Regardless of the fallacies of the Chicago 7 (Seale’s case is ultimately declared a mistrial), they struggle in their own different ways to achieve what they set out to do. The ideological conflicts that are present among them is true for the Indian left as well. Contrary to how the right-wing conservatives view leftists, there are multiple factions within them, each of whom subscribes to an ideology distinct from the other. I believe the constant debate within the Left should be kept alive as well, a discussion from which logical solutions spring up.
The movie paints a beautiful picture of this healthy exchange of ideas which takes the form of a lively banter at times for the audience’s delight. Abbie and Jerry teach us how to struggle for a revolution is not to give up on romantic love, to forget how to laugh but to laugh and love while waging that fight with your comrades. They personify Mao Tse-tung’s lines,
“A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”
As Abbie says, for a revolution to happen, we may have to hurt someone’s feelings. More often than not, it is to hurt our father who we love. It is to wreak havoc on the institutions held in high regard.
Deepshi Chowdhury is an eager political commentator struggling through her history honours course at LSR, Delhi. Painting revolutionary art and curating fusions of incompatible delicacies are her only two passions besides harbouring a penchant for articulating her meek dissenting voice through her mighty pen while listening to Faiz. Her words and portraits of Old Delhi’s dilapidated doors are her only legacy.
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If you want to know what really happened at the trial, you should read “The Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript” by Mark Levine and Danny Greenberg, which has all the major testimony and confrontations in the trial — verbatim! — from the actual transcript. It’s the 50th anniversary edition of “The Tales of Hoffman” which came out ten days after the trial ended in 1970 and has more of the testimony, and from more witnesses, than any other book around.
If you want to know what really happened at the trial, you should read “The Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript” by Mark Levine and Danny Greenberg, which has all the major testimony and confrontations in the trial — verbatim! — from the actual transcript. It’s the 50th anniversary edition of “The Tales of Hoffman” which came out ten days after the trial ended in 1970 and has more of the testimony, and from more witnesses, than any other book around.
Thank you so much for taking time out to read this and drop in such lovely suggestions! I will certainly look for this book.