Defiance (B or 3/4 stars)
3 brothers escape from Nazi-occupied Poland into a Belarussian forest in 'Defiance', directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, Last Samurai, Blood Diamond). There, they build a village to protect themselves & other refugees from the Nazis. They also form an unlikely alliance with the Russian resistance. Though there are plenty of war scenes, the film is more about the Jews' fight for survival; exploring all the physical, mental, & political difficulties that they had to endure. 'Defiance' is a solid movie: acting, story, action, music, etc. But there's also a lack of extraordinary moments ... moments that are usually littered throughout Zwick films.
1941: Hitler was in full throttle, pushing eastward, looking to lock up Poland, Russia, & beyond. Tuvia, Zus, & Asael Bielski (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell) are forced to hide in the woods after some corrupted (by the Germans) local police kill the rest of their family. With no other options, other Jewish refugees are drawn to the Bielskis. But Tuvia & Zus argue over the amount of refugees they're willing to take-in. Tuvia is open to helping as many as he/they can; promoting peace, humanity, & hope. But by taking them all in, Zus sees nothing but trouble, death, & despair. He strays from his brothers; hoping to do some damage on the German troops by joining the ambiguous Russian brigade.
Winter comes on hard; disease & starvation threatens many lives. So to thwart depression, the Bielskis (and other men) choose 'forest wives' (other women refugees) for comfort. Every person in the forest bands together; playing a part towards survival. Sly & cunning, the Germans offer rewards for those who help them seek this large band of Jewish refugees. And before long, they close-in on the "Bielski Partisans". Will they all make it? Can Zus trust the Russian brigade to do what's right (by the Jews)? Though they all hate Germans, there's a fine line there btwn. ally & enemy. Can anyone be salvaged?
'Defiance' is a tale of family, honor, religion, camaraderie, life, death, vengeance, & salvation. And though Holocaust movies have been done to death, it's still nice to see little-known true stories of heroism such as this one. 'Defiance' tries to blend an intimate drama about survival with epic-like guerilla warfare battle sequences. I have to say, while I enjoyed a great deal in this movie, that very combination never fully gels.
Though Zwick knows how to helm big war scenes, he also knows how to touch the heart. For instance, the most believable relationship in the film is btwn. Tuvia (Craig) & his forest wife, Lilka (Alexa Davalos). I also enjoyed the sweet relationship btwn. Asael (Bell) & Chaya (Mia Wasikowska). Similarly, the relationship btwn. the 2 elder Bielski brothers is engaging. They are 2 strong men with 2 different philosophies. Liev Schreiber is effective as the combustible, forceful Zus. Jamie Bell always impresses. And Daniel Craig's transformation from idealist to realist is convincing. He also knows how to deliver those big battlefront speeches to the masses ... I got all teary-eyed. Another impressive aspect of the film is its sound mixing (blending the beautiful music score with gunshots & bombs).
The film is well-meaning, but I was not exhilarated by it. The weakest aspect of the movie is its script. The dialogue is broadly-spoken when it should be nuanced. i.e., "Jews don't fight ... these Jews do". And it's also difficult to accept ALL of the plot points as truth (and not bias). Everything in the script plays-out perfectly; but there is no such perfection in war. Another problem is the somewhat anti-climactic/rushed ending. There's poignant emotion going on during the film, but the dramatic narrative stops short, at times. Still, I did enjoy 'Defiance' despite its flaws. The movie overcomes its setbacks because of its winning theme of 'triumph over adversity'. It's an incredible story. I just wish it were told in a more engaging manner.
1941: Hitler was in full throttle, pushing eastward, looking to lock up Poland, Russia, & beyond. Tuvia, Zus, & Asael Bielski (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell) are forced to hide in the woods after some corrupted (by the Germans) local police kill the rest of their family. With no other options, other Jewish refugees are drawn to the Bielskis. But Tuvia & Zus argue over the amount of refugees they're willing to take-in. Tuvia is open to helping as many as he/they can; promoting peace, humanity, & hope. But by taking them all in, Zus sees nothing but trouble, death, & despair. He strays from his brothers; hoping to do some damage on the German troops by joining the ambiguous Russian brigade.
Winter comes on hard; disease & starvation threatens many lives. So to thwart depression, the Bielskis (and other men) choose 'forest wives' (other women refugees) for comfort. Every person in the forest bands together; playing a part towards survival. Sly & cunning, the Germans offer rewards for those who help them seek this large band of Jewish refugees. And before long, they close-in on the "Bielski Partisans". Will they all make it? Can Zus trust the Russian brigade to do what's right (by the Jews)? Though they all hate Germans, there's a fine line there btwn. ally & enemy. Can anyone be salvaged?
'Defiance' is a tale of family, honor, religion, camaraderie, life, death, vengeance, & salvation. And though Holocaust movies have been done to death, it's still nice to see little-known true stories of heroism such as this one. 'Defiance' tries to blend an intimate drama about survival with epic-like guerilla warfare battle sequences. I have to say, while I enjoyed a great deal in this movie, that very combination never fully gels.
Though Zwick knows how to helm big war scenes, he also knows how to touch the heart. For instance, the most believable relationship in the film is btwn. Tuvia (Craig) & his forest wife, Lilka (Alexa Davalos). I also enjoyed the sweet relationship btwn. Asael (Bell) & Chaya (Mia Wasikowska). Similarly, the relationship btwn. the 2 elder Bielski brothers is engaging. They are 2 strong men with 2 different philosophies. Liev Schreiber is effective as the combustible, forceful Zus. Jamie Bell always impresses. And Daniel Craig's transformation from idealist to realist is convincing. He also knows how to deliver those big battlefront speeches to the masses ... I got all teary-eyed. Another impressive aspect of the film is its sound mixing (blending the beautiful music score with gunshots & bombs).
The film is well-meaning, but I was not exhilarated by it. The weakest aspect of the movie is its script. The dialogue is broadly-spoken when it should be nuanced. i.e., "Jews don't fight ... these Jews do". And it's also difficult to accept ALL of the plot points as truth (and not bias). Everything in the script plays-out perfectly; but there is no such perfection in war. Another problem is the somewhat anti-climactic/rushed ending. There's poignant emotion going on during the film, but the dramatic narrative stops short, at times. Still, I did enjoy 'Defiance' despite its flaws. The movie overcomes its setbacks because of its winning theme of 'triumph over adversity'. It's an incredible story. I just wish it were told in a more engaging manner.