The film, Denial, is about an admired writer and historian that must present historical truth to prove the Holocaust actually occurred in attempt to avoid a law suit of libel against well known Holocaust denier, David Irving.
In 1996, a historian, Deborah Lipstadt was pursued in the UK courts because David Irving was directly referred to as a falsifier of history in her book Denying the Holocaust. In the film, Irving is suing for libel or defamation of his name. In the case of a libel suit, the plaintiff must call for proof that the claims are in fact true. In this case, Deborah would have to prove that the Holocaust actually took place in order to free herself of the charges.
This case is specifically unique in the fact that Deborah makes it through the trial without testifying herself, unlike David who acted as his own council throughout the trial. They explain that in testifying herself, her defense will take away from the actual case which is to prove that the Holocaust did exist and that Irving is a denier. Along with that no living Holocaust survivors were called to testify to save them the embarrassment and humiliation in facing Irving. Would this have made a difference? Finally there is no jury involved in the final decision. There is only one judge to make the important verdict.
The most memorable scenes in my opinion were the images used to let viewers see the piles of shoes and exhibits of all the misery that people had to suffer through during the times of the Holocaust. Using the imagery of misery really, in my opinion showcased everything at stake in the trial. It was a way that the audience could really connect. There are still Holocaust deniers in today's society. One could argue that this film is even more important now than ever. I urge everyone to if not watch, look into this case.
Citations:
Bradshaw, Peter. “Denial Review – Overwhelmingly Relevant Assertion of Truth.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 26 Jan. 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jan/26/denial-review-holocaust-rachel-weisz
Wloszczyna, Suzan. "Denial Movie Review & Film Summary (2016) / Roger Ebert." RogerEbert.com, 30. Sept. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/denial-2016.
If there was no judge or jury, how was a decision made? And was this just for the movie or is that how the trial happened in real life?
ReplyDeleteThere was a judge. The movie is based off of the actual trial. They did not have a jury because they believed that the obscenity that Irving was going to present would have affected a jury's outcome. Instead, the case was dealt with the judge.
DeleteThanks for the clarification!
DeleteIt's hard to believe that people actually denied the Holocaust. I understand that it's hard to think about because we didn't live through it, but other people did and there were millions of lives that were lost due to it. For the movie, it frustrates me that Deborah never testifies because that's crucial to any case. And I agree with Emma, it's hard to make a decision when there isn'y a jury. One judge can't make such a huge decision, and for Deborah to not even testify, it blows my mind. This is easily a movie that I could see myself watching and actually enjoying.
ReplyDeleteI think it is insane that people deny the Holocaust. What swayed the judge? Also, was it technically legal for a case like this to happen without a jury?
ReplyDeleteTechnically it is legal to proceed with a hearing without the judge if there is a greater cause. Because the denial was such a big case, they proved a jury would do more harm than aid in coming to the truth.
DeleteAlthough the movie acts as an obvious dramatized version of the case, if the rulings and proceedings of the case are factual, it seems wild. It would be interesting to have a conversation with a judge who doesn't further investigate to the millions of pieces of evidence the Holocaust has left behind. After seeing devastating images of the conditions in which people were living and dying it's impossible for me not to believe it happened.
ReplyDeleteIt is horrible to think that someone has to prove the holocaust happened. People these days are becoming extremely ignorant about the horrors of past wars. The movie seems like it would be interesting to watch just to see how they would approach and handle the situation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the comments about how insane it is that people deny the Holocaust. There was a lot of evidence that was destroyed or covered up but there is still so much evidence showing that it did happen.
ReplyDelete