Defiance (2008)

Review: written April 2011

Moving account of the Jews who fought back

Edward Zwick has mastered the knack of making movies with emotional resonance, combined with well edited sequences depicting battles and action. This movie is no exception, telling the story of the three Bielski brothers in Belarus, during the Second World War. At a time when the Nazis were rounding up the Jewish families into ghettos and concentration camps, murdering tens of thousands as they went, these brothers survived and fled into the forests they knew so well. They are an anachronism, Jews who did not share the view of the majority of peaceful resistance.. they fought for their freedom living a harsh life in the forest under constant threat.

Zwick certainly elicits some strong performances from each of the three brothers. Daniel Craig, who becomes the de facto leader – is the compassionate one, and Liev Schreiber outstanding as the brother who wants to take the fight to the Germans. Jamie Bell is also good but makes less of an impact as the third and youngest brother, undergoing a loss of innocence. The satisfying part of the story is the first half as we really explore these flawed characters - unwilling leaders whose true character emerges, in spite of perceptions of others, and even perceptions they had about themselves. It never becomes dull, but it does become more `by-the-numbers' once the Germans are closing in and we get to the final battle, and things get tied up a little less ambiguously than the tone the movie starts out with.

The relationship with the Russians, what happened to those who sheltered or aided the Jewish survivors, the harshness of conditions the survivors endured and the numbing effect of the killing and futility of revenge are all ably explored. Its real resonance however, lies in the knowledge of it being a true story, portraying a side of the story of Jewish persecution in WW II that is not so well known - and an important counterpoint to the common images and tales of the period. It's just a pity perhaps that the director tells it quite so straight, using visual and audio styles and cues that feel more borrowed than original. It remains a movie that is worthwhile and well put together, even if stopping short of being a classic.