As a viewer who knows very little about the background and history of the story, the first ten minutes of the film were indeed a bit persuasive for me. Various characters appeared, and not only had to recognize the name but also the face and read the subtitles. When the main line of the story is opened, everything gradually becomes clear. Although they are the Seven Gentlemen, they can be divided into several small camps. The elite student Tom Hayden played by Little Freckles and his little follower, the hippie Abby Huo Furman and his sidekick, the little hippie, the good old man, and two "giveaways" just for guilt relief when the jury convicted the main culprit. Little Freckles and Abby are the protagonists of the Seven Gentlemen, and the story is mainly told from their perspective.
eye of tom hayden
At the beginning of the movie, heroes from all walks of life appear one after another. If you ask which character is the closest to the audience and the most immersive, there is no doubt that it is Tom, a good student. He is well educated, speaks elegantly, advocates peace, opposes violence, and more importantly Yes, he is calm and smart, and has a complete plan for the entire protest, not like an army of hippies who can't walk away from marijuana and beauty. This role is played by the small freckles with a sense of vulnerability, which makes the audience naturally empathize.
Now that Tom is the protagonist, the story must also reflect his growth and transformation. In the beginning, Tom's definition and goals of this trial were simple, and he believed they should prove their innocence and let the judge and jury know that they did not intend violence. When the hippies mocked and satirized the judge, he held his forehead several times. In fact, at that time, he still thought that as long as they presented evidence and reasoned, they could still be exonerated.
When the judge openly favored the prosecution and discriminated against black people several times, he was shaken. When his friend passed him a note "Don't stand up for the judge", he agreed. But when the trial that day ended, the bailiff told everyone to stand up. At that time he stood up reflexively. From the bottom of his heart, he is still a person who abides by the rules. He does not want to believe that this is just a "political trial" and that the Seven Gentlemen are destined to be sacrificed.
In the last few scenes, when the judge asked him to make a closing statement and made it clear that he could reduce his sentence if he flattered him well, he suddenly woke up and read out the list of soldiers who died in the Vietnam War, giving the judge a resounding note. The slap also pushes the movie to its climax. So far, the role has been shaped and sublimated. When I saw the closing statement, when the judge asked him to repent, I thought he was going to say that the thing he regretted the most was standing up for the judge, but I didn't expect it to be a foreshadowing of copying his name before filling in.
Abbie Hoffman's Mouth
The two hippies are undoubtedly one of the highlights of the film, and they also contributed to the main laughs in the whole film. Although the main point of view of the story mentioned earlier was developed by Tom, when several scenes were switched and time and space were switched, it was connected through Abby's talk show, which was explained by Abby's mouth.
Although Abby is crazy and condescending, there is no doubt that he is the most thorough person who sees problems in the whole film. At the beginning of the trial, he pointed out that this was a "political trial". He and his companions openly provoked the judge and played cosplay in the courtroom, because he had understood that no matter what the truth was, whether they cooperated with the dispatch, their crimes were premature. was settled. Abby understands that this is not a fight between the prosecution and the Seven Gentlemen, but a revolution, so he tells Jon Joseph that he knows the other party is a good person.
Abby is the one who understands Tom best, they are just similar souls who have chosen a different way of life. Abby had read Tom's speech very well, and could see the real meaning behind what he sounded like "incitement to violence", and when he was chosen to testify as a witness, he was dignified and calm, quoting Lincoln and the Bible aptly and movingly, to the final subtitles Bring out that he wrote a bestseller titled "Steal This Book", and who wouldn't admit that he's such a wonderful guy.
The similarities between Abby and Tom, and I don't know whether it is intentional or purely similar, Tom called everyone to go to Chicago to give a speech at the beginning, saying something like "We are going to Chicago, whether we are given permit or not", Abby also said "These things gonna happen whether you give us the permis or not" when he applied for the venue to the park director.
some metaphors
I've always felt that the metaphor of being obsessed with finding a director in a movie is a bit far-fetched and over-interpreted, but some clips really have to be thought-provoking.
The first is that the black Bobby was ordered by the judge to seal his mouth with a cloth in the courtroom. When the lawyers of both parties and the judge asked the judge to judge the black man as a wrongful conviction, the defense lawyer asked Bobby "Can you breathe?" This dialogue only occurs in the background. , even the subtitles were not typed out, but it still reminds me of the "I can't breathe" that Floyd, a black American, made when he was kneeled on his neck by the police this year.
The second is when the protesters were surrounded by the police in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the bar. The bar was singing and dancing peacefully, but there was bloodshed behind the window. Finally, the protesters were pushed by the police and smashed through the glass wall, which meant breaking the fourth wall. . Elections, racial issues and riots, the film's chosen setting has so many similarities to 2020 that it's hard not to speculate whether the film has any intention of mirroring reality.
Aside from the historical background and political metaphors of the film, this is still a good film from a viewing point of view. It is heavy but not dull, with many characters but not facial expressions. Forgotten "popcorn", when the screen went dark, there seemed to be some unfinished words in my heart, which occasionally rushed to my throat.
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