Denial (2016) [Blu-ray]
Biography | Drama
Tagline: The whole world knows the holocaust happened. Now she needs to prove it.
In the 1990s, well-known Holocaust denier David Irving sued historian Deborah Lipstadt -- issuing a complaint under British law requiring the American academic to prove that the greatest atrocity of World War II actually took place.
Oscar winner Rachel Weisz stars in this powerful true story based on the acclaimed book, Denial: Holocaust History on Trial. When Deborah Lipstadt (Weisz) speaks out against Holocaust denier David Irving (Timothy Spall) over his falsification of history,
she discovers that the stakes are higher than ever in the battle for historical truth. Now faced with a libel lawsuit in British court, Lipstadt and her attorney (Tom Wilkinson) have the heavy burden of proving that the Holocaust actually happened, in a
riveting legal fight with stunning consequences.
Storyline: Based on the acclaimed book "History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier," DENIAL recounts Deborah E. Lipstadt's (Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz) legal battle for historical truth against David Irving
(Cannes Award winner Timothy Spall), who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. In the English legal system in Defamation, the burden of proof is on the accused, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team to prove the
essential truth that the Holocaust occurred. Also starring two-time Academy Award nominee Tom Wilkinson, the film is directed by Emmy Award winner Mick Jackson (Temple Grandin) and adapted for the screen by BAFTA and Academy Award nominated writer
David Hare (The Reader). Producers are Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff. Written by Bleecker Street
Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, January 2, 2017 Anyone within earshot of a talk show or newscast or browsing around the Web has no doubt run across the term "fake news" in the past few weeks. It's become everything
from an accusatory stigma to a badge of honor with a whole lot of wrangling, inside fighting, public outcries, confusion, and all sorts of accusations, wild and grounded, from both sides of the war for the hearts and minds of the 21st century digital
audience. What is real, what is not, who is a legitimate source, who is not, who will shape the narrative, who will not are all the pressing questions, everything, it seems, but "what is the truth?" Is it what he says? What she claims? What
they pronounce? "What" are the facts isn't even an issue anymore. "Where" they are and "who" makes them are. Sorting through the sordid cloud of confusion is anymore the real challenge, never mind processing whatever bits of truth or layered lies
might be in the way. What's really amazing is how the digital age -- all of the freedom of information, lightning-quick movement and consumption of it -- has made the playing field more difficult than ever before. But that's what happens when so many
voices rise up. The town square is now the globe and the town criers can reach billions, each with their own agendas for the present and future, often shaped by their take on the past. That's all to introduce Denial, a movie that seems even more
timely now than when it released to theaters only months ago. It tells the story of a trial pitting a holocaust professor, sure of her own research and the truth surrounding one of the most horrific examples of genocide in the 20th century, against a man,
every bit as wise and sharp as she, who loudly claims it all to be a fraud. Both have conviction on their side. Both have the public's ear. One is more reputable, one is more vocal. Who holds the truth? In this case, that's up to a court of law to decide,
but the court of public opinion will want to hear the case, too. And as for the movie, the verdict is in: it's a good one.
Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) is a published author and accomplished lecturer whose speciality lies with exploring the Holocaust. In her latest book, she's defamed a well known denier named David Irving (Timothy Spall) who crashes one of her lectures,
makes a scene and a spectacle, and ultimately sues her for defamation. The suit is filed in the UK, which is home to different standards of burden of proof in the courtroom, making Lipstadt's job of battling and, in this case, prosecuting her accuser more
difficult than it might be in her home country of The United States. She forms a team, which includes Anthony Julius (Andrew Scott) and Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson), to battle Irving in court and prove before a judge rather than a jury that Irving
knowingly falsified his views for his own gain.
Denial walks that fine line between enthralling and exciting courtroom drama and the sobering reality of what's at its center. Partway through the film, Lipstadt, Rampton, and team visit Auschwitz on a foggy morning. The movie paints a contrast of
striking photography with haunting images of what once was there inside the wire and what happened throughout the structures, some of which are now little more than remains. It's a necessary visit for the team and a necessary visit for the audience, too,
an audience that knows and appreciates the raw data from history texts but that gets a chilling sense of tangible reality when the movie visits the site. It also emphasizes the stark contrast between the opposing sides at the trial and further develops
the David Irving character even as he's off-screen for the duration of the camp sequence. It offers a tangible, detailed insight into his psyche, either dismissing the reality of everything around him or simply touching up the facts to his own liking or
to fit his own agenda. But the interesting part of the movie, and his character, is why. The film is an exploration not of courtroom mechanics or statistical history but rather the mind of an individual who has dedicated his life to pursuing,
publishing, and praising disinformation. On the surface, he looks like a quack. But backed up by passion (not persuasion), quick wit, and even, to some extent, an almost likable flamboyant exterior, Denial offers a fascinating glimpse at a man who
may not be held in high esteem but who is certainly an endlessly fascinating subject.
Timothy Spall is fantastic in the part, too, capturing that passion and those eccentricities, the quick wit, and the very much believable cadence with which he carries himself and his ideas. Comfortable screaming at a lecture or defending his positions in
court -- even when pressed and forced to think outside of his large and complex but not infallible box -- Spall paints Irving with a fine brush comprised of many colors within the more obvious broad strokes of his skewered perception and championing of
history. This ranks amongst his best performances, as engaging and nuanced as his precision work in the fantastic Mr. Turner. Weisz and Wilkinson capture a spirit of determination for their own cause of promoting the truth, the former offering a
particularly good turn as not just a voice for truth, but a person who sees beyond the need to promote valid facts and find the reality of that truth in the world, outside of university lectures and library books. The movie is well made, photographed
smartly and efficiently and, when necessary, movingly, by the tandem of Director Mick Jackson (The Bodyguard) and Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (Cinderella), capturing those astonishing shots of Auschwitz but also framing the courtroom
drama with some masterful moments of juxtaposition that allow the actors to tell an intimate story-of-the-moment set against the larger expanse of action-reaction within the court's walls.
Denial is terrific movie. It may not reinvent the Courtroom Drama, but it's sharp, understands its story, knows its characters, and doesn't make light of its antagonist. Spall is amazing as the Holocaust denier while Weisz and Wilkinson impress as
the key figures opposite. The movie is beautifully composed, well paced, and captivating from start to finish. Universal's Blu-ray is disappointingly short on substantive extra content. Video is also a bit bland and audio is straightforward. Highly
recommended based on the quality of the film.
CSW] -3.6- Considering British understatement this reviewer got it "Spot-On": Denial is one of the rare "based on true events" stories that refuses to juice up the truth with invented extra drama. Some viewers will therefore find
it too low-key, but if you keep in mind that this is what REALLY happened (e.g., the courtroom scenes are verbatim), it's illuminating and thoroughly engaging. It's also an excellent character study featuring great performances by Weisz, Spall, and
Wilkinson.
.
Although I had a bit of angst during the movie because the outcome was completely uncertain, in a way it enhanced the film and I truly enjoyed it.
[V3.0-A4.0] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box
º º