A Lesson in Sociology

Rating: 6/10 (26 December 2012)

By its very nature, Defiance is a movie that has an incredible story driving its narrative, so it seems as if it would be hard to "get it wrong" (in a sense). While Zwick tells the story of a community of Jews surviving the Belorussian wilderness in the midst of World War II fairly competently, there isn't much here that can't be found in other classics that deal with this particular time period.
In fact, the most fascinating aspect of the film is watching a group of 3 expand into a self-sufficient society. Defiance (oddly enough) feels more like a case study of how individuals jockey for power when separated from just about all external influences. Sociologists will no doubt find it fascinating to watch two intellectuals isolate themselves from the collective whole and discuss politics, etc. while others act as bullies for things as simple as slightly larger portions of food than what the rest of the group receives. While this is all mildly thought- provoking, I didn't have an overwhelming sense that human will can triumph over any hardship as one might expect from such a plot. The film seemed trapped in a purgatory of sorts, hovering somewhere between a scientific analysis of how communities are started (and subsequently evolve) and what it means to be human and exercise control–I'm leaving that purposely ambiguous–in the face of daunting odds. There's nothing inherently wrong with exploring both of these, but, in the case of Defiance, it seemed like it was being stretched far too thin, and should've focused completely on one or the other.
So, is this worth paying $10+ to see at a theater? No. Is it worth a rental? Yes, if for nothing more than to gain a little insight into what your sociology professor was trying to explain while you tried not to drool on your desk.