Defiance Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and about 1,000 Jewish non-combatants.
| Daniel Craig | Tuvia Bielski |
| Liev Schreiber | Zus Bielski |
| Jamie Bell | Asael Bielski |
| George MacKay | Aron Bielski |
| Tomas Arana | Ben Zion |
| Rolandas Boravskis | Gramov |
| Allan Corduner | Shamon |
| Mark Feuerstein | Malbin |
| Iddo Goldberg | Yitzchak Shulman |
| Jacek Koman | Koscik |
| Mark Margolis | The Ghetto Elder |
| Sam Spruell | Arkady Lubezanski |
| Sakalas Uzdavinys | Lova |
| Markus von Lingen | SS Scout |
| Alexa Davalos | Lilka |
| Edward Zwick |
7.30 out of 10 (13987 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Their revenge was to live.
posted on 22 Aug 2009And live they did. 'Defiance' is the latest work from Ed Zwick, telling the story of the Bielski brothers, who valiantly stood up against the anti-Semitism of the Nazis. A compelling story that has been brought to the public eye, and may well have faded away if not for this big-screen adaptation. Although not Zwick's greatest motion picture to date, it is up there as a powerhouse period piece. The cinematography and soundtrack that beat through the film are astounding. However the true achievement must go to the acting. Jamie Bell, clearly maturing as an actor, gives a strong, albeit smaller, turn. Daniel Craig is also brilliant, taking on the main role as Tuvia Bielski with a fluidness that seems to come to him naturally. But here Liev Schreiber's performance clearly stands out as the best, without doubt worthy of an Oscar nomination, very much a display from the talented actor that must be seen. 'Defiance' leaves the viewer with the sadness of the truth, as with any movie telling the story of the holocaust, but also instils a feeling of hope against adversity. It remains clear that as a filmmaker, Ed Zwick can do no wrong.
Awful movie
posted on 18 Aug 2009It is so sad to see how some people get money to make movies like this one. There is NOTHING original in this movie. Everything was the same as always, and even worse some times. The performances are very poor and the lines are too predictable. It seems like the director did not learn anything from the industry and film. He is using the same old formula that of course does not work. It He definitely just wants to make money and not make a relevant work. The purpose in film should not be this kind of mediocre pieces of footage, but to create something new. Reinvent yourself. I don't recommend this movie at all. Don't waste your time.
Great disappointment
posted on 18 Aug 2009Why is it all bad "A-films" get a much better score than they deserve? It seems people are happy as long as it has a valid subject matter, high production values and big names, behind and in front of the camera. It is a disgrace this movie has a 7.4 score, although I'm certain it will drop gradually, as movies tend to have a initial high, and subsequently decreasing, score at IMDb. I guess it has something to do with expectations. Plus the fact that people who catches a flick early, loves to hype it. Well back to this movie. For me this was an overwhelmingly unconvincing experience, in terms of acting, dialogue and plot. The dialogue is cancerous with clichés. The amplifying factor for this is the dreaded use of English with heavy eastern-European accents, not only making them prone to weak pronunciation, but also to weak language, making it sound like they are not speaking their mother tongue.At some points, despite the serious subject matter, it all deteriorates into parody, as Liev Schreiber seemingly sustains more damage from banging his head into a tree a couple of times than from multiple gunshots to his body. The latter incident meant certain death I thought for sure, but the next day he had his arm in sling, and that was that! In a later scene, the Germans are right on their heels after an attack on their camp. However, they mysteriously choose to have a coffee break while our protagonist jews are pausing, pondering whether to cross a swamp. Besides being pompous in tone, the movies is filled with these inconsistencies, and in addition it is 2 hours and 15 minutes. I was surprised to see it was directed by Ed Swick, a prominent maker of historical war movies, when the credits rolled. All I can say on the positive side, was that it was prettily shot and the battle scenes were decent, but come on; that goes without saying. Making a good film takes more than production value.
remotely inspired by fragments of a true story
posted on 16 Aug 2009this film surely merits the two stars.if you're brave enough to make a movie, you deserve one star. the second is for the pictures. and that's it.the movie sucked, in general and in detail. and we have noted down quite some of them.so, if you're not pulled off by the above and want to continue reading go ahead.first of all, the Bielski family were Polish, not Belorussian, Jews. and Polish Jews spoke Polish, not Russian. Bielski himself spoke poor Russian, he was quite fluent in Polish and Yiddish. so.. the question is... why do they make the characters in the movie talk Russian and write Polish? another thing is, if you make a movie and want to put something in a foreign language in it, make sure it's correct. just a little movie-makers hint. what was written in Polish on a label attached to the hanged farmer said "amant żydów", which translates roughly into, putting it nicely, "someone who enjoys Jews in a sexual way". the English translation said "Jew lover". well.. I'm quite sure they did not mean THAT kind of love here...the Bielski group never fought Germans. they were never a guerrilla. they lived in the forest alright, and fought mostly Russians. and Polish guerrillas. basically, they would fight anyone.so... Tewje Bielski is not a Robin Hood. nor would he ever give speeches like that about "freedom", "being chased like animals but not being animals" and all other sort of American rhetoric.btw, didn't he look just like Braveheart, on his white horse, talking to those tormented Jews? now... we are reaching a very complicated issue with the name Naliboki.in the movie Naliboki was the name of Bielski's camp. quite an unfortunate name as in reality it was not quite so.Naliboki was/is the name of a small Polish town that was allegedly massacred and burnt by Bielski's "troops". the truth is though, that the massacre was authored by a Soviet fighting group with the help of some local guerrillas, none of them being even related to Bielski. the blame was put on Bielski by the Soviets years later when investigation was drawn to explain war crimes in that region (many people today still believe the Bielski people are responsible for the massacre.) to include this in the movie might have made a really interesting plot line, instead we have a huge confusion.the Bielski forming his group and the Naliboki massacre took place during a war, quite uncomfortable for Poland, Soviets, Jews and everyone else Polish-Soviet. this conflict broke out round 1943 in the nowogródek area (a local little war inside the World War II, with no clear division between the "good guys" and the "bad guys".. that's a bit too complicated for Hollywood..).OK, but referring to the movie, apart from the fact the shots were good, it was historically inaccurate, interpreted in a wooden and iconic way... can't say much.waste of celluloid.I'd rather some movie makers didn't wipe their mouth with a "true story" label. if anything, it might have been "inspired by" with the source of inspiration left remotely behind.(pity you cannot paste links... I've got some really nice ones about the true story.)
A wonderful, more cheerful way to commemorate holocaust
posted on 14 Aug 2009Defiance, as its name suggests, is an inspirational, heroic story meant to convey the fighting side of an oppressed race whose mere existence was severely threatened. For the most part, Hollywood had in the past only revealed the depressing side of Holocaust with graphic killing of Jews, cramped ghetto streets, concentration camps, extreme hunger, futility of trying, despair, etc. Defiance is different from all of them for it is a story of promise, a story of hope, that not only exhibits courage and perseverance but also portrays love, ethnic bonding, and personal sacrifice for the general good. The small community the Bielskys have built in the woods reminds me of Captain John Smith, who successfully held on to the survival of Jamestown back in early 1600s. Tuvia Bielsky and Smith shared a similar philosophy: people have to work in order to be part of the community. This movie thus blends modernity with raw human instincts; it recreates a settlement scene that shows all aspects of human beings. It brings out the best of people as they share an identity and the common interest of survival; but it also brings out the worst, as greed and pride were evoked by desperation and lack of self-control.It teaches the importance of community, the inexorable wholesomeness of family, and sacrifice for the sake of others. On top of all that, it is a true family story that contains crucial pieces of history for us all to remember and celebrate-humans'ability to overcome adversity.
Potentially Good Story But Unfocused Execution
posted on 14 Aug 2009This movie tells the story of a lesser known aspect of World War 2 in Eastern Europe, about the Bielski brothers, Tuvia, Zus, Asael and Aron. They were Belarussian Jews who were forced to hide out in the forests because Germans destroyed their village and massacred their families. There they end up leading more than a thousand other Jewish survivors to freedom. Their flight inevitably drew parallelisms to no less than the book of Exodus.I did not like the storytelling too much as it was too disjointed and episodic. The drama was not told in an emotionally involving way. There were scenes that show the Bielski group rob and kill German sympathizers. There was a scene where the Jews beat a captured German officer to death. There was scene where Tuvia led his band of Jews to cross a river. Then there was the climactic (bur unrealistic) scene where the Jews fight and win over a group of fully-armed Germans with a tank. Yet there seems to be no fluidity that bind these scenes together.The actors who played the Bielski brothers do not look like brothers at all. Daniel Craig, who played the idealistic eldest brother Tuvia, looked miscast to me in particular. He did not look like he belonged with the rest of the Jews he led. Liev Schrieber (as the more aggressive Zus) and Jamie Bell (as the young Asael) were more realistic and successful in their portrayal.Technically, the movie looked average and unrealistic. The art direction and make-up looked haphazard. The editing of the gun battles was erratic. Even the Oscar-nominated musical score was not really memorable. And the overall direction by Edward Zwick seemed without a unifying focus, wasting a potentially good storyline.
Great movie about survival and humanity.
posted on 12 Aug 2009Saw this movie last night and have to say that overall, I was pleased. This isn't Zwick's best, but I'm certain it's one of his best.The story centers on the Bielski brothers that struggle to survive from the Nazi's persecution and against all odds achieve to live in the forest with many of other Jew survivors that they helped to escape from German hands.I'm not going to say it all, because in reality, the movie itself talks about survival, and of course, the director handles us some pretty good action scenes of his trademark during the entire movie. Daniel Craig possibly gives us one of his best performances in his entire career, as well as Liev Schreiber that personifies brilliantly the cold Zus Bielski.The languages' alternating idea was pretty interesting and gave a lot more of realism to the movie.The tape is a powerful, realistic peace of history and teaches a lesson of survival and human cooperation during heavy times. However, I think it was way underrated by the public and somehow forgotten. But don't because, it's a great movie recommended to all WWII and History lovers - 8/10.
Nice movie...but not true
posted on 12 Aug 2009Nice movie. Daniel Craig at his best. Great colors and the scenery making fantastic atmosphere of war.The only thing I don't like about this movie is people saying it is the true story. It is based on the true story but what is shown in the movie is away from the truth. We have to divide movies from educational from those ones being just an entertainment. Those groups were killing and rubbing innocent people leaving close to Belarus. There must be a reason they have never been called as heroes. I am giving 7 on 10 for a movie itself. 3 of 10 for being based on true facts.
Hath not a Jew cojones?
posted on 10 Aug 2009On the fringes of what is now Belarus in World War II after their family was slaughtered by Nazis and Polish collaborators in December 1941, the Jewish Bielski brothers fled to the forest and hid out there to fight Germans and the collaborators and save fellow Jews. Gradually many joined them from the ghetto in nearby Navahrudak, a town just seized from Poland by the Soviets. The tough, feisty Bielskis took in everyone, including the 'malbushim,' handicapped or weak ones not able fight. When the Germans were defeated in the summer of 1944, there were 1200 Jewish forest survivors that had been saved by the "Bielski Brigade." This puts the Bielskis on a level with Oscar Schindler. But their story isn't as well known. Nor, as it turns out, is this movie as powerful as Spielberg's 'Schindler's List. ''Defiance' has intense moments, a few of which are as sweet and plaintive as something out of Italian neo-realism, but the effort as a whole is conventional, unsubtle, and unmemorable. What a pity. All those good actors; all that slogging through cold water; all those scenes in the snow of people wearing gloves with the fingers out.We've had a spate of year's end WWII movies with Europeans incongruously talking English: 'Valkyrie,' manned by Brits but with Tom Cruise at the helm; 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas', where the Nazis all have plummy English accents; 'The Reader', where Winslett and Fiennes sound more Teutonic than the authentically German David Kross and Bruno Ganz. This time actors talk English with fake Eastern European accents but have whole conversations in Russian. These are compromises that, despite lingering resistance to subtitles, seem more and more retro and naive.As Joshua Rothkopf points out, 'Defiance' is a far cry from "Holocaust hand-wringing" like 'Reader' and 'Striped Pajamas.' It's an example of the new "Hebrews-kicking-ass sub-genre" like Spielberg's 'Munich.' 'Defiance,' Rothkopf says, "is history made over into wish-fulfillment psychodrama, into 'Exodus.'" This is seen in the casting of high-profile bad-ass Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski, the Brigade's leader, and the way his brother Zus (Lief Schrieber) dances around mowing down legions with a machine gun like the mad Israeli comrade in the 1982 Lebanon war described in 'Waltz with Bashir.' The timing seems unfortunate, with the slaughter of Palestinians by Jews in Gaza that just took place. Macho Jews we know about. What this movie may make you wonder is why more Jews didn't have these qualities when the Nazis were exterminating them.As Tuvia Craig gets to show a vulnerability his made-over version of 007 lacks. After a severe illness, Tuvia falters as leader and almost collapses. You can see why after twice playing Bond, Craig couldn't resist a role of more complex humanity. Tuvia's firebrand opponent is brother Zus (Schreiber), whose desire for retribution leads him to abandon the forest enclave to fight with Russian partisans for a long period. This is a reverse opportunity to get tough and physical, since he's famous for playing Hamlet on stage. Asael (Jamie Bell) is a younger, more innocent Bielski who provides a thread of shy romance when he and the pretty, plucky Chaya (Mia Wasikowska) gradually fall in love. Bell has a present-ness and purity that come through well in this role. Alas, the movie plays the crude trick of trying to use cross-cutting to contrast Asael's forest wedding to Chaya with a violent shootout elsewhere in which Zus jumps about. Too often the movie's style is ham-handed but this is one of the worst moments. There were four Bielski brothers. The youngest, Aron (George MacKay), too young to lead, is so traumatized by witnessing his parents' slaughter that he cannot even speak.Perhaps where the movie most shines is in little vignettes of the rescued ghetto Jews. Alexa Davalos graces the screen as Lilka Ticktin, the beautiful woman who pairs off with Tuvia and nurses him through his illness. A watchmaker is asked to fix a rifle trigger, does so in an instant and is told "you have a new job." "Everybody works," they're told. There are the intellectual 'luftmensch' types who know how to play chess and dispute metaphysics but have difficulty driving a nail. The rabbi and the young leftist are certainly appealing, but too perfect and even too cute. As I'm not alone in noting, this is a story told to undermine Jewish stereotypes that ends by reinforcing them.According to accounts, the refugee camp, which had to move from time to time, came to include a kitchen, mill, bakery, bathhouse, synagogue, medical clinic, and "a quarantine hut for those who suffered from infectious diseases such as typhus. Herds of cows supplied milk," according to a Widipedia entry. Though it does show the Bielskis stealing food from local farmers and raiding a military HQ to get antibiotics, the movie focuses only on the early months of the Bielski Brigade. It's overwhelmed by the effort to show Zus mowing down Nazis and confronting his Soviet comrades' anti-Semitism while also following the hideaways' complicated and exhausting struggle to survive the winter. The clumsy cross-cutting sequence that chops up Asael's wedding only underlines this dilemma.'Defiance 'is pulled down by schematic staging, telegraphed plot points and obtrusive background music. In a directorial career that now includes nine films Zwick has had some good moments. He didn't do all that badly with his 1986 David Mamet adaptation, 'About Last Night,' 'Glory' was a Civil War epic that put him on the map and helped make a big star of Denzel Washington. 'Legends of the Fall' and 'The Siege' are different kinds of mush, but Zwick showed in 'Blood Diamond,' his last outing, that he can turn a potential potboiler into a rip-snorting action film with more than a dash of political awareness. The Bielski's story is one that matters and needed telling. But it flounders in conventionality and seems overwhelmed by the contrasts in its principals' personalities and experience.
A Good Old Fashioned War Film
posted on 10 Aug 2009It would be easy to pick holes in this picture. Based upon a true story, it tells the tale of the Bielski brothers who flee WW Two German persecution in Belarussia to take refuge in the forests. There is so much to draw upon, that it is inevitable that some issues are shown in shorthand, some glossed over, and some ignored altogether. But as a straight forwards Action/Adventure story, it succeeds admirably.Daniel Craig dominates the film as Tuvia Bielski and does a fine job. Stoic, rugged and with a passable local accent, he carries off portraying the dilemmas of his role as leader, and that of Action Hero, with some aplomb. Inevitably there are times when things teeter on the brink of a Sherwood forest, "Robin Hood" ,pastiche, and the tone and violin playing veer into, "Schindlers List", territory. But the essence of events; ordinary, disparate, diverse people with a common bond as Jews being forced to flee Genocide by living a subsistence existence in the wild forests is well told.Intriguingly, the ethics and morality of their position bedevils them in the same way that the contemporary Gaza Crisis bedevils modern day Israel. Tuvia slays the Policeman and sons who killed his family in cold blood, but opts for a survival strategy for his camp rather than that of raiding outpost. On one occasion they spare the lives of an informant and Policemen who stumble across their camp, compromising its existence rather than indulging in further slaughter. Yet later captured Germans are beaten to death by an exhausted and embittered camp.His brother Zus leaves with some others to join Soviet Partisans to follow a more aggressive Resistance. Fascinating sub- texts are flirted with; the anti-Semitism of the Soviet Partisans themselves, the hopeless position of villagers pressed by the Germans, Partisans AND Bielski, the "forest wives" morality of the refugees versus a "no-babies" policy, the class –conflicts within the refugees themselves and the invidious position of the local Police Force.The beautiful forest, and noble cause of the Jews creates a Romantic air about the film where on the whole heroism and good triumph, and the Nazis and their sympathisers are shot. As is customary in the genre, women are for decoration only. Gritty realism and the raw underbelly of what life must really have been like understandably take a back seat. Yet this does not diminish the tale, and taken at face value, it is a compelling 137 minutes of cinema.
If we should die, trying to live, then at least we die like human beings.
posted on 08 Aug 2009The brothers: Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig), Zus Bielski (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell) hide in the forest to escape the Germans. Soon, they are among a group of Jews. This group successfully defied the Nazis, hid in the forest and maintained a self-contained society while losing only about 50 of their some 1,200 members. The "Bielski Partisans" represented the war's largest and most successful group of Jewish resisters.Of course, Romance blossoms as "forest wives" soon replace "village wives." and Tuvia and Zus battle constantly over which is more important - saving the people, or fighting the Germans.Alexa Davalos, Jodhi May, Kate Fahy, and Iben Hjejle provided diversion for the men.Not an excessive amount of fighting, the story was mainly about life in the forest and doing what you have to to survive another day.
The Bielski Partisans.
posted on 08 Aug 20091941 Belorussia, fleeing from the invading Nazi forces, the Bielski brothers seek refuge out in the vast forest. As more survivors find there way into the trees, the Bielski's help to form a new community that manages to thrive in spite of the overwhelming odds against them surviving. But the brothers have different ideals, is refuge to be their main goal?, or should they be striking out against the Nazi oppressors?.Defiance is adapted from the novel Defiance:The Bielski Partisans, written by Dr. Nechama Tec. It's a stirringly emotional story that most definitely needed to be told, however the factual content of this adaptation has been called into question by many internet reviewers. It's not my particular want to delve too deep into it as i'm really only interested in the film as an experience, what isn't in doubt is that these were real people, and these incidents happened, their legacy lives on and hooray to that i say.Defiance as a film relies more on its story than its actual people to deliver the goods, something director Edward Zwick has often been guilty of before. Not that that is a bad thing here, for the story is required to be the main character of the piece, but for sure it feels like holes are dotted throughout the 136 minute running time, justifiable revenge leanings are jettisoned in favour of the usual alternative community draw backs. All the trade marks are in here as Zwick crams them in by the reel, divided aspirations, weight of leadership, romance, jealousy and fractions within the camp, so sadly the film wrongly feels a touch shallow and not fully formed, we have as it were, seen it all before.However, on the plus side, Defiance is not found wanting for emotional fortitude, it has it in abundance, and not the kind to make the picture sink under the weight of it all, it also has some excellently handled action sequences, something that Zwick is most definitely undervalued for. The acting is solid and totally watchable, Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and the impressive Jamie Bell play the three fighting Bielski brothers, but here lays an itch of sorts. Two Englishmen and an American playing these Eastern European characters begs one to think what the film would have been like if the leads had been played by Eastern Europeans?, for i'm sure it would have had added earthy impact. Good support comes from Alexa Davalos and the ever reliable Tomas Arana, while Zwick photographer Eduardo Serra expertly brings the forest refuge vividly to life.So all in all we are left with a film thats problems are very evident, and really this piece feels like its focus was to educate above all else. But whilst it may not be to everyones entertainment tastes, it's one hell of a story that demands to be seen by as many people as possible. 7/10
Good Movie
posted on 08 Aug 2009This was a really well told Story. I can not believe I never heard about this prior to the movie. It is a truly remarkable tale of what people can do in the most awful of situations. It showed both the good and the bad side of people in any given group. The acting was good, the scenery was beautiful and the people were so real. I would highly recommend this film to anyone interested in human nature and the history buffs. How this story was never told until now is unbelievable. It goes to show that real hero's do not believe they have done anything heroic. They just do what they think they have to...that is what really makes them heroes.
Not even remotely enjoyable
posted on 08 Aug 2009I have never written a review on The IMDb, but this movie has prompted me to write a review. Its pointless to go over where and how I saw this movie. It is sufficient to say that I saw it with high hopes. In my eyes, it was a huge failure and waste of time. There are few redeeming qualities in this film. The costumes look great, and there is an appropriate mixture of Russian and German weapons mixed into the camp as one would expect in a camp like this. The brothers power struggle is believable and compelling. There is a lot lacking however. I spent the whole film hoping and trying to find any signs of an enjoyable film. There were regrettably not many. The stereotypes of Russians, Germans, and Jews abound and detract from the plot which is never able to engage the viewer. The way the story is presented leaves the viewer no reason to be compelled, and the cliché moments in the film, that try to draw emotion, never achieve their purpose. The end of the movie is far too predictable and embarrassing. James Bond makes an appearance as savior of the Jews as he runs around killing a whole German tank division with their own gun, and being saved by his brother right when all seems lost. This movie is ridiculous, and I feel let down as I was hoping for something great the whole time I watched, but only got to see this poorly made and clichéd film.
Inspiring and resonant
posted on 04 Aug 2009Edward Zwick. Master of the politically correct action film. From The Last Samurai, to The Siege, to Glory, to Blood Diamond, Zwick continues to masterfully blend riveting entertainment with lush cultural backdrops, history and deep societal issues. Having already tackled nearly every other conflict such as The American Civil War, the African conflict, battles of ancient Asia and modern day terrorist scenarios we are now brought into WWII.Movies set in the second world war are numerous, as are those centered around the struggles of the Jewish population at the hand of the Nazi's. But when you infuse a common plot device with a moving true story, impeccable direction, an incredibly tense but character driven narrative and anchor the former with three fantastic performances you get something worth seeking out.Defiance tells the true (to what extent I am unsure) story of the Bielski brothers, a band of rough, sometimes brutal smugglers who flee into the Belarussian forest after the Nazi extermination begins. Struck with mounting losses of close family and friends the three eldest brothers played by Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell (as Tuvia, Zus and Asael respectively) band, reluctantly, with other refugees of the massacres and begin to form a small village deep within the forest. As the Nazi's push deeper, the Bielski's are forced to confront both enemy soldiers and each other as the situation becomes increasingly desperate.Although peppered with extraordinarily choreographed battle sequences, the true bulk of what makes defiance such a success is the interactions between the brothers, chiefly Tuvia and Zus. The struggles between their bond as kin and their desires to be leaders is fully realized and expertly portrayed. Craig, Schreiber and Bell are all excellent nicely holding their Russian accents throughout the film and all pull off a great sense of chemistry with the three women they respectively meet over their years of hiding. The Bielski's are all deeply flawed individuals; at times brutal and callous but rise to the occasion and display warmth and humanity when their followers need it most. The refugees' struggles never feels false either, as the deadly winter months, sickness and internal conflict is completely visceral.If there is any fault to be found it would be with the familiar story of Jews in a struggle, but as I motioned it is still a compelling tale. There are moments that sag, and perhaps a few too many scenes with Zus and Tuvia duking it out, but they are all minor quibbles that are quickly forgotten. This war epic brings the human factor that is lost in many bug budget war epics like Windtalkers and avoids the soapy melodrama of films like Pearl harbour and it is that which makes Defiance both inspiring and resonant.Read all my review at: simonsaysmovies.blogspot.com
Worthy of praise
posted on 04 Aug 2009This film is about the Jewish partizans who resisted the Nazi incursion into Belorussia and their continuing struggle to survive the oppression imposed upon them.The picture, based on true events, is centered upon the Bielski brothers. Tuvia(Craig), Zus(Schreiber), Asael(Bell) and Aron Bielski(MacKay) find themselves fighting for not just their lives, but also for those who depend upon them in this WW2 epic.Truly stellar performances from both Craig and Schreiber in a film that does not let up. Jamie Bell also proves himself an auspicious upcoming actor with a performance worthy of his peers.I found myself at the edge of my seat throughout the 2 hours it took to watch it. Plenty of action, without becoming another stereotypical gung-ho kill all the Germans type war film. Nor is it overly dramatized. There is enough here to keep both a male and female audience satisfied.Mr. Zwick has given us another great film that is both engaging and enjoyable. Its hard to understand why critics haven't found it so. With a rating of 7.5 it can't be all that bad surely?Judge for yourself.
Perfection in every way
posted on 04 Aug 2009I can not think of one solitary thing to say negatively about this movie.First and foremost the acting was superb. Though this was a true story it had everything going for it. It was a movie of perseverance,revenge, hope, sibling rivalry, survival, battle. You name it this movie had it all. I got a lesson in history and I did not know about the fugitive Russians . This movie more than covered that and with effectiveness revealed a case of true sibling rivalry and without spoiling the movie .... It was a story of family love and common goals and blood being thicker than water. Just a very enjoyable, hopeful, uplifting movie about Jewish fugitives and to a lesser extent Russian fugitives, living a nomadic life , setting kibbutz like camp, at any areas they felt safe , while always looking out for danger.It goes without saying this occurred at the height of the Nazi regime. Its a great discussion movie and as tough as their conditions were it was still better than being in a concentration camp. The relative conformity of the group helped in many ways to overcome even the most dire of circumstances. Just an excellent film and I can not believe it was only nominated for one Oscar .
Craig sheds his 007 image....
posted on 04 Aug 2009Based on true story, Defiance is 1941 drama tells the story of 3 Jew Brothers of Poland, who narrowly escape certain death at the hand of Nazis, vowed to take revenge of their near & dear ones by bringing together their fellow men. It's their aim of life to fight back to the force who is trying to exterminate their race. Survival is their big problem among rough woods, indifferent weather, crisis of food & medicine but they have the biggest weapon with them- Courage. The film is a nice tribute to Jew spirit who fought their struggle with all odds & made history of their race. The film is made by Edward Zwick, who gave films like 'Blood Diamond' & 'The Last Samurai'. Zwick knows very well how to combine action with intense drama & he has maintained justice to it in this film also. One thing I like about Zwick is that he never glorify the action. The action always remained a demand of script in his films. The movie is shot almost in the dense surrounding forest maintaining both engaging action & tense drama between Germans & Jews. The film also portrayed the strength of community bonding under the critical period. It's well made film but the problem with the film is- It does not rise above in theme, plot & screenplay & gave you the feeling of seen it all. Besides the film also fumbles in grip in the later half part. The first time I've seen Daniel Craig in such an intense leading character (shedding his 007 image far behind) with balancing his character at his best. Although the character he played remains inconsistent, he gave it his fair trial. He's finely supported by Liev Schreiber as his high tempered brother who took the side with Russian army.No harm in watching once.Ratings-7/10
A powerful movie with hope and faith
posted on 02 Aug 2009The movie starts with the murder of jews in World War II in Germany. The family of Bielski brothers is murdered and they run into the nearby woods to save them-selves. They soon realize that there are many a Jewish families who have been wandering in the woods just like them. Tuvia Bielski becomes the savior of the jews and struggles to save the jews with the help of his brothers not just from the Nazis but also from hunger, cold and in-fighting among his fellow jews with the fragile support from the Red army. It is one of those rare action movies with a great depiction of history and human faith. The movie is a salute to the Bielski brothers who saved the lives of nearly 1200 jews without expecting anything in return.Even though it sounds to be yet another world war movie but really stands out in its own way. It is a must watch for history enthusiasts and people looking out for a good action movie with a good dose drama.
Could have been a lot better
posted on 24 Aug 2009Defiance (2008) tells the story of the Bielski brothers who constructed a community of their own in the Belarussian forests during the Second World War and fought against Nazi Germans in the process. The film is based on a true story which I'm not very familiar with but I'm sure the Hollywood studios have had their hand in the mix because the finished story here has a very overly "heroic" theme in it and the story feels very one-sided and "simplified for the masses". There's multiple scenes which try to show different sides to the story and the events at hand and try to throw some shades of gray into the otherwise black and white way of seeing the world but all those scenes suffer from a heavy underlining and they only scratch the surface of the issues that should have been explored more deeply - like the tension between the campers, the nature of the Nazi soldiers, the nature of the Jews etc. This all ends up to the fact that the story told here is a very shallow one and feels through-out very "Hollywood-ish".It's no surprise that the story feels so shallow: Edward Zwick's (director, co-writer) isn't the most gifted man working in Hollywood. He seems to do the same movie over and over again; The Last Samurai (2003), Blood Diamond (2006) and Defiance feel very much the same when it comes down to the theme and nature of the stories and the films. The films even have the same gritty look that admittedly works.The cinematography, editing and the visual look (with sets, wardrobe etc.) are the film's strongest sides. Everything looks appropriate and the editing crabs you along for the ride. Edward knows how to make interesting looking Hollywood films, I just wish he would give as much attention to the story and the dialog as he gives to the visuals.Because the dialog and acting (along with the story) were the things I had the most issues with. The dialog is horrible: why, oh why did they decide to make the characters speak bad English with a heavy "East European" -accent? Why not make them speak English right or make the whole film with the other languages and put some subtitles on it? I mean, they speak horrible and barely understandable English to each other – does the accent bring some value to the film? Does it make the film feel more original or what's the point? Or were they just hiding their lacking writing skills by producing simple and horrible sounding dialog? At least it's a nice way to get a way with it...Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber as the Bielski bros. make the best they can with the bad dialog written for them and they manage to do a decent job with it, the rest of the cast doesn't really deserve any praise.Defiance is a very mediocre and uninspiring film that lacks any real thought or emotion. It looks good but it doesn't have anything to say or comment on anything – it just "is". The short action scenes aren't very interesting and the CGI used in them won't be bringing any awards home. The film relies heavily on drama and the interaction between the characters which all is ruined by the garbage they call dialog. Could have been a way better film. 2/4