Chicago 10 is meant to build the mythology real people and events using non-fiction elements: Archival footage and–in dramatizing the trial of the protesters–animation. Director Brett Morgen uses a technique called Motion Capture, so that he himself could act out many of the courtroom characters. His physical movements were translated to drawn caricatures and then the voices were added from various actors (Roy Scheider as Judge Julius Hoffman is particularly surprising). By blending the animation with archival footage and a present day soundtrack (Beastie Boys “Sabotage” plays under archival footage of the hippies storming a monument in Grant Park), Morgen intends to ram the spirit of 60’s era protest into current events. However, I’ll be telling people to go see Chicago 10 for the pieces that are more documentary than call-to-arms.

The Yippies (led by Abbie Hoffman) and MOBE (National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, led by Rennie Davis) are organized protesters going to the 1968 Democratic National Convention to renounce the nomination of LBJ, and thereby a government running an unjust war. They converge on a city already in a bad year (the police in Chicago’s 1968 riots came off as the barbarian horde) and Mayor Daley publicly promised any disorderly conduct at the Convention would be squashed. Conversely, Abbie Hoffman and the Yippies were promising the start of the New Revolution. Hence, tensions were high around the Convention before the bunting was even hung. …Read more