Defiance - C

On DVD and Blu-Ray

In WW2, a group of Jews led by 4 brothers named Bielski survived in the woods near the Poland-Russia border by pooling all their resources. They would also occasionally attack the German army. The film works best early on as two of the Bielskis (Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber) decide to fight back to avoid deportation to a concentration camp. They target local civilians cooperating with the Germans. But then the movie eventually bogs down with fights over soup and pregnant women. The action scenes become repetitive and the movie doesn’t really find an ending, but has to provide the obligatory written summary of the rest of their lives during and after the war . . .

Craig’s on again-off again accent distracts, but Schreiber is great with both his vocal and physical work. There are a couple of contrived “intellectual” characters whose discussions about Nazis and motivations bring the film to a halt several times. The film is probably realistic with its drab visuals, but they still fail to give the film a much needed spark. Blood Diamond, director Ed Zwick’s last outing, benefitted from a great lead performance and a straightforward pulpy story that was bathed in sunlight. This film meanders in gray and brown tones and the acting doesn’t engage or rise above the stifled dialogue. C