Defiant...

Rating: 7/10 (7 November 2009)

I generally love Zwick's movies. His last, Blood Diamond, is one of my all time favorites, and I love the movies he has done with Denzel (Courage Under Fire, The Siege). He seems to mix the perfect amount of emotions, story and action to take a film forward.
So it was with high expectations that I approached Defiance. I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but it definitely is not one of his best. The movie is based on the true story of the Bielski brothers, who escaped from the slaughter of Jews in Eastern Europe during WWII, into the Belarussian forests and their attempts to build a self sufficient village there for all the fleeing Jews, as well as their attempts to join the Russian fighters. Over there, through a mixture of compassion, understanding and force, they manage to survive for the years till the war was over.
Daniel Craig is great as the older Bielski brother, who does not believe in violence unnecessarily, and who believes that we should not be like the ones who hunt us. His line "We may be hunted like animals, but we will not become animals", is a wonderful reflection of his views. Probably turning in an even better performance than him though is Liev Schreiber as the second Bielski brother who, unlike his brother, believes in using violence to achieve the means, and joins up with the Rusian fighters. The younger brother, played by Jamie Bell, also is convincing as the boy who matures into a man by the end of the movie.
Apart from this, the cinematography is also breathtaking at times. while not one of his best, this movie keeps up Zwick's good record.