The Bielski Brothers

Rating: 6/10 (30 December 2012)

During the II World War the Germans invaded the Belarussian soils, initiated there ultimate genocide, partly with the help of local civil servants. Jews are first to be stigmatised, thrown in throes into ghettos from which there is no return. The Bielski family of three peasant Jewish brothers: Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell) are amongst the very few to withstand oppression forming their own brigade in the local forests - aimed at protecting and defending what is left of their kin. Soon become almost folkloric heroes - Jews who fight, not just let themselves be slaughtered by the Nazi forces.
Based on historical figures the story is far from meticulous, instead taking vast creative liberties, which - knowing the true history - seems almost a waste of a good story. Some aspects are 'Hollywoodized', but thankfully the backbone remains strong and never backs away from confronting morality during total war with that during peace. The most striking moment in the movie involves Tuvia having to assert his commanding position in the brigade, else all he constructed would be at risk. Reaction must be brutal and relentless, but the reality justifies even cold-blooded murder of one of his own. Such aspects are touched throughout, when severe choices must be made, and the Bielski brothers are sure to make them, a far cry from the more clear-cut actions of Arthur Schindler.
In Poland the movie received some criticism for omitting the darker side of Bielski actions, inclusive of fighting Polish freedom militia, but honestly I had no issue with this (the 'russicized' English accents of characters and poor grammar of the tidbits of Russian were much more detrimental), as the brigade was portrayed perfectly as a self-serving and brutal unit devoted to saving those whom they protect, irrespective of external pain they bring. "Defiance" ventures into grey areas of heroism, where the saviours are dabbled in blood and far from respectable, instead hateful, vengeful, but at the same time necessary. As the small group expands to a self-sustaining society living in the Belarussian woods, the stance of the brothers grows increasingly and justifiably uncompromising. Although the script attempts to whitewash the Bielskis by offering them lines such as "We will only take from those who can afford it", making them into Robin Hood's seemed to trivialise them, instead it would have been better served to follow the logic of survival needs. The feature could have also probably done better without the trivial inclusions of forced dramaturgy or a big getaway with Bielskis figthing tanks, instead staying with the bare basics...
Nonetheless "Defiance" works best as a fiction, not as a recount of history. Here reading one of the monographes dedicated to the Bielski brothers would be better served.