses language about the media making politics and protest mere "theater." What does he mean by this, and how might this idea be relevant to today's media/political environment?
4. Do you feel like the film idealizes the notion of "taking to the streets" in protest? Do the theatrics and violence overwhelm our sense of knowing what exactly is being protested?

The Family Corner

Chicago 10 is rated R for language and brief sexual images. It's an interesting and marginally insightful historical film that could be quite educational and inspiring to young audiences (teens and older) who may not be familiar with the events of 1968. That said, the film does contain quite a bit of profanity, some disturbing (because it's real) violence, and a few sexual images (including a cartoon orgy). It's certainly not a film for younger kids, but some older kids and parents might find it a helpful, history-based conversation starter.

Photos © Copyright Roadside Attractions

© Brett McCracken subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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