Denial (2016)

Acclaimed writer and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt must battle for historical truth to prove the Holocaust actually occurred when David Irving, a renowned denier, sues her for libel.

Director:

Mick Jackson

Writers:

Deborah Lipstadt (based on the book "History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier" by) (as Deborah E. Lipstadt), David Hare (screenplay by)

Stars:

Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rachel Weisz	...	Deborah Lipstadt
Tom Wilkinson	...	Richard Rampton
Timothy Spall	...	David Irving
Andrew Scott	...	Anthony Julius
Jack Lowden	...	James Libson
Caren Pistorius	...	Laura Tyler
Alex Jennings	...	Sir Charles Gray
Harriet Walter	...	Vera Reich
Mark Gatiss	...	Prof. Robert Jan Van Pelt
John Sessions	...	Prof. Richard Evans
Nikki Amuka-Bird	...	Libby Holbrook
Pip Carter	...	Anthony Forbes-Watson
Jackie Clune	...	Heather Rogers
Will Attenborough	...	Thomas Skelton-Robinson
Max Befort	...	Nik Wachsman

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.

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Plot Keywords:

anti semitism | holocaust denial | holocaust | historian | holocaust survivor | 

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Taglines:

Based on a true story.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German Hebrew

Release Date:

21 October 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Negação

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$93,728, 2 October 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,072,226, 16 December 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films,Krasnoff / Foster Entertainment,Participant Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Goethe-quote that was said by Richard Rampton is from Act 2, Scene 3 of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1790-play (which however premiered in 1807) named "Torquato Tasso" about the life of the Italian poet Torquato Tasso in 1577. This particular quote is said by the secretary of state, Antonio Montecatino, after a duel argument between him and Tasso.

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Goofs

The shot of the River Thames from the window of Penguin Books Ltd shows the newly renovated Blackfriars Station from 2012 with solar panels but the movie is set in 1996.

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Quotes

David Irving: [first lines; in a video speaking to a sympathetic audience] I don't see any reason to be tasteful about Auschwitz. I say to you quite tastelessly that more women died on the back seat of Senator Edward Kennedy's car at Chappaquiddick than ever died in a gas chamber at Auschwitz.
[audience laughing and applauding]
Deborah Lipstadt: Holocaust denial rests on four basic assertions. Number 1: That there was never any systematic or organized attempt by the Nazis to kill all of Europe's Jews. Number 2: That the numbers...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Film '72: Episode #46.2 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by The Cavendish Orchestra
Published by Cavendish Music Co. Ltd.
Courtesy of Cavendish Music

User Reviews

awfully biased and utterly one sided with some good acting.

the movie is poorly written with a soul intention of defaming one person and possibly to show what happen to holocaust deniers. the makers of the movie didn't realize that the people who knew nothing or have very little knowledge about holocaust actually will become more skeptic rather than sympathetic.

i am not a sympathizer of David irving and frankly i never knew him before this movie. watching this movie one thing was clear, the writer was clearly biased against David irving by not showing his part of argument.

the movie was based on a case which was carefully constructed by powerful lawyers team against one defenseless person and their strategy to proving him a liar instead of countering his claim with facts. at the end of the trial all they managed to prove that Irving was an anti-semite and did manipulate the fact but the point of whether holocaust actually happened or not remain a question.

i watched this movie hoping that there will be trials based on facts to prove and historical event but sadly i am very disappointed.

the only good thing about the movie is the acting of lead actors. Rachel weisz was exceptionally good. Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall and Andrew Scott did a good job