"Our Revenge is to LIVE". This one dialogue describes Defiance to the core. The movie is about struggle and war but more than that, its a tale of survival, resistance and retaliation.
Its a True story of 1200 survivors, whose new generations spans tens of thousands people, who spent almost 2 and a half years in a forest in belarus post world war 2.
I dont know what is it that makes War movies great. Although Defiance is not in the same league as the finest, It still makes a mark and leaves you feeling for the families. Step by Step you start loving the 3 Bielski brothers (The leading one being Daniel Craig).
Performance wise, Daniel Craig, who portrays a spectrum of emotions from being an angry man who takes the revenge of his dead parents in cold blood, to the leader of the clan whose lone objective is to survive and to help others live.
But, i think the script overpowers the direction. The narrative and the story itself is so strong that you wish that the director takes the story in a different plain altogether, which just doesnt happen.
"We Jews are only good at dying". The words seem so tragic and hit just the right chord with the audience and thats where the movie scores. Overall a good movie worth a watch but not in the same league as Schindler's List. But i think the comparison itself is not fair.
