During the Second World War in Belarus, the Bielski brothers- Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber), and Asael (Jamie Bell) - are persecuted for their Jewish heritage, along with kid brother Aron (George MacKay). After helping one fellow Jew escape capture, they hide out in the forest and slowly take more and more people under their protection. Personal heartaches and triumphs as well as their larger fight for survival illustrate a period in history that left an indelible mark in its wake.

CRITIQUE

In the world of war films, the word epic has become an almost necessary descriptor of the genre, and the word signals a certain scope of production and quality of story. This film is actually not that large in scale but still creates an epic tone. Defiance is more than an effective action film, it is a powerful drama of family and war which also has strong performances.

Edward Zwick is a director who has helmed films like The Last Samurai and Legends of the Fall, so he is in more than adequate shape to craft a cinematic representation of a narrative that needs to balance drama and action in equal measure. The work he does here, particularly the editing he has supervised from Steven Rosenblum, is truly of high quality. Many shots and sequences will remain etched in the audience’s memory after the film is over. A particularly memorable shot is the group after group of Jewish refugees haltingly making their way into the forest hideaway of the brothers. Zwick also nicely mutes the color palette used to create a physical manifestation of the bleak environment these people are surrounded by, while he also alters the frame rate in a thrilling sequence in which Zus raids a police station to retrieve desperately needed medicine.

In terms of story, the familial interaction between the three brothers feels truly authentic and they each also get effective, touching romantic subplots. At first glance, these might seem contrived but the actual scripting and performance of them are far from substandard. Tuvia and his love interest, played well by Alexa Davalos, have a particularly sexy connection. Aside from Davalos, the rest of the supporting cast, such a Mark Feuerstein, is wonderful, and that’s added to the undeniable talent of the three lead actors. They all impress with realistic accents, but they also manage to exude masculinity while handling scenes with lots of emotion. Zwick has also chosen his artisans well, with the score, costumes, and production design seemingly genuine and visually striking at the same time. The story, performances, and direction of Defiance make it a strong cinematic experience.

THE VIDEO

Paramount presents Defiance in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The desaturated tone of the film’s visuals is perfectly preserved.

THE AUDIO

Paramount presents Defiance in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and it’s a pretty good soundtrack with clear audio all around. Also available are French and Spanish 5.1 tracks, and subtitles for English, Spanish and French.

THE EXTRAS

Audio Commentary by Edward Zwick: The director does a wonderful job carrying a track on his own. His knowledge about things like film rate and shutter speed shine through in his comments, which is reassuring in a director, but he has a lot of interesting tidbits, too. Like the fact that the forest locations were found on Google Earth. This is a good listen.

Return to the Forest: The Making of Defiance: I always like watching the making-of docs now almost universally included on DVDs, and this one is good. There are the usual interviews here, and the discussions are always interesting. Davalos talks about being made up with dirt, while Schreiber touches on an actor’s challenge when confronted with a language to learn for a role. Zwick’s speech to the entire cast and crew at the end of shooting is a nice addition in this extra, too.

Children of the Otriad: The Families Speak: The present-day descendants, mostly children and grandchildren, of the Bielski brothers talk about their courageous relatives and the film depiction of their past. This extra is probably the most touching on the disc, as the family members are clearly touched to have the people they love and remember honored on screen. The home movies and photos included only heighten this nostalgia. This is a wonderful bonus feature and one everyone should watch.

Bielski Partisan Survivors: This is a moving montage of black and white photographs of the survivors of the Bielski group taken by director Zwick shortly before the release of the film. The images here are so expressive, and it feels like a wonderful tribute. Definitely take a look at this.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Defiance blends action, outstanding performances, and memorable direction with a story spotlighting plenty of emotion during a powerful moment in history. The courage displayed in this true-life story sticks in the audience’s mind, and the wonderful extra features on this disc help this along. Everyone should see this film and many viewers will want to buy Defiance.