Do you love talking about Films?
Are you trying to watch more films in English?
Join Peter’s English Film Club!
Saturday 30th May at 13:00 UK Time
We will discuss The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020)
You can find more details on how to participate on Zoom via Patreon and Discord!
What is Film Club? – The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Film Language Document – Conversation Questions – Extra Resources
What is Peter’s Film Club?
The Film Club is a great opportunity to practice English speaking skills by talking about a film.
Peter invites Thinking In English Conversation Club members (Patreon levels: Learner and Master) to join him on Zoom one Saturday per month, for free!
If you are not a Patreon member, you can pay to join the film club on Peter’s website
But it’s not just about improving speaking skills. Every film has a different topic so talking about them is a really effective way to increase your vocabulary.
Also, you can practice your writing. After every meeting, you can write your thoughts about the film and Peter will read it amd give you detailed feedback!
How to Prepare the Film Club:
1. Watch the film!
2. Prepare by studying the Film Language Document.
(The Film Language Document contains Themes, and Vocabulary Items specific to the film. It also contains the Conversation Questions we will discuss in the meeting!)
You can find the Film Language Document (and more) below…
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020)
Here is a simple description of the film
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 tells the true story of the legal trial of seven political activists who were accused of starting a violent riot in Chicago in 1968. The film manages to tell a relatively accurate historcial account and cover really serious themes while also being very entertaining thanks to a lively cast of very varied main characters.
Despite the fact that they all oppose the Vietnam war and promote progressive politics, the defendants have little in common. One is a pacifist, two are hippies, another two are more mainstream political activists. Yet another is the head of the Black Panther Party – a very important revolutionary, Marxist, sometimes violent, Black power organisation started by Malcolm X as a rejection of the non-violent principles of other civil rights activists.
The fantastic ensemble cast of actors includes Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, and Sacha Baron Cohen.
The film explores themes like war, racism, abuses of power, the cultural movement of the late 1960s, corruption in the legal system and the complexity of large-scale political protest. The film is at times funny, moving, exciting, and even shocking. But the main emotions you’ll feel are frustration and satisfaction as you strongly cheer for the defendants in this extraordinary trial.
Conversation Questions!
- Did you enjoy the film? How did it make you feel? Did it teach you anything new or change your opinions?
- Choose one of the principal characters (the five main defendants, Seale, the lawyer, the judge, the prosecutor). Did you agree with the character’s motives, do you sympathise with their decisions? Why did they act the way they did?
- This film was highly praised for its fantastic ensemble cast. Which acting performance stood out to you the most and why?
- What did you think about the portrayal of the unfairness of the court case? Was the film successful at representing the injustice, did it have enough nuance?
- How well does the film depict the brutality of the Vietnam war? Is this the main thing motivating all of our protagonists?
- In a case of violent riots, like this, how do you think legal responsibility should be assigned? How much blame should go to the leaders of the protest, how much to the police, how much to the city for failure to prepare, how much to each individual involved? Can you think of a similar case in your country, or in recent history – whose fault was it and why?
Do you have any more thoughts or questions?
Why not prepare 1 or 2 more of your own questions or opinions about the film?!
Extra Resources
If you want to do even more, you might want to look at the online resources:
IMDb Page
IMDb page where you can find everything about the film including: Videos, Characters, Cast and Crew, Plot Synopsis, Quotes, Reviews and more!
Official Trailer on YouTube
See if you like the look of the film by watching the trailer.
… and it might help you refresh your memory if you saw it a long time ago!
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 Vocabulary
Learn and practice the vocabulary for this film!.
Practice using 5 different study games and activities – including writing, listening, and memorisation techniques!
Flashcards
Matching Game
Learning Game
Test Yourself
Listening and Spelling
General Film Vocabulary
Learn and practice vocabulary for this Thinking in English Conversation Club.
Practice using 5 different study games and activities – including writing, listening, and memorisation techniques!
Flashcards
Matching Game
Learning Game
Test Yourself
Listening and Spelling
See you at the Film Club!
