Defiance (2008) Review

 

Defiance (2008)

Set in 1941, Defiance follows the 4 Bielski brothers who managed to escape into the Belorussian Forest as the Nazi’s slaughter jews by the thousands. Their hiding turns to war however, after their community grows in strength and numbers.

There’s something that makes movies set in and around the second World War and the Holocaust so poignant. Probably because we’re so used to fiction and we can’t wrap our heads around the fact that things like this happened. This movie showcases one of those stories of hope and legend of sorts. Tuvia and Zus were not fighters before the war, but they absolutely are after the slaughter of family and friends. Their fights however led them on branching paths, one of a resistance fighter and one of a savior, converging again prophetically as they are led across the marshes to escape the Nazis. Those hardships they face are only half the battle, staving off sickness, enduring antisemitism from their Russian allies, and the over growing numbers leave many hungry. The circumstances changed them all into as Zus pointed out, different from the rest. They were survivors.

The cast makes up much of the heart of this film, creating a genuine community dynamic that felt alive and lived in. The film stars Jamie Bell (who is a dead-ringer for Tom Holland), a young George MacKay, and the two big leaders in Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber, whose brotherly dynamic is not of love, but of pain and endurance, seeing their own ways to keep the ones they love safe.

Defiance is more than a tale of rebellion and revenge, it’s about staying alive against all odds and saving over 1200 jews in the end. It’s captivating and thought provoking cinema that makes you feel and hope for not just your main characters, but for everyone. The pain and anguish they convey is heartbreaking and even then, if they turn into animals, can you blame them?

Very well done film by Edward Zwick.

8.3/10