DEFIANCE
DEFIANCE
At the Nugget Monday-Thursday, Feb 16-19
Cast: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, George MacKay, Alexa Davalos, Mia Wasikowska
Director: Edward Zwick
Screenplay: Clayton Frohman and Edward Zwick, based on the book by Nechama Tec
Length: 2:17
Rated: R for violence and profanity
Subtitles: None
What’s DEFIANCE about?
Late 1941, in Nazi-occupied Belarus (east of Poland), four brothers from a farming family named Bielski flee into the forest along with a few other people determined to survive the onslaught. Eventually, twelve hundred Jews seeped out of the cities and joined the Bielski Otriad (Detachment). Some threw in their lot with Soviet partisans; the rest miraculously improvise a civil society in the woods, complete with hospital, bathhouse, and shops. Director Edward Zwick and frequent Telluride resident and screenwriter Clayton Frohman work with Nechama Tec’s 1993 historical study of the same title to shape a stirring narrative. The action—shot by Eduardo Serra near the actual sites—is stunningly choreographed and contains the kind of uncertainty that make battle scenes genuinely exciting. Zwick keeps it focused and quick. Daniel Craig (Bond, James Bond), speaking in a dry, accented voice, is the smart, dominating leader, Tuvia Bielski. Liev Schreiber, surly and tough, is the quarrelsome younger brother, and there is an excellent cast of minor actors and extras, many quite memorable. Their attempts to battle the Nazis to a standstill is based on a true story.
Who is DEFIANCE for?
For fans of war stories, WW II and adventure films; for fans of good writing, directing and acting; for fans of battles against odds and uplifting tales.
Quote from DEFIANCE:
Asael Bielski: “Nothing is impossible, what we all have done is impossible!”
What’s being said about DEFIANCE?
“Ultimately, the film works not just because of the character arc it provides for its main character but for its ultimate theme of the triumph over adversity.” James Berardinelli at reelviews.net, and “DEFIANCE is about standing up to enemies, both internal and external. Today, the Bielski brothers are regarded as war heroes and the survivors of their trek still today number in the thousands. Their story is a thoughtful representation of the choices we all must make in the face of uncertainty.” Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman cinemainfocus.com
See the DEFIANCE movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/defiance/