Defiance [Blu-ray]
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev SchreiberStudio: Paramount
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Running Time: 137 minutes
DVD Release: June 2nd 2009
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DVD Review
Paramount Defiance (Blu-ray)Three ferociously committed actors fill the roles of the Bielski brothers, Jewish partisans who escaped into the forests of Eastern Europe during the Second World War. Daniel Craig (taking a break from 007 duty) is Tuvia, the leader of a group of refugees who eventually number over a thousand; Liev Schreiber is Zus, the antagonistic warrior; and Jamie Bell is Asael, a peacemaker no less devoted to the survival of the community. The three performers give life to director Edward Zwick's account of this little-known chapter of Jewish resistance to the Holocaust, which otherwise plays more like a history lesson than a full-blooded movie. The film's best achievement is its strong location work, in Lithuania--as the community makes its home in the forest, the landscape becomes an important player in the drama at hand, and the changing of the seasons is charted with bone-chilling detail. Schreiber manages to get a little wry humor into this otherwise sober enterprise, and Daniel Craig creates an unusual character: a sort of anti-Bond, a hero whose body is all too fallible and whose decision-making is sometimes hesitant or morally compromised. It's a rare hero in a World War II movie that tends to withdraw from scenes rather than stride into them, but that's what Craig does.
User Reviews
Gripping Drama, First-Rate Performances - Rating: 5/5
"Defiance" is the story of the three Bielski brothers, who retreated to the woods in 1941 after their parents were shot to death by the Nazis, and served as protectors for a group of 1,200 displaced Jewish partisans. Tuvia (Daniel Craig), the eldest, becomes the reluctant leader. Zus (Liev Schreiber) advocates violent retaliation against the Nazis. The youngest, Asael (Jamie Bell), is caught in a rivalry between his two brothers.
It is this conflict that gives the story its bite. With so much at stake, two average men have been thrust into the roles of saviors and protectors. There are definite parallels with the story of Exodus, particularly the wandering in the wilderness with no end in sight.
Director Edward Zwick provides a gripping portrait of the difficult conditions and the logistics of hiding such a huge group of people from roaming German patrols. There is ever-present tension and suspense, since conditions are so precarious, defense against the far better-equipped Nazis is uncertain, and weather conspires to take its toll on the innocent.
Bonus extras include a making-of featurette and director's commentary. Blu-ray exclusive extras include featurettes on the film's musical scoring, the descendants of those Jewish partisans, and a photo gallery.
good choice in blu ray - Rating: 4/5
I'm picky about what I buy in blu-ray because of the price. Defiance is a good choice because of the scenery and the action
Very Satisfying - Rating: 5/5
I wasn't sure what I'd get when I rented this movie. What I saw was an incredible, factual, and little known story. It kept a fairly fast pace and unlike many movies I never knew what was coming next. The war aspect was compelling and will likely satisfy people looking for that but it was the human element that stood out and made their story so special. One might not expect such a story to be heartwarming and inspirational but in the end that's precisely what this movie was. Highly recommended, my only disappointment was that I rented rather than bought as it is one I'd like to see again and again.
Defiance - Rating: 4/5
A good WWII action drama telling the story of the three Bielski brothers that fought the Germans and hid hundreds of Jews in the woods in the countryside of Poland. Their own small band of resistance fighters stirred up trouble for the local commands to the point that rewards were offered for them to be turned in. They eluded the Germans through the war and helped many Jews escape the death camps. Good acting, sets, and costumes give you a real feel of the times. Good quality DVD with normal features. Decent replayability. If you enjoyed this catch Valkyrie (Single-Disc Edition).
CA Luster
The best movie I've seen in a very long time. - Rating: 5/5
I am puzzled as to why this movie wasn't shown in more theaters. I suppose, due to current world opinion, it was too politically incorrect, since it shows the Jews fighting back rather than being led to gas chambers.
The movie was riveting, the special features, just as compelling. An incredible true story of human survival against all odds. It prompted me to order the book.
