Nightmare Fuel / The Trial of the Chicago 7

• This film demonstrates what happens to defendants who don't have an impartial judge. Regardless of the law, regardless of the obvious unfairness in, e.g., completely denying Seale his Constitutional right to an attoney or refusing to let the jury hear case-breaking testimony, there is nothing that the defense team can do to force Hoffman to behave with even a modicum of fairness. Instead, he punishes them for even trying. The best encouragement Clark can give them is to start their case for the appeal.
• The movie also doesn't shy away at all from police brutality. We see cops who are ready to get violent against protestors, whether violent or not, and the hits look brutal.
  • In the midst of the protest, some frat boys who were haranguing the protestors earlier attempt to gang rape a woman. One of the Chicago 7 intervenes and rescues her, but it's a sudden and frightening turn in an already distressing scene.
• At one point, Tom sees a police officer in court polishing his badge. He has a silent flashback to the night of the riot, when the police officers removed their badges. It is an eerily realistic take on PTSD.