Defiance

Defiance


Directed By: Edward Zwick
Reviewed by: Felicity T., 16
Rating: It was amazing!


Based on a true story, (with real photos during the credits), and made in 2008, Defiance is a dramatic account of years of Nazi occupation in Belarus during WWII, and the incredible survival, and defiance of hunted Jewish people there. The film begins by showing German soldiers and local collaborators herding off, splitting apart, and killing Jewish families in Belarus. (Belarus is a medium-sized European country just east of Poland.) In one family, a group of four brothers, whose ages range from around 12 to the 30s, is orphaned when their parents are killed by a local policeman who has collaborated with Nazi authorities. The film goes on to document their escape into the vast forests of Belarus, where they encounter more Jewish refugees. The oldest brother, Tuvia, eventually becomes a key leader in this sort of forest refugee camp that saves thousands of Jewish lives from death and persecution.

What makes Defiance such a great film is its moving, true story, its dramatic and artistic film style, and its powerful acting. The makers of this film have done an excellent job in their portrayal of strong, concrete human characters and their very horrendously real circumstances. I mean, these people are being hunted in the middle of dense European forests, sometimes during freezing winter! And they're surviving alongside hundreds of other people who are truthfully doing more than just surviving-they're living, growing, making love and friendships. It's an incredible statement about humanity. All this human drama is moved along by a great cast: Daniel Craig, who plays the lead role, is a convincing actor, along with the rest of the cast, which includes Mia Wasikowska in a role that I think is far better than her unassuming Alice in Wonderland gig. Beyond its strong characters, I love the artistic technique that is used in the filming of Defiance. The filmers have a powerful way of juxtaposing the events of the story. For instance, in one of the movie's climactic moments, scenes of a wedding are played in between cuts of a partisan attack on a Nazi convoy. The way that the sounds of both scenes are intermingled proves thought-provoking and says alot about the irony of human life in celebration and war. "All's fair in love and war."

Something I love about this film, beyond the obvious, critical matters like acting quality, is how deep and thought-provoking it is. Themes like the meaning of manhood, coming of age, the satisfaction (or lack of) of revenge, the role of faith in community, camaraderie (comrade-ship), the definition of leadership, and HOPE are all significant to the story, and to our own lives. It is rare to find a piece of entertainment that goes beyond its own little screen to add meaning to its own viewers' thoughts. Right alongside these weighty thematic elements is the abundance of conflict in the story, which really brings out all of the key ideas. In Defiance, we see conflict between brothers, between sides in a war, between philosophical persuasions, between ways of life, between one person's idea of courage and another's, between lovers, between one idea of survival and another, between leaders and bullies, between truth and deceit.. Truly, this movie is full of meaty conflicts that drive you to realize what is right on your own.

If you haven't seen this movie, I really recommend it. Just so you know, there is a fair scattering of profanity and other bad language, with a handful of f-bombs. There are one or two crude jokes made by an antagonist, and vodka flows aplenty throughout the movie, even in the hands of children. I think there is one subtle "bedroom scene," in which you really don't see anything except the couple lying together. Just in case you're sensitive about those things.


Recommended to: People who like history, WWII buffs, people interested in learning about the Holocaust, people who like war movies, people who like human dramas..., teenagers