Defiance

I don’t always appreciate my HDTV. Sometimes all the fussing with settings and the issues with aspect ratio and the whole teaching an old dog new tricks thing just wears me out. But then I see a movie that makes it all worth it. Something so gorgeous that it takes advantage of every feature that big, crisp screen has to offer. Thanks to Defiance, I’m back to an appropriate level of appreciation for my Sony.

Defiance is the story of the Bielski brothers – Tuvia, Zus and Asael. Jews living in Belorussia during WWII, the three men were responsible for saving scores of their countrymen. Not soldiers, per se, the Bielskis instead led a community based rebellion like no other. Their community was Jews fleeing slaughter, their rebellion both defensive and offensive. Defiance shows us a group of Jews not hesitant to fight back. We enter their story as their home and village are attacked, their family murdered and their neighbors turned savages. There were few they could trust so the brothers make their way far into the forests of their childhoods, knowing they can avoid capture in the vast wilderness.

What the brothers do not count on is the slow but steady arrival of others fleeing the same horror. Eldest brother Tuvia (Daniel Craig) becomes the leader of the growing group. Zus (Liev Schreiber) his “second”. Youngest brother Asael (Jamie Bell) has yet to grow into a leadership role. The meat of the film is the story of the growing community, both their struggle to survive in the wild and to elude and fight off the Germans insistently trying to hunt them down.

Defiance is most definitely a “holocaust movie”. There are horrors here. But the horror of the slaughter of innocents is not what drives the narrative. Rather, it is the Bielski brothers – their personalities, philosophies and actions within the group that form the core of the film. How does one lead a group such as this? How much responsibility does one man have for the well being of others when the only real goal is survival? The character of Tuvia embodies that struggle – being the leader of the group he must make impossible decisions of such great import that they will haunt him forever. He does not seek this responsibility and is not always able to cope with the pressure. Daniel Craig is phenomenal in this role. He’s dirty and tired and impatient. His body language shows his moments of indecision, his moments of strength and his moments of profound sadness and grief. His world has been brutally destroyed and it shows – leader or not, this is a man who has suffered greatly.

Craig is at his best when battling wills with brother Zus. Schreiber’s imposing physical presence and air of menace work extremely well as a balance to Craig’s more contemplative portrayal. Zus is the brother with the need to fight, and fight hard. Not interested in the “community”, he knows only that if they do not fight, they will die. The alpha male persona adopted by Schreiber hits just the right note. He battles his brother for control of this group. He does not like to be told what to do and you can feel a lifetime of family dynamics, filled with loyalty and tension, brotherly bonds and brotherly competition. Where Tuvia is a natural leader with the tendency to see the bigger picture, Zus wants to act in the moment. Theirs is the strongest relationship and most compelling dynamic in the film. Asael does not have as strong a role or personality, but he has a single pivotal scene toward the end of the film that is exceptionally well acted by both Bell and Craig.

Defiance is based on real people and real events. Director Edward Zwick does an admirable job in telling their story without making the Bielski men into saints. What they did in those forests is astonishing, but not without its moments of ugliness. Human nature is not saintly and throughout the movie there are hints and bits that capture the harshness of the conditions and the reality of strained group interaction. The portrayal is largely and appropriately positive, but there are truths here that paint the brothers as human. It’s a fine line to walk and Zwick does it with skill.

Perhaps the greatest attribute of Defiance, in addition to the remarkable story itself, is the incredible cinematography, set design and costuming. This film is stunningly beautiful. The forests are vast and natural, the battle scenes are realistic and frightening, the group of survivors is filthy and practical in their tattered finery. The movie was filmed in Lithuania and the forests definitely have the feel and look of Europe – not North America. Darned if I can give you a detailed account of the difference, but it’s real and it shows. The soundtrack also merits note – it’s lovely with standout violin solos by Joshua Bell. The music adds to the drama and atmosphere without ever overwhelming. The whole production gleams with the care given to detail by the cast and crew. Gorgeous.

The film is not without faults. It runs at least twenty minutes too long and sags in the middle. Though much of that material is interesting, our interest begins to fade as we watch the group struggle against the elements. Some judicious editing would have been very welcome. I believe that in the end this excess is what kept Defiance out of the running for some major awards. The bloated mid-section causes the film to lose momentum and while it picks up in the final third it’s hard for it to fully recover.

I found Defiance completely captivating -the basic story, the performances of Craig and Schreiber, the balanced and nuanced script with both broad and intimate stories and the beautiful production all had me hooked. I even made it through the slow middle without checking my watch more than once (even once is too much, but still). This true story is one that I can’t imagine the whole world did not already know and it’s gripping for that fact alone. The film is a fine tribute to this rather epic struggle.

The DVD includes interviews with Bielski descendents that are well worth your time, as well as a still photo gallery of some of the survivors that gives the sense of just how talented Ed Zwick is with a camera.

Overall, highly recommended even with some overlong mid-section bloating. It’s a fascinating story about some truly unsung heroes.

– S. Millinocket