Defiance Details

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Defiance

Well a cracking start to 2009 with Daniel Craig 's new World War two offering Defiance. I'll get the two negatives out of the way firstly it's directed by Edward Zwick ( I have always had a love hate relationship with the Zwickster) . Secondly there are flourishes of the old Hollywood gloss about it ,though it didn't spoil my enjoyment mainly due to the plethora of other things there are to celebrate about this film. It's a simple tale based on a true story of a band of Jewish brothers called the Bielski's led by Tuvia (Craig) the fiery Zus (Liev Schrieber) Aesel (Jamie Bell ) and the youngest Aron (George MacKay, who following the slaughter of their parents at the hands of the Nazi's flee to the forest initially to become freedom fighters in the hope of seeking retribution for their loss . However their plan goes pear-shaped as other jews begin to follow seeking protection and shelter. The brothers can hardly feed themselves but soon they are responsible for hundreds who would rather die in the woods than in the Ghetto's. Tension rises between Tuvia and Zus as both see the way foward very differently, and this eventually sees Zus heading off to join the Partisans following a huge row, thus leaving Tuvia and Aesel to organise the growing band of forest dwellers. Of couse the whole situation is fraught with danger as this growing community play cat and mouse with the Nazi's who are determined to hunt them down as they battle for survival with meagre rations and falling temperatures. We see love blossom for the brothers along the way, and we also see death, sickness, violence, and hatred unfold as each new drama takes it's toll on the renegade community. The cinematography and settings are breathtaking on ocassion, and the haunting soundtrack only enhances it all, the performances are all excellent with Craig ditching Bond temporarily and becoming totally believable in the role, Schrieber is equally powerful as the surly but noble Zus , and Bell has at last come into his own as the brave young Aesel. There's an integrity about the whole thing that draws you in from the start and I loved the way Craig and Schrieber in particular used huge chunks of both English and Russian dialogue throughout the film , as it really helped create the right atmosphere. Of course at the end when the credits are rolling they give you the infomation you've been waiting for , what happened to the main characters following the aftermath of their struggle. And it's a remarkable story, and I suppose that's why this film works , it's story telling of the highest quality, and we humans love to see the underdog grab the glory every now and then . A heady mix of intense drama and action , with a dose of humanity thrown in to balance it all up. A worthy watch.

Worthy story, badly made

Unfortunately, despite the acting credibility of Daniel Craig, this wasnt suited to his abilities at all. Based on a Schindler-esque true story of Jewish Poles escaping the horrors of Nazi Germany and defending their own by whatever means they can, the whole thing looks over produced and over dramatised to the effect it makes you think it is all a bit fictional, when you should be thinking how immense the struggle was for these people, you are burdened with a sense of watching a BBC war drama. Worthy for the story alone but not for the handling, only just warrants being worth a watch.