Release Date: Jan. 16
Director: Edward Zwick
Writers: Clayton Frohman, Edward
Zwick
Cinematographer: Eduardo Serra
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev
Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Ravil Isyanov
Studio/Run Time: Paramount
Vantage, 137 mins.
Blood Diamond director makes gratifying, but not great, historical drama
Filmmakers continue to find inspiring
stories from the ashes of World War II and Germany’s attempt to
extinguish its Jewish population. In Defiance, it’s the
relatively unknown story of the Bielsky brothers and their courageous
undertaking in hiding and protecting hundreds of fellow Jews in the
forests of occupied Russian territory. Daniel Craig plays Tuvia, who
becomes the de facto leader of the hidden community after a power
struggle with brother Zus (Liev Schreiber). When Zus and others leave
to fight with the Russian troops, Tuvia and his wards face the
hardships of cold, hunger and internal revolt.
2 Days in ParisDirector Edward Zwick has made a
good-looking film in Defiance, not unlike his work on notable
productions such as Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai
and Blood Diamond. But with the exception of 1989’s
exceptional Glory, Zwick’s films generally avoid the
greatness that seems so close.
Defiance has its share of great
moments, however, such as when varying classes of Jewish people—the
rich, the poor, the educated, the peasant—all begin to cooperate.
Or when Zus must fight alongside an anti-Semitic Russian. But it also
fizzles into overly familiar scenes, e.g., when some of the camp
bullies attempt to usurp Tuvia’s power, stereotypically reminiscent
of something from Kevin Costner’s The Postman. Defiance
could easily have been trimmed by 20 or 30 minutes. Still, the
strength of the true story and some solid performances by Craig,
Schreiber and Jamie Bell, who plays the youngest brother, give
Defiance enough to make for a gratifying, if not great,
historical drama.
Watch the trailer for Defiance:
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