Denial

Denial tells the true story of Deborah Lipstadt, a professor at Emory University. Many of you will wonder why no one has yet made a film about my life. But then no one has yet sued me for libel. In 1993, Lipstadt wrote a book called, Denying the Holocaust. Three years later, she was sued by David Irving, perhaps the best known Holocaust denier. He didn't deny that he was a Holocaust denier, but rather that his claims were true. Since the case was in England, the burden of proof was on the defendant, Professor Lipstadt. She and her lawyers had to prove in court that the Holocaust was real. They also had to show that Irving was not just wrong, but that he knew he wrong when he denied the Holocaust. First, a trigger warning. Denial is obviously about the Holocaust, but this is no dry, academic discussion. Auschwitz and its gas chambers are discussed in detail and Lipstadt and her lawyers visit Auschwitz during the film. That being said, this is a powerful and emotional film, all the more so because it is a true story.

It has an amazing British cast. The role of Lipstadt, an American from New York City is played by Rachel Weisz, who is actually English. Irving is played by Timothy Spall, best known as Wormtail in the Harry Potter Movies, but who gave an amazing performance last year in Mr. Turner. If you are a fan of Masterpiece Theater and Mystery, you will know that since the trial is in England, Lipstadt needs both a Solicitor (played by Andrew Scott) and a Barrister (played by the wonderful Tom Wilkinson). Actually everyone in this film is wonderful. Wilkinson is ubiquitous. He the classic British character actor. He can and has played almost any character you can think of, and has two Oscar nominations. Scott is instantly recognizable as Moriarty in the Sherlock series. Mark Gatiss, who plays Mycroft in Sherlock, also appears in Denial as an expert witness. But Denial is all about Weisz as Lipstadt and Spall as Irving. And they are up to the task. Weisz is one of my favorite actresses. She is amazing but also her intelligence is always projected strongly through the characters she plays on the screen. She won an Oscar for The Constant Gardener.

Denial is a courtroom drama which I always find appealing. Spall as Irving acts as his own lawyer with Wilkinson taking on the defense. It is well directed (Mick Jackson), written (David Hare!), and scored (Howard Shore!). It builds nicely to the courtroom climax. Lipstadt takes a very strong stand and will not settle the suit. She decides to fight the case in court and so must prove that the Holocaust happened and that Irving was purposely lying to promote his anti-semitism. And right up until the climax when the judge's final ruling is revealed you don't know whether Lipstadt and her lawyers have been successful. Spoiler alert! You can look this up on Wikipedia. Denial is particularly timely as we live in a time where facts are not accepted, and where every argument needs to have two sides even if one side has all the facts and the other just opinions. But don't take my word for it. Prove it for yourself and go see the movie.