Denial Page #7

LIBSON:

First rule of litigation: whether

you’re prosecuting or defending,

always run the case as if you’re

prosecuting.

JULIUS:

Good rule. That’s why Laura will be

leading a team of researchers...

LAURA:

They’re joining next week...

JULIUS:

Combing through all the diaries, in

particular looking for contact with

right-wing groupings...

LAURA:

Neo-Nazis, skinheads, anti-Semites,

SS revival groups, all kinds of

assorted riff-raff...

LAURA glows, cheerful.

LIBSON:

Also, just as important, Professor

Evans here, with his two of his

able graduate students, Nik

Wachsman and Thomas... Thomas...

Thomas...

THOMAS:

Thomas Skelton-Robinson...

LIBSON:

Got it.

More laughter. THOMAS is shambling, sweet, disorganized, 20s,

NIK is German, polo-necked, crop-haired, also 20s.

EVANS:

I’m delaying taking up my position

at Cambridge...

DEBORAH:

They’re letting you do that?

JULIUS:

Of course. Cambridge thinks the

case is important.

EVANS:

My team will be doing the

historiography. Examining every

published word Irving ever wrote...

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 3232.

THOMAS:

Checking sources, comparing

editions...

EVANS:

Generally testing the reliability

of his history.

NIK:

You can’t imagine what fun we’re

having.

THOMAS:

We’re going to end up with a charge

sheet of inaccuracies as long as

your arm.

NIK:

One mistake after another!

THOMAS and NIK overlap, laughing happily together.

EVANS:

We think it’ll take the three of us

about a year. Full-time.

JULIUS smiles, pleased. DEBORAH looks round, impressed and

appalled at the same time.

DEBORAH:

Well I’m glad to know you guys have

got everything sewn up.

JULIUS:

We aim to.

He looks round, a little nervous.

JULIUS (CONT’D)

There is one outstanding question.

I’d been hoping to speak to you. As

you know, the firm had been

planning to do everything for free.

But really, the scale of the thing.

I fear we’re going to have re-visit

the question of charges.

DEBORAH looks at him, level.

JULIUS (CONT’D)

I’m wondering if we can lend a

hand. If we fail, then of course

we’re ready to carry the costs.

DEBORAH:

So the stupid American gets to do

something? Fund-raise?

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 3333.

49 EXT. LEVY’S HOUSE. WEST HAMPSTEAD. NIGHT 49

The last of a group of expensive cars backs into a parking

space, revealing the Mercedes symbol on its hood.

LEVY (V.O.)

So are you enjoying your time in

London?

50 INT. LEVYS’ HOUSE. WEST HAMPSTEAD. NIGHT 50

A dinner with SONIA and RICHARD LEVY. Eight guests. RACHEL’s

in her 40s, nervous, blonde, RICHARD more expansive, dark,

40s. Everything’s a little heavy - the decor, the food and

the atmosphere. RABBI BRENNER, heaviest of all, a thickset

man, 50s, beside DEBORAH. Good china. Good glass. They are

all sipping soup.

DEBORAH:

I’m in meetings all day. I get to

see so little of the city.

RICHARD:

I think people here do have

concerns. About the trial.

DEBORAH:

I have concerns myself.

SONIA:

The community’s very keen to

support you.

DEBORAH:

I’m glad to hear it.

SONIA:

But we’re also interested to know

what you’re thinking.

RABBI BRENNER:

Mr Julius is a very brilliant young

man. Can we speak frankly? There’s

a fear you may have fallen under

his spell.

From the end, an older woman, JANINE STONE speaks robustly.

JANINE:

You won’t be the first woman to be

attracted to his intellect. Diana.

Some crude laughter.

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 3434.

DEBORAH:

So far, I’ve raised most of my

costs back home.

RICHARD:

And was that easy?

DEBORAH:

It wasn’t difficult.

RABBI BRENNER:

Not as difficult as in London, is

that what you’re saying?

DEBORAH:

It’s a principle and I’ve stuck to

it. No single source of finance.

One man offered to pay for the

whole thing. But when the history

of this moment comes to be written,

I think it’s important many people

gave, not one.

There are uneasy looks up and down the table.

RICHARD:

You talk about history. Look at it

from our point of view. We live

with David Irving. He’s British.

He’s a has-been. What’s a trial

going to do? It’s going to give him

a new lease of life.

DEBORAH:

I can’t help that. I didn’t bring

the prosecution. He did.

RICHARD:

No, but you could prevent the whole

thing from happening.

DEBORAH:

How would I do that?

RICHARD:

Settle. I mean it. Sign some piece

of paper. Is that so terrible? He’s

never going to give you Auschwitz.

OK, but then he’s David Irving.

We’ve lived with worse.

DEBORAH:

And what do you want me to settle

for? Four million dead? Three? One?

What are you comfortable with?

DEBORAH looks at him, not yielding.

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 3535.

DEBORAH (CONT’D)

If I may say so, Mr Irving thrives

on exactly this kind of blackmail.

If you’re Jewish, keep your head

down, lay low, and be grateful.

Here in England, you may like

appeasement, but I don’t.

RABBI BRENNER:

I don’t think you should be using a

word like appeasement.

DEBORAH:

Shouldn’t I? Then what word should

I use?

SONIA:

All we’re saying: beware of Anthony

Julius. He does these things for

his own glory. Other women have

been in his pocket and they’ve

found it an uncomfortable place to

be.

DEBORAH:

Well if it’s pockets we’re talking

about, perhaps you can explain why

the British find them so hard to

open.

51 EXT. ATHENAEUM HOTEL. NIGHT 51

A taxi swooshes past on the wet street.

52 INT. HOTEL ROOM. ATHENAEUM. NIGHT 52

DEBORAH is lying in bed, unable to sleep. She turns over a

few times. Then she throws back the covers and gets up.

53 EXT. ATHENAEUM HOTEL. NIGHT 53

DEBORAH, in track suit, slips out of the small entrance at

the side and runs off down Picadilly.

54 EXT. LONDON. NIGHT 54

DEBORAH runs along by the Houses of Parliament, Westminster,

the river Thames. She comes to the statue of Boadicea, the

heroic warrior queen on the south corner of Westminster

Bridge. She stops and looks up at it, angry. The sound of the

next scene laps over.

Full Blue Script // December 4th 2015 3636.

DEBORAH (O.S.)

I had a hellish night, I couldn’t

sleep. I was so angry.

55 EXT. FLEET STREET. DAY 55

JULIUS, DEBORAH and LAURA, all in coats, are coming quickly

along a busy pavement. Roaring traffic. Gusty wind.

JULIUS:

Oh really? Why?

DEBORAH:

I had dinner last night with

leaders of the Jewish community.

JULIUS:

The community, eh? And did they

tell you it would suit them better

if you dropped the case?

DEBORAH:

I was defending you.

JULIUS:

Were you? Well I’m sure you did a

very good job. Perhaps you should

take it up professionally.

JULIUS throws an amused look, picking up on her tone.

56 EXT. BRICK COURT. DAY 56

Contrasting calm. They have entered a fine square of 18th

century terraces, with staircases like an Oxbridge college.

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