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True to its advertising claims, “Defiance” tells a
story I’ve never heard before: That of the Bielski Partisans,
a Jewish rebellion from Poland that rallied against Nazi
occupiers at the height of World War II. Originally founded
by the remaining sons of the Bielski family, it soon ballooned
into an organization consisting of thousands of people,
all freed from local Jewish ghettos. They struggled to survive
in the Belarussian forests, facing starvation, disease,
and exposure to the elements. ***
Their story was documented in the book “Defiance: The
Bielski Partisans” by Nechama Tec, and this is the basis
for Edward Zwick’s film. I give him credit for directing
and co-writing a compelling story in which core human emotions
are at odds with basic survival skills; in any such scenario,
one must decide whether forgiveness, fairness, and tolerance
is more important than staying alive. ***
In spite of its subject matter, “Defiance” is far from
a perfect film. A lot of it felt like an adaptation, which
is to say that it relies too heavily on war movie clichés
like melodramatic dialogue and overt symbolism. I was especially
wary of a death scene late in the film; with his last breath,
he turns to Daniel Craig’s character and says, “I had almost
lost my faith. But you were sent by God to save us.” Does
this not seem contrived? ***
It’s second only to obvious visual statements for hope
and redemption, as when sunshine bathes the partisans after
weeks of harsh winter conditions, or when they all trudge
across a swamp in the same way Moses and his chosen people
trudged across the parted Red Sea. The creativity and technical
merits of such moments are overshadowed by the sense that
they don’t belong. ***
Still, the drama is persuasive, and the performances
are decent given the material they had to work with. Craig,
Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, and George MacKay portray Tuvia,
Zus, Asael, and Aron Bielski, four brothers from West Belarus
who lost their parents soon after the Germans invaded. Aron
is virtually ignored in the film, and whenever he is featured,
he mostly remains quiet and unassuming. The other three,
however, are given very distinct personalities, all of which
add to the drama and make the story much more personal.
***
Tuvia, for example, is initially angry over the deaths
of his parents, and he personally tracks down and kills
the Germans responsible. But it isn’t long before he realizes
how wrong his actions were, and he spends the rest of the
film trying to convince himself that the best revenge is
mere survival. He also believes that everyone in hiding
deserves equal portions of food and must do their fair share
of work; this puts him at odds with certain survivors, who
feel that those working harder deserve better treatment.
***
Zus, on the other hand, remains angry throughout the
entire film. He doesn’t agree with Tuvia’s more forgiving
philosophy--he wants revenge, plain and simple. Because
he doesn’t get along with his brother, he decides to join
a militant group of Soviet partisans also at odds with the
Nazis. And as for Asael, the film focuses more on his romance
with a young girl named Chaya (Mia Wasikowska), who in real
life held the rare distinction of being a high school graduate.
***
Having now done a little research on the subject, I’m
surprised at just how much Zwick left out of the screenplay.
One of the biggest controversies surrounding the film is
the omission of the 1943 Naliboki Massacre, which resulted
in the deaths of 128 people. The Bielski partisans were
accused of taking part in this alongside Soviet partisans.
The fact that many historians deny their involvement should
be of no consequence; an event so monumentally tragic should
at least be acknowledged as having happened. I’m well aware
that a film can only hold so much material before it gets
unbearably long, but the way I see it, the Naliboki Massacre
is too important to have overlooked. ***
There are also a few logistical issues that seemed
to have slipped under the radar, such as the fact that so
many of the partisans are never in short supply of alcohol.
Where are they getting this alcohol from, and why is it
easier to get than food? This doesn’t seem very plausible.
***
Despite these problems, “Defiance” is still worth recommending,
mostly because the performances are believable. It has its
other good points: the cinematography is top notch, revealing
the squalor the partisans had to live in; James Newton Howard’s
score is both solemn and exciting, a combination of violin
dirges and piano solos; the struggle between survival and
vengeance is convincing, especially during a scene in which
a Nazi is captured and made to face the wrath of the partisans.
***
{Blu-ray} Edition:(Taylor Carlson)
Even though the film, due to its grim nature, was filmed
in a drab style that isn't always colorful, this is one
of the best Blu-Ray transfers this reviewer has ever laid
eyes upon. The level of fine object detail is astounding,
and the image is generally clear and free of any anomalies.
The grain level is never distracting, and as far as I can
tell, no artifical enhancements of any kind were used on
this 1080p transfer. The end result is a film-like transfer
with a great amount of detail and depth, which I will not
hesitate to call reference quality.
Sound: The sound quality isn't too far behind the audio.
Due to its setting and nature, the movie has a wide variety
of ambient sounds for the lossless audio track to take advantage
of. Be it the sounds of a forest or full-blown gunfire,
this audio track shines throughout the course of the movie.
While it isn't quite the best audio track on the market
today, like the image, I feel secure in also declaring this
track as reference quality.
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| Special
Features: |
This DVD includes an audio commentary by director Edward
Zwick. It also includes three featurettes--“Return to the
Forest: The Making of ‘Defiance,’” “Children of the Otriad:
The Families Speak,” and “Bielski Partisan Survivors.” The
film is presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen format
and features Dolby 5.1 Digital sound. ***
{Blu-ray} Edition:(Taylor Carlson)
Only a few features appear on the disc, but fortunately,
they are all presented in HD. The first, Return to the Forest,
looks at both the cast and crew's experience on the movie,
as well as the history that inspired the film. Children
of the Otriad is another featurette, in which the story
that inspired the film is spoken about by the Bielsky Brothers.
Scoring Defiance is exactly what it says it is, a summary
of the creation of the film's superb musical score. Bielski
Partisan Survivors is a fairly brief montage that takes
a look at some of the actual survivors of the conflict the
film explores. And rounding out the disc are theatrical
trailers. All in all, not the biggest or best selection
of features, but enough to entertain any fan of the film.
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