Defying the human condition in times of crisis

Rating: 8/10 (2 February 2014)

As far as WW II/Holocaust movies go, Edward Zwick's Defiance is basically the Spartacus version of the bunch, as opposed to the likes of Schindler's List (which, if you want to further draw comparisons with Roman epics of old, has more overtones of Quo Vadis or The Robe, in which a man "in league with the enemy" opens his eyes to the shameful horrors inflicted on the minority and turns to their aid). The specific act of defiance this movie revolves around is mere survival in a world where the Jewish minority has been sentenced to death under the ruthless rule of the German Third Reich during the occupation of Poland. As their parents are murdered by the Nazis and their Polish lapdogs, the Bielski brothers retreat into the primordial woods hellbent on revenge. As they are confronted with growing numbers of Jewish refugees also seeking shelter in the forest, the brothers find themselves divided on which course of action to take as those in need of help name them their leaders in the struggle for basic survival. What will it be: vengeance at all costs, or the needs of the many over a personal vendetta? At the heart of the movie is the ideological conflict between the three brothers. The oldest, Tuvia (Daniel '007' Craig), unwittingly finds himself given command over this group, which soon numbers in the hundreds, and first and foremost aims to keep them safe as he feels it is his moral responsibility, like it or not, to do so. His younger brother, the hotheaded Zus (Liev Schreiber) instead feels attacking their persecutors and killing as many Germans as possible takes precedence, and as their rivalry deepens he leaves the camp to join local Soviet resistance cells to do just that. Their younger brothers, including Asael (Jamie Bell) opt to stick with Tuvia. As the forest community grows, so does the risk of being discovered, which soon leads to an all-out assault by the German forces which the refugees have to fight off with little means at their disposal, nor the help of Zus' band of partisans, who will not risk their lives to save Jews. Can Tuvia save "his" people from annihilation, or will the Bielski Jews be massacred despite all their efforts? Only a reconciliation of the brothers seems like it might stay their doom.
Defiance proves a chilling war epic (albeit on a smaller budget that most, since this is a more confined movie in terms of characters and locations) making ample use of the assembled talent in front and behind of the camera. Not to mention appropriating the beautiful forest environment to such great effect that it's not hard to conceive of it as a character in itself: lush and warm in summer, but unforgiving and uncompromising in the cold Polish winter, which is as lethal as the human enemy. Against all odds, the community flourishes, but the fear of being rooted out and brutally killed persists. And Zwick doesn't flinch at showing that this new formed society is far from idyllic, as hunger, disease and most of all, basic human behavior, continue to threaten their survival.
A story that focuses on the ordeals of man living with man through a period of intense crisis is incomplete if it wouldn't address the issue of man's darker side getting the better of him. Defiance too tells of the strong in the group exploiting the weak, taking their food, sexual integrity and if they resist, their lives. Tuvia soon rises to the occasion of exorcising such immoral behavior from his people by exacting 'zero tolerance' type punishment upon the perpetrators. The Bielksi Jews are not living in a democracy and freedom is still a rather abstract concept, but fortunately Tuvia accepts a role of the benevolent leader who generally has his people's best interest at heart, despite his continuing desire for vengeance. Meanwhile, even among his new brothers in arms, Zus is still an outsider because of his status as a Jew, despite being a formidable fighter. Defiance isn't afraid to admit that antisemitism wasn't limited to the Germans, as the Jews are shown to also suffer under the hands of their Polish neighbours, offering a less black and white view than simply stating 'Germans are bad and all others are good'. As the Germans exploit the Polish population, Poles exploit Jews and even among the refugees Jews are found exploiting other Jews. Tuvia's main act of defiance is rising above such base humanity for the greater good. It does at times make him feel overly saint like, but when he unhesitatingly shoots troublemakers amongst his own people, you know he's still as human as the rest of them.
With Defiance, Zwick once again proves himself a certified craftsman of effective historical drama, the kind that encompasses a fine mix of solid acting, dynamic action and thematic value, but for some reason just doesn't stick with you as much as similar movies from better known directors tend to do. Defiance is unmistakably an excellent film, but not in the same league as similar entries in the Holocaust subgenre like Schindler's List or The Pianist, movies with which it cannot avoid comparison because of the subject matter. On the page it all should work, and when watching the movie it does, but afterwards Zwick's movies for some inexplicable reason just seem to slip from mind somehow. Likewise, even though his films have been awarded their fair share of Academy Award nominations, actual wins are few and far between. Nevertheless, upon viewing Defiance defies all sense of whatever shortcomings might plague Zwick's body of work to stand out despite their undeniable quality.