Yes, yes, I know what you are thinking . . . not another WWII, Nazi Germany related movie. It has been a wave of films on the subject crashing into theater shores. If that is what you are thinking, I recommend that you open your mind, drop the pessimism, and give this one a chance. If you are thinking ‘sure, bring it on’ then you are in for a treat. I’ve seen Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Valkyrie, and now this one and I can say that this is arguably the best of the three. You are taken into the woods with the Bielski brothers as they struggle to escape, hide, survive, and every now and then fight back. They are joined by hundreds of others that are trying to do the same. The Germans and German supporters of that time seemed to enjoy hunting Jews just because they exist. In their eyes the Jews were less than dogs and they were treated as such. This film is full of death, unspeakable pain, suffering and yet at the same time hope and determination. The Bielski brothers, more specifically Tuvia (Daniel Craig), are thrust into leadership roles within this make-shift community in the middle of a Belarusian forest. Tuvia is viewed as a Moses, leading God’s people out of bondage and away from Egypt. He somewhat reluctantly assumes the role and he has to deal with maintaining constant vigilance, rough winters, illness, food shortages, and of course the monster that lurks in all of us that could easily surface under these conditions. Oh yeah, by the way, this movie is based on a true story so all of this actually happened. That makes the movie that much more impressive to me and helps take it over the top, especially if it is done right. You will escape with them, hide with them, suffer with them, struggle with them, want vengeance for them, route for them, fight with them, and feel for them. This film was done right.
The two most captivating aspects of this film are the storyline and the performances. Taking the lead in the performances category are the three main stars, Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell who play the Bielski brothers. All three give strong performances and the rest of the cast support them well with convincing performances also. They all did a pretty good job with the accents too. As for the storyline, again, being based on a true story is a plus. It was comfortably laid out and it didn’t really drag at all which is not bad for a movie that is well over 2 hours long. Even though the majority of the movie takes place in the woods (it was actually shot in Lithuania, very close to the actual location of the Bielski camp site), the cinematography was amazing. Oscar winner Edward Zwick (Glory, Legends of the Fall, Courage Under Fire, The Siege, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond) has done another masterpiece which he can add to his collection. As Writer, Director, and Producer of this picture, I think he has an opportunity for another Oscar. Defiance is about the revenge that the Jews are seeking not necessarily by fighting back, but by staying alive.
Review By Cine Marcos