defiance dares to bore

Rating: 1/10 (26 March 2009)

During the last ten years I have walked out of only two films before they have ended. Blood Diamond and Defiance, both weightless (but heavy going), both making a hash of a terrific plot, both Zwick. Vy ver de actors in Defiance have to talk in zis stupid manner? Doubly stupid was the fact that the same actors also spoke in excellently learned Russian. There was no justification for the assumed middle European twang unless it was the assumed school of acting that carried most of the performances. The whole thing smacked of a latter day Sunday tea-time BBC TV offering. What could have saved it? A lighter touch perhaps, a sense of humor now and then always points up the tragedy. Even in the depths of despair the human animal will usually find a little fun. In the Ghetto there was theater, in the London Underground stations there was music hall during air raids. It would have been nice to hear some laughter in the forest, if only to prevent me from wondering if the film set was respecting the environment. The director is perhaps trying to make a reputation dealing with tough and meaningful topics when he may be better advised to deal with Disney.