by Frank Calvillo
The obvious hook of intrigue with a film like Denial is that it touches on one of the most hotly-debated subjects that is so continuously swept under the rug, which is that the grave atrocity known as the holocaust never actually took place. The extremely controversial claim that the holocaust never happened, despite many documented pieces of evidence and personal testimony, is a notion that remains perhaps one of the boldest made with regards to history, that some actually choose to accept as truth. It’s a huge claim which some cling to and an idea that provides the backdrop to Denial, a film which wisely chooses not to center its plot around such a preposterous suggestion, but instead makes a film based on the surprisingly grey areas that lie within historical fact and free speech.
Denial is based on the true story of noted Jewish professor and author Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz), whose 1994 book on the holocaust brought forth a libel suit by controversial British historian David Irving (Timothy Spall), who maintains that the events in question never happened. The film retells the events leading up the six-year-long court case headed by attorney Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson), which called to question both individuals’ characters as well as the question of free speech and historical revisionism.
On the surface, Denial is a film about laying to rest the more than ridiculous claim that the holocaust was a complete fabrication on behalf of the Jewish people to further their own agenda. While the issue is certainly addressed and brief, yet appropriate, homage to everyone affected by the holocaust is paid, Denial becomes more about fundamental civil principles than anything else. It’s the questioning and challenging of history, more specifically the way certain individuals choose to present history, which plays one of the center roles in Denial. The question of what is an opinion and what is shown to be an out-and-out fact is put to the test throughout the film and how the differences between the two, while seemingly straightforward, can be so easily and deceptively blurred.
Ultimately Denial belongs to the sub-genre of court procedurals and firmly earns its place as a film where the perceptions and differences between the laws on different sides of the Atlantic are thoughtfully highlighted and understood. One of the film’s strengths is that it doesn’t over sentimentalize the various moments involving victories in the courtroom or pre-trial preparations amongst the legal team. The specific nature of the case, and the woman at the center of it, provides all the emotional weight in its own right. As a result, debatable points such as the decision to not put holocaust survivors on the stand to be presumably torn apart by Irving (acting as his own council), and Deborah’s repeated attempts to testify, which are shut down by Richard out of fear of his client’s passion and temper working against their case, are allowed to play out in riveting ways.
It would be impossible for a film like Denial to not just function, but pretty much exist, without a group of strong performances to bolster it at every turn. As Deborah, Weisz’ accent does prove a bit too much at times, perhaps a conscious choice from the British-born actress in trying to illustrate the real-life woman’s unwavering determination. However it’s the moments such as Deborah’s visits to Auschwitz and Irving’s grandstanding moments in court, in which the gravity of what she’s built her career around and what she’s now facing, where Weisz truly shines.
Wilkinson brings his trademark talent to the role and plays Richard as the sort of traditional British lawyer whose methods are at odds with the passionate and understandably emotional Deborah, but whose devotion to the case is never questioned. Meanwhile, Spall (who can play a villainous character under a drug-induced coma) out villains himself by making Irving a man who not only believes but embodies every anti-Semitic claim he makes.
In spite of one or two dry moments, Denial is a solidly made film that manages to hit all the right beats in telling this real-life, fact-driven tale, while emphasizing its significance and importance. The tragic aspect at hand is that a decade or so ago, Denial would have been the film to beat come awards season. Doubtless the film would have been made on a much grander scale, more focus would have been paid its distribution, and greater attention from both critics and the public would almost certainly have been a given. Yet in today’s film world, where every true-life tale has become ripe for cinematic storytelling, Denial’s chances of the kind of awards glory every film of its caliber hopes to attain are sadly slim. And yet none of that matters. The real victory is the film’s existence and how it succeeds in so many ways as a comment on historical revisionism, antisemitism, and honoring the legacy of those who suffered through one of darkest moments in history.
