It's hard not to think of the many other protestors, detainees, and U.S. citizens whose rights are being stifled as we speak.
Chicago 10 (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:77
Fresh:61
Rotten:16
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: Brett Morgan's half-animated, half-documentary film is an arresting, sometimes visionary portrait of the historic and chaotic trial.
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Genre: Education/General Interest
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: Brett Morgen follows up his dazzling THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE with another daring, inventive work of nonfiction. CHICAGO 10 tells the raucous story of the trial that resulted after the... Brett Morgen follows up his dazzling THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE with another daring, inventive work of nonfiction. CHICAGO 10 tells the raucous story of the trial that resulted after the tumultuous Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968. During the convention, a group of Yippies and other confrontationists pulled off a series of sit-ins and pranks that led to an eruption of violence. The result was a trial that simultaneously amused, thrilled, and challenged the nation and our notions of freedom. The supposed leaders of these insurrections became defendants, who used their position in the spotlight to further provoke the powers-that-be. They included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seale, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner. In addition to providing a solid historical context using stock footage of actual events, Morgen takes Rubin's claim that the trial was a cartoon to a literal level by recreating the trial's most infamous moments in full-blown animation. Famous voices (Hank Azaria, Nick Nolte, Dylan Baker, Mark Ruffalo, Roy Scheider, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schrieber) provide the energetic dialogue that brings these scenes to electrifying life. Morgen also uses a sonic onslaught of aggressive modern pop music (Eminem, Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine) to remind younger viewers that at the time, these were the voices of genuine anti-authority. CHICAGO 10 works as an invigorating history lesson that aims to wake viewers up and remind them of their ability to help determine where American society is headed. [More]
Starring: Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo
Starring: Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, Roy Scheider, Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Wright
Director: Brett Morgen
Director: Brett Morgen
Screenwriter: Brett Morgen
Producer: Brett Morgen, Graydon Carter
Composer: Jeff Danna
Studio: Roadside Attractions
Reviews for Chicago 10
The anachronistic music cues and refreshing lack of hippie-dippie reminiscence make it a movie for right now -- a funny, fiendishly entertaining salute to dissent in all its forms.
The material is incredibly compelling -- though trust me, it was even more compelling (and scary) as it was happening.
History is on the side of the protesters, who were right to shout about government corruption and the Vietnam War, so a contemporary film needs to more than just take their side.
If nothing else, it's a welcomed alternative to the more straightforward and serious film that Spielberg is likely to deliver.
Chicago 10 is a movie for parents and grandparents to take their older children and grandchildren. It's worth a field trip for high school and college American history classes.
Morgen recaptures the unreal air of the whole chapter; you can imagine young audiences understanding, perhaps for the first time, what the fuss was about.
The animation may be 3-D, but only in live-action snippets like this does Chicago 10 become multidimensional.
Given the filmmaker's privileged perspective of hindsight, to notconsider the real-world repercussions of their theater, to not connect the dots between 1968 and 2008 is a squandered opportunity.
Chicago 10 is a timely reminder that dissident youth once were viewed by the government as enemies of the state. Morgan's collection of these images forces us to keep watching, and recognize this as part of our very recent history.
If you accept the premise that it's a multimedia happening rather than a history lesson, the half-documentary, half-cartoon Chicago 10 is a smash of a mash-up. Call it 1968, the Remix.
The film covers the history of the central events as well as could be hoped in an hour and 40 minutes and conveys some of the feel of the time.
Morgen is an invigorating filmmaker, not content to go the well-traveled route when there's a new path to try. Chicago 10 benefits from that sense of adventure.
Its greatest achievement, no question, is simply that it rescues a period of modern history from its suffocating blanket of respect and worship.
It’s a fresh and important new take on one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.
The Signal is not for the squeamish, but the violence is doled out judiciously and interspersed with moments of mordant, truly biting comedy.
Morgen's film suffers from two fatal flaws: prosaic story-telling and political naivete.
Brett Morgan's intriguing, partially-animated dramatization of the 1968 protest of the Chicago Democratic National Convention dimly shines a light on how far we've come, and how far we haven't.
As a peace-loving liberal, cross-examining Morgen's rousing, worthy, but slanted film is as fun as kicking yourself in the shins (or watching Clinton tear into Obama)
Latest News for Chicago 10
August 27, 2008:
Docu-drama revisits historic free speech trial of anti-war activists arrested during the 1968 Democratic Convention. ![]()
More...
February 28, 2008:
Critics Consensus: Semi-Pro is Semi-Good, Boleyn Girl Not Quite Movie Royalty
This week at the movies, we've got hapless hoopsters, snouted socialites, and scandalous siblings. What do the critics have to say? More...
January 21, 2007:
Sundance News: "Chicago 10" Disappoints; Dakota Fanning's "Hounddog" Violating Child Pornography Laws? "Crazy Love" Causes Bidding War
Since the Sundance Film Festival started two days ago, three films have already drawn extra media attention. "Chicago 10," Brett Morgen's highly anticipated follow-up... More...
January 20, 2007:
Sundance Reviews: "Chicago 10" Is Unique But Flawed; "The Savages" Is Wrenching And True
Here are some short reviews of "Chicago 10" and "The Savages," both of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. More...
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