To The Australian
Deborah Lipstadt claims, in regard to the history of the Nazis, that ‘there are some facts that are not open to debate’ (‘Truth on trial in film “for our times”’, 5/4). Facts or opinions? The truth is that the film ‘Denial’ is a propaganda film and Philippa Hawker’s article is propaganda on its behalf.
As to the film itself, its bias is visually proclaimed by its choice of a screen goddess to play the dowdy Lipstadt and a male actor of unusual facial appearance which is easily made to look monstrous to play David Irving. As to the article, it is so one-sided: plenty of favourable comment on Lipstadt and the main actors, but no effort at all to report on Irving’s views of the film or the views, available online, of several critics who have exposed the film’s inaccuracies and misrepresentations.
Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic