Haskell Wexler was a documentary filmmaker by profession; he wanted to make a film that used the documentary style but told a true fictional story. He began the filming in spring 1968 and began to merge his story with major events as they unfolded during the summer, ending with the Democratic National Convention.
John Cassellis (Robert Forster) is a news cameraman for a Chicago TV station; his sound man is Gus (Peter Bonerz). They are jaded reporters that have seen it all and have no emotional connection to the events they are recording. This includes an encounter with an African American man and friends whose story he wants to exploit. John's lack of commitment also extends to the women in his life.
Other stories John and Gus cover are Resurrection City in Washington, D. C., the assassination of Robert Kennedy, and the preparation of the National Guard for possible riot control in Chicago.
One day John thinks a kid has stolen something from his car and chases him. The kid, Harold (Harold Blankenship), escapes but drops a basket he is carrying. It contains a live pigeon, and for some reason, John decides to return it. He meets Harold's mother, Eileen (Verna Bloom), a recent transplant to the city from the Appalachian mountains. John is intrigued by both Eileen and Harold and develops a relationship with them
John gets upset when he learns his TV station shares video with the Chicago police and the FBI, and is fired in the process of confronting his bosses. John does find a free-lance job covering the Democratic National Convention. This means we see considerable footage of demonstrators on the streets of Chicago around the Convention, as well as a number of scenes inside the convention itself.
During the convention, Harold wanders off to the convention site with a young friend and doesn't come home. Eileen goes to the convention area to seek John's help in finding Harold. There are many remarkable scenes of Eileen walking in the midst of the protesters. Harold returns home unknown to John and Eileen. John and Eileen drive away from the convention, but the car blows a tire and crashes into a tree. Eileen is killed and John and seriously injured. The news report about the accident spells John's last name incorrectly. The film ends.
The film footage is all genuine, though some of the sound is overlaid on the video later.
Another remarkable part of the film was the role of Harold. Harold Blankenship was not an actor; he was a young person that had come to Chicago with his family and lived in a "ghetto" of Appalachian people living in the city. He could not read, and in scenes where his character was reading the lines were fed to him orally.
The film did wander a bit since it was being scripted as filming was occurring (it was originally supposed to be a movie about a boy who raised pigeons). No speeches by prominent people on the streets of Chicago were included, nor was any of the music. I suspect the legalities were too great since this was a commercial venture. I also thought the film's focus was greater on the National Guard, and less on the Chicago police than it should have been.
Still, this is a movie I will definitely watch again.
John Cassellis (Robert Forster) is a news cameraman for a Chicago TV station; his sound man is Gus (Peter Bonerz). They are jaded reporters that have seen it all and have no emotional connection to the events they are recording. This includes an encounter with an African American man and friends whose story he wants to exploit. John's lack of commitment also extends to the women in his life.
Other stories John and Gus cover are Resurrection City in Washington, D. C., the assassination of Robert Kennedy, and the preparation of the National Guard for possible riot control in Chicago.
One day John thinks a kid has stolen something from his car and chases him. The kid, Harold (Harold Blankenship), escapes but drops a basket he is carrying. It contains a live pigeon, and for some reason, John decides to return it. He meets Harold's mother, Eileen (Verna Bloom), a recent transplant to the city from the Appalachian mountains. John is intrigued by both Eileen and Harold and develops a relationship with them
John gets upset when he learns his TV station shares video with the Chicago police and the FBI, and is fired in the process of confronting his bosses. John does find a free-lance job covering the Democratic National Convention. This means we see considerable footage of demonstrators on the streets of Chicago around the Convention, as well as a number of scenes inside the convention itself.
During the convention, Harold wanders off to the convention site with a young friend and doesn't come home. Eileen goes to the convention area to seek John's help in finding Harold. There are many remarkable scenes of Eileen walking in the midst of the protesters. Harold returns home unknown to John and Eileen. John and Eileen drive away from the convention, but the car blows a tire and crashes into a tree. Eileen is killed and John and seriously injured. The news report about the accident spells John's last name incorrectly. The film ends.
The film footage is all genuine, though some of the sound is overlaid on the video later.
Another remarkable part of the film was the role of Harold. Harold Blankenship was not an actor; he was a young person that had come to Chicago with his family and lived in a "ghetto" of Appalachian people living in the city. He could not read, and in scenes where his character was reading the lines were fed to him orally.
The film did wander a bit since it was being scripted as filming was occurring (it was originally supposed to be a movie about a boy who raised pigeons). No speeches by prominent people on the streets of Chicago were included, nor was any of the music. I suspect the legalities were too great since this was a commercial venture. I also thought the film's focus was greater on the National Guard, and less on the Chicago police than it should have been.
Still, this is a movie I will definitely watch again.