Edward Zwick has always been one of my favorite directors because of his uncanny ability to mix action with drama so well. Filled with heavy dramatic action, conflicts, and historical references, Zwick’s The Last Samurai and Glory instantly come to mind when I think of his best work, and Defiance easily fits into this group of films.
Based on a true story, Defiance shares a slice of history not known to most : the Jewish resistance. Most of what we are taught in schools speak about the Jewish persecution and German death camps of World War II, but rarely do we hear about the brave men and women who fought for their freedom rather than simply handing their lives to Hitler. Defiance shares this story with us. The film starts with a group of four brothers (Bielski’s) who lose their family during Hitler’s infamous Holocaust, and escape German persecution by disappearing into the extensive forests of Belorussia. As time passes, their hidden camp becomes a refuge for more and more Jewish men and women, and eventually this small band of refugees become known simply as the Bielski Partisans.
The story itself was quite gripping and told well, but it was the acting that truly made this film a great feature. Daniel Craig (Tuvia Bielski) who stars as the eldest of the Bielski Brothers brings to the table a very stoic persona, who is driven by his affection and love for his people. His will is strained and tested many times throughout, and this brings forth some of the best acting I’ve ever seen from Craig. Liev Schreiber, who portrays Zus Bielski, was an absolute beast in this film. Fearless and revengeful, his character brings a totally different aspect to the table. I thought that he clearly stole the show in every scene he was in, yet it was the contrasting characteristics of both Tuvia and Zus that truly made for some interesting dialogue and drama.
Overall, this film was solid in every aspect. However, there were several elements that did bother me, particularly in regard to the unrealistic ending and several cliche one liners which didn’t seem to fit at all. Yet despite those drawbacks, I thought the film got its message across. Defiance is definitely not your run of the mill Holocaust features and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.