The Books
When David Irving crashes Deborah Lipstadt’s Q&A seminar he argues against Deborah’s claims which she has written in her book. Irving also rallies the audience members and tells them he will be signing his books, which are free, after the seminar. This battle of books symbolizes the film’s oncoming battle where the knowledge of one person is put against another in order to uncover the truth. And at this moment of the film, we are led to believe that David Irving is winning as his books get more attention after the seminar. In the end, when Deborah wins the case Anthony tells her that it was because her book was solid and had no falsehood in it that they won.
The Crime Scene
At one point in preparing for her case, Deborah meets Richard who then proclaims that they must visit Auschwitz. This visit is shown in a silenced solemn manner and the location itself is symbolized as the thing that Deborah and her team are struggling for. It encompasses the whole movie’s point of trying to prove the truth about this place of horror.
Warrior
When Deborah is the first meeting with Anthony Julius, she mentions that her mother named her Deborah - meaning warrior, leader, defender of her people. This references her role’s symbolic value in the film’s narrative as she is the one who decides to fight the case instead of settling. The case itself is less about her and more about what she wants to protect, the truth.
Silence
Throughout the film, our protagonist, Deborah Lipstadt, is told that she cannot speak to the judge or to the press. She feels offended by this decision and submits to it unwillingly. This silence from Deborah signifies her strong will to win the case and her willingness to sacrifice her conscience, which is telling her to speak and bring survivors to testify, for the sake of the greater good. Later on, however, she does realize her folly and submits willingly and symbolizes herself as a stepping stone for the greater good.
