Defiance - Edward Zwick

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I just saw this at the Dollar Theater in good ole La Mirada.

I really enjoyed the film. It was a great set-up. Takes place almost entirely in the forest. I loved the dynamic relationship between Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig) and Zus Bielski (Liev Schreiber). The build up of group survival tactics was slow and steady, but from the start, you feel like you're right in the middle of Jewish persecution.

At the end of the film, there's a moment when Tuvia (Craig) is trapped alone with a tank and a dozen soldiers firing at him. Just when you least expect it, gunfire hits the enemy from the rear. Tuvia is saved! In the moment where you're trying to figure out who's doing the firing, there's this great reveal of Zus (Schreiber) and his "comrades" from the Russian resistance. Zus runs right out, shoots the guy on top of the tank, climbs on it, sets a grenade inside, and drops to the side, just in time for it to explode.

Great film about brotherhood, importance of family, and importance of Jewish community.

Overall, I give it a 3 out 5 Netflix, and a 7 on a 10-scale.

Defiance on IMDB.com

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