Given the subject matter, this movie is an unflinching, unvarnished, uncompromising look into the life and revolutionary thought of Fred Hampton.
For those who are unfamiliar with Fred Hampton, during the time of the Chicago 7, in the late Sixties, Fred Hampton was the leader of the Black Panthers (not of course to be confused with the recent movie, Black Panther) of Chicago. Long before the term was fashionable, Hampton was able to forge what he called a rainbow coalition with other brown and white revolutionary groups, which no doubt hastened his death. In December 1969 he was shot dead while he sleeping by members of the Chicago Police and FBI. There is no historical disagreement that J. Edgar Hoover personally directed the assassination of Fred Hampton. None of the participants were prosecuted nor even questioned following his assassination.
The story is told through the eyes of the Judas, the traitor in the organization, Bill O'Neil, and his FBI handler. In life, O'Niel was Fred Hampton's closest associate, so you can see how deep the FBI was able to penetrate the organization. While there are moments when the movie digresses into Hollywood hokum, on the whole this movie is a sympathetic and accurate portrayal of the revolutionary thought of Fred Hampton. The focus of the film is Hampton's thoughts and dreams. By watching this film you will see the care with which that revolutionary thought was presented on the screen. It is both surprising and gratifying at the same time to see a major studio embark on this project and preserve Hampton's life, memory, and thoughts for a new generation.
For those who are unfamiliar with Fred Hampton, during the time of the Chicago 7, in the late Sixties, Fred Hampton was the leader of the Black Panthers (not of course to be confused with the recent movie, Black Panther) of Chicago. Long before the term was fashionable, Hampton was able to forge what he called a rainbow coalition with other brown and white revolutionary groups, which no doubt hastened his death. In December 1969 he was shot dead while he sleeping by members of the Chicago Police and FBI. There is no historical disagreement that J. Edgar Hoover personally directed the assassination of Fred Hampton. None of the participants were prosecuted nor even questioned following his assassination.
The story is told through the eyes of the Judas, the traitor in the organization, Bill O'Neil, and his FBI handler. In life, O'Niel was Fred Hampton's closest associate, so you can see how deep the FBI was able to penetrate the organization. While there are moments when the movie digresses into Hollywood hokum, on the whole this movie is a sympathetic and accurate portrayal of the revolutionary thought of Fred Hampton. The focus of the film is Hampton's thoughts and dreams. By watching this film you will see the care with which that revolutionary thought was presented on the screen. It is both surprising and gratifying at the same time to see a major studio embark on this project and preserve Hampton's life, memory, and thoughts for a new generation.
