Denial Page #22

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 107107.

146 INT. HIGH COURT. DAY 146

GRAY:

It appears to me that the correct

and inevitable inference must be

that the falsification of the

historical record was deliberate

and that Irving was motivated by a

desire to present events in a

manner consistent with his own

ideological beliefs even if that

involved distortion and

manipulation of historical

evidence. In the result therefore,

the defence of justification

succeeds. The court finds for the

defence.

A cry from the gallery of ‘Yes!’ DEBORAH is stunned for a

moment. Then she, too, air-punches. At once chaos breaks out.

Supporters stand up and clap. The T-shirted and tattooed

Irving supporters look thunderstruck. The blonde women mutter

furiously with IRVING. Everyone rushes across to DEBORAH to

congratulate her, ‘Well done’, and thumbs-up, hugs, JULIUS

looking sheepish, RAMPTON beaming, LAURA returned, NIK and

THOMAS slapping her back.

LIBSON/JULIUS/LAURA

Congratulations!

DEBORAH:

I can’t believe it.

LIBSON:

It’s true.

JULIUS:

You’ve been brilliant. Brilliant.

DEBORAH:

Brilliant? I haven’t done anything.

JULIUS:

Well nor have I! English legal

system. Barrister/solicitor,

remember? You think it was hard for

you. Try being me!

JULIUS hugs DEBORAH. LAURA and LIBSON are standing beside

them.

JULIUS (CONT’D)

Anyway, it’s not true. It was all

you. Your book held up. In every

aspect. In every detail. We may

have defended it. But it was your

book which won.

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 108108.

JULIUS stops, strong emotion showing in his eyes. They look

across to RAMPTON by himself in his robe. Suddenly he looks

completely exhausted - a year and a half of work. IRVING is

heading over to him in his shirtsleeves. When he gets there,

he holds out his hand.

IRVING:

Well done. Well done.

RAMPTON, refusing to take it, turns away, refusing eye

contact. Symbolically, JULIUS puts his polished shoe on the

chair in front of him, and mimes flicking something away.

IRVING, departing catches the gesture and looks directly at

JULIUS. But JULIUS is unwavering, finally looking IRVING in

the eye. And in the contest, it is IRVING who finally looks

down and turns away.

147 INT & EXT. HIGH COURT. DAY 147

Pandemonium. DEBORAH comes out with the team and walks

through the lobby. There is the sound of the NETWORK

REPORTERS:
“One of the most crushing libel judgements in

history.” “The Judge called Mr Irving an anti-Semite, a

racist and a distorter of history.” A cheer goes up from the

crowd. A barrage of photographers flash in her face. JULIUS

smiles at the REPORTERS.

JULIUS:

We won. We won big. It’s as if we

wrote it ourselves.

The REPORTERS shout at DEBORAH.

REPORTERS:

Deborah! Deborah! Do you have

anything to say? How are you

feeling? What’s your response to

the verdict?

Trained to silence, DEBORAH says nothing. But JULIUS whispers

in her ear.

JULIUS:

Now you can speak.

148 INT. HOTEL BALLROOM. DAY 148

FORBES WATSON is sitting taking a press conference.

FORBES WATSON:

We saw this as a free speech issue.

Penguin defended D.H. Lawrence, we

defended Salman Rushdie. It was

inconceivable we wouldn’t defend

Deborah Lipstadt.

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 109109.

DEBORAH appears beside him. There is applause as she sits.

Then, among flashbulbs, questions are called out at random.

REPORTER 1

Miss Lipstadt, can I ask, do you

have any regrets about bringing the

case?

DEBORAH:

I don’t know how to say this often

enough. I didn’t bring the case. Mr

Irving did.

There’s laughter. She holds up a thick white document.

DEBORAH (CONT’D)

Of course I’m not sure he realised

when he agreed to a trial by a

single judge, that it would mean a

written judgement. This judgement’s

going to stand against him forever.

There are some flashes, more questions. DEBORAH motors on

through them, the flood-gates are open at last.

DEBORAH (CONT’D)

Now some people fear that the only

effect of this trial will be to

close down free speech. I don’t

accept that. I’m not attacking free

speech. On the contrary. I’ve been

defending it against someone who

wanted to abuse it. People can be

as sceptical as they like. What

they can’t be is dishonest. Freedom

of speech doesn’t include freedom

to get away with lying. Not all

opinions are equal. Some things do

happen, just like we’re told they

do. Slavery happened. The black

death happened. The world is round.

The ice-caps are melting. Elvis is

dead.

REPORTER 2

You’ve conducted yourself with

dignity throughout the trial.

DEBORAH:

Thank you. But I know what dignity

means. It means I’ve shut up. I

don’t promise to shut up in future.

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 110110.

REPORTER 3

You always said you refused to

debate with deniers, but that’s

exactly what this trial has been

doing. What will you do in the

future?

DEBORAH holds up the judgment.

DEBORAH:

This is the future. That’s the

beauty of this verdict. The

question has been settled once and

for all. We’ll never need to speak

to them again.

REPORTER 1

If you could say something now to

David Irving, what would you say?

DEBORAH:

I wouldn’t speak to him. I’d speak

to the survivors. And to the

murdered. I’d say ‘You were

remembered. The voice of suffering

was heard.’

She looks straight toward VERA standing at the back. VERA

begins to cry.

REPORTER 4

How convinced were you that this

trial was going to have a good

outcome - for you?

DEBORAH:

Do you know, I believed before I

came to London that a court of law

was not a great place to

investigate historical truth. But I

underestimated the value of a team.

Of real teamwork. It turns out,

it’s not a bad place as long as you

have great lawyers. With great

passion. And boy, did I have great

lawyers.

RAMPTON is standing at the back, next to LAURA. At these

words, he takes off his glasses and his eyes water.

149 INT. HOTEL BALLROOM. DAY 149

The press conference is over. DEBORAH, the conquering hero,

is pushing her way through JOURNALISTS to reach the back

where RAMPTON is smiling with LAURA. Laughing, DEBORAH throws

her arms round RAMPTON. For her it’s spontaneous, for him, a

touch awkward. Behind his back she whispers in his ear.

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 111111.

DEBORAH:

Thank you.

150 INT. ATHENAEUM HOTEL. NIGHT 150

DEBORAH is on the bed with a large glass of wine, watching

TV. Beside, the bottle - 1995 Pommard Les Epenots - and a

card propped up against it: TO THE AUTHOR OF OUR MISFORTUNES,

WITH LOVE. RICHARD. Newsnight is running on TV. JEREMY PAXMAN

is with IRVING, in a silk waistcoat, still without his

jacket.

IRVING (TV)

I think if you read the judgement

closely, you’ll find there are all

Rate this script:2.0 / 1 vote