Movie Review - Defiance

This is an action packed type of Holocaust movie, not the sort we're more accustomed to and, for me, it's only partially successful. The previously untold true story of three Jewish brothers who managed to save 1200 lives during WWII by hiding out in the forests and fighting back against those who murdered their parents is interesting but flawed. The Bielski brothers Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell), devastated by the loss of their parents, are determined to survive and assist as many other Nazi victims as possible. Tuvia takes the lead to create a new community of forest dwellers who rebuild their shattered lives one step at a time, struggling to find food and create shelter for themselves as well as avoid confrontations and capture from SS soldiers. It's a harsh existence with plenty of sacrifices and constant fear of discovery. Zus, meanwhile, aligns himself with a group of Soviet soldiers while Asael marries a fellow forest dweller in a sweet, traditional ceremony held among the trees.

While I admire the efforts of director/co-screenwriter Edward Zwick to bring this hidden story to light, I had some problems with the approach as the movie periodically explodes into big action sequences which became a distraction from the more compelling tale of these survivors who managed to avoid the fate of so many others. The characters are not particularly well developed, including the three brothers who serve more as symbols than flesh and blood people. Performances are fine, but with so little to reveal about the personalities of the people who flee to the forest there's not much the actors can do to make an impression. Although I'm usually a fan of Daniel Craig, he seemed slightly miscast in this movie and does a lot of scowling, squinting and stoic suffering. Liev Schreiber manages to create somewhat of a character despite the script's drawbacks. This is an intense, earnest film with its power reduced by Zwick's propensity for pyrotechnics over humanity.

Things to love about this movie: A new approach to the typical Holocaust tale; Jamie Bell and Mia Wasikowska (who plays Chaya, the girl he marries while hiding out) make a nice couple with good screen chemistry; some provocative moral dilemmas involving revenge and fighting back against injustices
Things to hate about this movie: Despite the horrors of war and subsistence living there's always plenty of booze around and even a golden lit love scene between Tuvia and Lilka (another refugee from the city who serves as a convenient love interest); the same flock of geese seems to be wandering through far too many scenes
Pleasant surprises: Seeing photos of the real Bielski brothers and their lives following the war
Unpleasant surprises: Once again, animals in jeopardy (a horse and a dog are killed and eaten)