Survival of the Jewish!!!!

Rating: 8/10 (30 October 2015)

What director Edward Zwick did for African-Americans during the American Civil in his movie "Glory," he does for Jewish refugees in his World War II combat epic "Defiance." Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell play three heroic Jewish brothers who fled from Nazi-held Poland into the Belarussian forest, marched hundreds of Jews into the wilderness, built a camp, and hid them from Hitler's murderous troops. Naturally, the Brothers Bielski clashed among themselves, and Zus (Live Schreiber) went off and fought with the Soviets, while Tuvia acted like Moses and provided food, water, and camaraderie for these exiled Jews. Unfortunately, no matter how stirring the combat scenes are, "Defiance" is a conventional World War II movie that benefits immeasurably from a true story. Zwick and "Under Fire" scenarist Clayton Frohman adapted Nechama Tec's non-fictional account "Defiance: The Bielski Partisans." After Zus joins the Soviets, he discovers the latent anti-Semitism within the ranks. Meantime, Tuvia learns about the price of leadership. He has to orchestrate the large population that he conceals in the wood and feed them. Tuvia orders that the women be trained to handle firearms. He dispatches food patrols and monitors the Nazis, but disputes break out when the fighters who found the food insist on having greater shares. The problem with "Defiance" is that Zwick relies on clichés galore when this compelling narrative could have sacrificed most of the clichés. The logistics of trooping around these Jewish refugees are colossal. At one point, a Jewish man tells them that they cannot do the impossible, and Asael Bielski reminds them that they have already done the impossible. The combat scenes are staged vividly by Zwick and lenser Eduardo Serra. World War II fanatics will enjoy this above-average yarn.