Defiance (2008)

57% of critics liked it
(178 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(242,417 ratings)

Inspired by a true story, director Edward Zwick's epic World War II drama Defiance tells the tale of three Jewish Eastern European brothers (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell) who narrowly escape certain death at the hands of the Nazis, subsequently vowing to avenge the deaths of their… More Inspired by a true story, director Edward Zwick's epic World War II drama Defiance tells the tale of three Jewish Eastern European brothers (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell) who narrowly escape certain death at the hands of the Nazis, subsequently vowing to avenge the deaths of their loves ones by launching a desperate battle against the forces that seek to exterminate their entire race. The year is 1941, and the setting is Nazi-occupied Belarus. The Final Solution is in full effect, and the Jews of Eastern Europe are being slaughtered wholesale. Tuvia (Craig), Zus (Schreiber), and Asael (Bell) have miraculously managed to escape into the dense surrounding forest. Having played in these woods since childhood, the brothers have a distinct advantage over their adversaries, and soon decide that simply surviving is not enough. In order to make a difference, they must take action, but in order to take action they will need support. As whispers of their bravery take wind, others like them appear determined to lay their lives on the line for the cause of freedom. Tuvia has become the de facto leader of the group, but he's still somewhat reluctant to take on such a heavy responsibility and his brother Zus expresses concern that his idealistic plan will ultimately bring about the group's downfall. With winter setting in, everyone works to create a functioning community that will help them endure the frigid months that lie ahead, and Asael reluctantly finds himself caught in the crossfire of his older siblings' rivalry. Is it possible to keep faith alive in a time when the world seems devoid of humanity and survival becomes a way of life? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 16 min.
Directed By: Edward Zwick
Written By: Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jan 16, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Jun 2, 2009
Studio: Paramount Vantage

Critic Reviews

Ben Lyons, At the Movies
The way Zwick force-feeds his audience emotion becomes laborious.
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
I felt like these characters were prototypes and not people.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
As a piece of historical redress, a great service has been done in bringing this narrative to the screen.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
It's understandable and laudable that they desire not to sensationalize the Bielskis, and they've made a worthy film. But their understated approach makes the struggle seem less urgent than it must surely have been.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
It's difficult, perhaps impossible, to make a gripping 137-minute epic about people standing around under the trees.
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle
It is, all in all, a film as square-shouldered as its leads -- tough-minded, forcibly acted and conventionally spun by Zwick and co-writer Clayton Frohman.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
Zwick does not deal in gratuitous grotesquery or far-fetched metaphor. "Operatic" and "surreal" are not in his vocabulary.
Joshua Starnes, ComingSoon.net
For all its pomp and ruminating, Defiance isn't really interested in drama. It really just wants to entertain us. But it's not any better at that.
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD
Defiance is heavy-handed, but emotionally compelling, engaging and inspiring throughout.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
Director Edward Zwick does a fine job presenting the challenges of reality without falling into nostalgia or easy Hollywood heroes.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
succumbing to Hollywood cliches at the expense of historical truth
Enrique Buchichio, Uruguay Total
Un drama bélico eficaz que rescata la heroicidad de los hermanos Bielski, protagonistas de un episodio poco conocido de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Jamie Gillies, Apollo Guide
This is not an easy film to watch, as it describes the horrors of war with neither sympathetic nor maudlin touches.
Mike Scott, Times-Picayune
In addition to blowing bunker-sized holes in the concept of Jewish timidity during the Holocaust, it's also a darn good bit of period storytelling.
Matt Soergel, Florida Times-Union
Doesn't quite live up to its great story. But this well-made, solidly conventional movie will almost certainly send you scurrying to find out more about its little-known heroes.
Sonny Bunch, Washington Times
Defiance is overly long and somewhat disjointed, dragging through an interminable second act that seriously impedes the film's flow and hurts the inspired performances.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
The tone is desaturated gravity, the action is smudged, the Old Testament parables subtle as anvils
Anders Wotzke, Moviedex
An engaging and inspirational story about the spirit of survival, bravery and brotherhood.

Read all 18 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Joseph M

While Defiance has some Brutal Battle scenes and Charismatic performances from Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell it lacks an emotional punch and suffers from a plotless storyline.
Albert K

I wanted to love this movie. The plot, the actors, the setting, all seemed to be the perfect setup for a gripping and dramatic film. Edward Zwick directed this movie and he tends to take sensitive topics and throw in blockbuster action scenes. It almost gave the movie an artificial… More
I wanted to love this movie. The plot, the actors, the setting, all seemed to be the perfect setup for a gripping and dramatic film. Edward Zwick directed this movie and he tends to take sensitive topics and throw in blockbuster action scenes. It almost gave the movie an artificial feeling. Not only that, the follow-up to the ending was dreadfully simplistic with very weak character development. There is one scene noteworthy that really brings out Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber's acting performance, other than that, this movie lacks.
Jens S

If you were trying to find a way to bash this film you could say that it is about people running and hiding through the same kind of forest for two hours. That would not do the film any justice, of course, even if it is visually somewhat repetitive. The true story of three Belorussian… More
If you were trying to find a way to bash this film you could say that it is about people running and hiding through the same kind of forest for two hours. That would not do the film any justice, of course, even if it is visually somewhat repetitive. The true story of three Belorussian brothers who take it into their own hands to safe as many Jews from the Nazi occupation as possible, by hiding in the woods. Especially the relationship between the reasonable leader Daniel Craig and hot-tempered Liev Schreiber makes the movie interesting even through a couple of slow passages. It also raises interesting questions about the nature of resistance and revenge in its different aspects. The action-packed showdown is really exciting, because those characters have grown on you by then. An enthralling and very entertaining unknown chapter of WW2 history.
Raymond W

Despite a great and inspiring story, and wonderful actors and director, it's hard to think that Defiance wouldn't be great, but the reality is not quite so positive. The cinematography is extremely gorgeous: shot on location in Lithuania. The actors do a good job (except… More
Despite a great and inspiring story, and wonderful actors and director, it's hard to think that Defiance wouldn't be great, but the reality is not quite so positive. The cinematography is extremely gorgeous: shot on location in Lithuania. The actors do a good job (except for Daniel Craig who can't seen to keep his accent), and James Newton Howard provides an intense, powerful score that should have won the Best Soundtrack Oscar, but the screenplay is cliched, and the film doesn't have any depth or emotional gravity to be powerful and involving.
Julie B

Well acted and interesting. And the dirtier Daniel Craig gets, the bluer his eyes look. Just sayin'.
moon r

Two Jewish brothers square off over the Nazi problem: one believes to fight fire with more fire, the other seeks the road less travelled. In the balance hangs the lives of escapees from the Jewish ghettoes. Predictably inspiring.
Bruce B

This movie is based on a true story, which is very moving, its WWII and the Germans are killing Jews and two brothers take to the thick forest and build a camp and start taking in other Jews hiding and fleeing for their lives. Along the way they take revenge for the killing of their… More
This movie is based on a true story, which is very moving, its WWII and the Germans are killing Jews and two brothers take to the thick forest and build a camp and start taking in other Jews hiding and fleeing for their lives. Along the way they take revenge for the killing of their parents and also they protect themselves from other Jews. The Story Alone is worth 4 stars.
Jim H

Two Jewish brothers fight Nazis from a forest hideaway, which is quickly populated by refugees. What I liked about this film was that it has some complexity. Though I think the theme remains unexplored, there is a real moral question that divides the brothers Bielski: when does… More
Two Jewish brothers fight Nazis from a forest hideaway, which is quickly populated by refugees. What I liked about this film was that it has some complexity. Though I think the theme remains unexplored, there is a real moral question that divides the brothers Bielski: when does killing and war become morally wrong even in the face of depravity? Yes, it eventually degrades into a basic war film, but the moments when the uncertainly militant Tuvia confronts the boorish Zus create compelling drama. Also, I thought the action sequences were well-done, thrilling even though they're largely predictable. Daniel Craig's performance is quite strong and understated, his character written in the lines of his face, and the normally too-stoic, placid Liev Schreiber delivers some heart-wrenching scenes, especially when he learns of his family's death. I didn't like the film's anti-intellectual vein. Intellectuals are portrayed as mostly useless and foolhardy, especially during the climactic battle sequence. I also thought there were too many scenes of refugees standing under trees, which adversely affected the film's pace. Overall, this is a compelling true story that puts to bed the myth that Holocaust victims went quietly and placidly; some of them were just as bad-ass as James Bond.
Kristijonas F

A solid survival story with the always-motivating Daniel Craig at the helm, Defiance drags on for a little too long, and doesn't offer enough gripping drama to compensate for this flaw. However - it was filmed entirely in the gorgeous forests of my home country of Lithuania - and… More
A solid survival story with the always-motivating Daniel Craig at the helm, Defiance drags on for a little too long, and doesn't offer enough gripping drama to compensate for this flaw. However - it was filmed entirely in the gorgeous forests of my home country of Lithuania - and for that fact alone I recommend this film. If anything - it serves as a visual tour-guide to the lovely forestry of Eastern Europe!
Brad W

Defiance is a great tale, it just wasn't a great movie. The goods about the movie: the music was incredible, the acting from Craig and the other was very good, and the dramatic and intense moments are truly heartwrenching. The bad: the story gets very long and boring as the… More
Defiance is a great tale, it just wasn't a great movie. The goods about the movie: the music was incredible, the acting from Craig and the other was very good, and the dramatic and intense moments are truly heartwrenching. The bad: the story gets very long and boring as the movie goes on because nothing is happening, I think the historical accuracy is a little sketchy, I think nere the end they tried making a Holocaust movie into an action movie. Overall, dont get me wrong I really liked this, but I had too many problems to say it was great.
Cynthia S

Based on true events, this movie is very good for people who like war dramas. I cannot think of anything that I didnt like about this movie! Great WWII story about endurance, and survival. The writers were careful about the details, including the relationships between the men and… More
Based on true events, this movie is very good for people who like war dramas. I cannot think of anything that I didnt like about this movie! Great WWII story about endurance, and survival. The writers were careful about the details, including the relationships between the men and women that developed throughout this nightmare. The battle scenes are intense. The revenge scene is hard to watch, but easy to believe. Fantastic movie..
Shawn E

An incredible true story of strength and survival. Craig's acting is powerful and inspiring. The story is dark and at parts quite disturbing, but the true spirited heroes that saved hundreds of Jewish lives we shall not forget.
Michael G

Defiance unfortunately relies on the impeccable chemistry between its main stars Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. And the time they've got together onscreen seemingly transcends any flaws brought on by the script and/or direction. Unfortunately after the first hour once the… More
Defiance unfortunately relies on the impeccable chemistry between its main stars Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. And the time they've got together onscreen seemingly transcends any flaws brought on by the script and/or direction. Unfortunately after the first hour once the characters part ways Defiance turns into a Schindler's List camping trip. That last hour also gives way to a tidal wave of cliches and obviousness that left me begging for the end. Decent acting on the part of the aforementioned stars but by no means necessary viewing.
Jeff "

Defiance is a great film that tells the story of four Jewish Brothers who escape the clutches of the Nazi regime. They hide out in the Belarussian forest and join the resistance and seek helping other Jews. Defiance is a film that shows the true value of courage. The film is highly… More
Defiance is a great film that tells the story of four Jewish Brothers who escape the clutches of the Nazi regime. They hide out in the Belarussian forest and join the resistance and seek helping other Jews. Defiance is a film that shows the true value of courage. The film is highly underrated because people have expected a full blown war film in the style of Saving Private Ryan. This is not the case with Defiance. For that, the film has gotten a lot of flack. I, on the other hand really enjoyed it, as it is a different type of war film. I enjoy something different. This film shows common brothers joining a resistance movement, while protecting a couple of Jews. That sparked by interest because they're are not many films on the resistance during WWII, no less on Jewish Brothers who join a resistance movement. To me, I thought it was a great story idea, and the film was great. The cast involved bring something terrific on screen. This is one of the best films that Daniel Craig has ever played in, and he truly delivers something unique on screen. He's in a performance that you won't easily forget. Edward Zwick directs Defiance with style and he really does deliver a film that shows what common people would do to survive. Edward Zwich has always been a director that tells a great story on screen. His films ooze drama, intrigue and resolve. Defiance continues that tradition. Though not Zwick's greatest film, this is still a very good film. The film is a different take on the stereotypical war film, which is a breath of fresh air.
Sophie B

An amazing film of the true heroism during World War Two. An enchanting tale of how normal people battled to save their own lives as well as complete strangers. What makes this such an amazing story is knowing that these people continued to fight through all those years, those tough… More
An amazing film of the true heroism during World War Two. An enchanting tale of how normal people battled to save their own lives as well as complete strangers. What makes this such an amazing story is knowing that these people continued to fight through all those years, those tough winters, without food or real warmth. The acting was brilliant and I really felt involved and in touch with these characters. It was slow and slightly boring in some places but this is based on a real story so it's bound to have some rough patches.
Jani H

"Nothing is impossible. What we all have done is impossible!" Edward Zwick is a director, whose films are so called epic films with thought provoking drama, beautiful cinematography and fine acting. 'Glory', 'The Last Samurai' and 'Blood… More
"Nothing is impossible. What we all have done is impossible!" Edward Zwick is a director, whose films are so called epic films with thought provoking drama, beautiful cinematography and fine acting. 'Glory', 'The Last Samurai' and 'Blood Diamond' are his best efforts thus far and fine achievements all together. 'Defiance', his latest film, has a good story to tell but lacks the "Zwickness". WWII stories will never grow out on us. Seems as if every year, there will come out at least a couple of films that have something to do with antisemitism. 'Defiance' is based on a true story but even though it surely is a good story to be told, the film just wasn't enough emotional for me. One of the biggest flaws of the movie is that it's kinda slow paced. Many scenes feel a bit prolonged and too dramatized (an actual word?). I actually felt bored at times and just could care less of what would happen next. Because it was based on a true story, I knew that nothing that bad could actually happen. Or could it...? I've never liked when actors try to speak with an eastern European accent. Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber are both good actors, and they even speak fluently the Russian language, but when not they have this accent that sounds almost as horrible as the one that Harrison Ford had on 'K-19 - The Widowmaker'. But without the whole accent thing, both of 'em give good performances. Especially Schreiber. 'Defiance' was a disappointment to me. Couldn't be without comparing this film to his older works and I must say that this is his least successful. But 'Defaince' is not that bad, even though I've only said bad things about it. In a professional way, it looks good and sounds good but the flaws in it are just stronger.
Daniel P

Entertaining, touching film that starts slow but eventually demands that you invest in its climax. Not a masterpiece, but not a bad movie either, based on a true story no less. Solid rental.
KJ P

It was good, but if you have a 5 o' clock appointment, and you want to be on time, start this movie at 1 o' clock, because when it's over you will be like whoa, what time is it, i'm going to be late, but it's really only going to be 3:00. Be sure to have a lot… More
It was good, but if you have a 5 o' clock appointment, and you want to be on time, start this movie at 1 o' clock, because when it's over you will be like whoa, what time is it, i'm going to be late, but it's really only going to be 3:00. Be sure to have a lot of time on your hands if you want to watch this!
♥˩ƳИИ &

Four Jewish brothers escape from Nazi-occupied Poland into the Belarussian forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and others in danger. Great performances all around in this movie. A true story that is heart… More
Four Jewish brothers escape from Nazi-occupied Poland into the Belarussian forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and others in danger. Great performances all around in this movie. A true story that is heart breaking, and inspiring. Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, and George MacKay play four brothers who decided to fight back and live. Soon many came to join them and in doing so these four brothers saved many lives. You can't help but cheer on these brothers and feel inspired by what they did for their fellow people. These people are fighting for their lives, starving, questioning their faith, and wondering if they will turn into the animals they feel like, that are being hunted. I have watched a lot of movies I normally wouldn't watch and have been surprised by how much I have liked them. This is one of those movies. It's filled with heroism and bravery. Daniel Craig along with Liev Schreiber give great performances. Loved Jamie Bell in this movie. He is one my favorites, and it was good to see him in something like this. But my favorite performance came from Liev Schreiber. Probably the best performance I have seen from him. This is a must see for sure.
Dan S

An interesting true story concerning a group of four Jewish brothers who fought to survive against the Nazi Army, leading a group of Jews into the forest in hopes of shelter. While it does certainly plod at times, and some of the dialogue could be better, these flaws are compensated… More
An interesting true story concerning a group of four Jewish brothers who fought to survive against the Nazi Army, leading a group of Jews into the forest in hopes of shelter. While it does certainly plod at times, and some of the dialogue could be better, these flaws are compensated by two commanding, realistic performances from Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. I originally thought it was weird to cast Craig, a blond haired, blue-eyed actor as a Jew, since those qualities fit a German more than a Jew, but he makes you forget this quickly. Schreiber is the one whose most impressive, as a conflicted brother who consistently fights with Craig. The ending is powerful as well, as Zwick constructs a dynamite action sequence as well as a finale that provides pictures and facts of who the Bielski brothers were, and what they accomplished.