An arresting reminder that history is far more fluid that we might prefer, Denial stands out not as a great film of the year but an uncomfortably timely one.
When a famed scholar who denies the Holocaust happened sues a Holocaust studies professor for libel, a colossal chess game is set. Or it would be, if Denial was a better film. What we get is an extended anecdote, a typical courtroom drama that features few surprises though it does remind us of an important real-life event that happened only two decades ago. The film, with its basic narrative cadence and the simple melodies it plays on your heartstrings isn't symphonic as, we might argue, it should be. But it is a simple reminder that some films are sound and sweet and smart and just plain solid, and that's okay.
What matters here -- besides the shockingly urgent implications of its revelation that history's facts are always up for debate and revision, which hit you only after the film is long over -- is Rachel Weisz. Reminding us once again (after her delicious presence in The Mummy) that knowledge can be power when married to passion, she reprises her role as librarian/scholar and transforms it into an heroic warrior, a pillar of virtue whose humanity only makes her stronger and fiercer. This is surely one of her great roles, and one that slowly reveals itself to be far more complex than we might suppose. Forced into silence by her legal team and hindered from the victory she deserves by publicity and legalities, her character keeps pushing for vindication until she achieves it. It's a relentless character, and Weisz crafts a powerhouse performance that still manages more nuances than you could bang a gavel at.
David Hare's screenplay, though simple and straightforward, isn't ever "bad". It just doesn't allow distractions or excess to obscure its heart. As honest and blunt as its leading character, the film reminds us of the inherent beauty of the tried-and-true courtroom drama (my favorite genre, after horror) by forcing us to pay attention to the duelling dialogue. Our era of political correctness and its vicious opposition, of instant messaging and virtual reality and artificial intelligence, might signal the end of this kind of film, where we are stuck watching and listening to people talk. We are compelled to listen and not speak as people present opposing ideas, and like the judge, come to our own opinions of it. In this particular instance, we are made to witness our history being subverted and questioned, and we must determine the extent to which we believe what has come before and why. We must confront the reality that our history is written not by facts but by people whose biases dictate its content, and -- even worse -- consider our own role in perpetuating a particular history as it is happening.
IMDb: Denial
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