♥ Thanks for all the r/r/c's!! ♥ I am having problems rating at the moment so sorry i c...
♥ Thanks for all the r/r/c's!! ♥ I am having problems rating at the moment so sorry i cannot rate back, have written a list of people i will rate. I will try on my computer at home tonight. Not sure if its the site or this computer! :-( xx
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~ DEFIANCE ~
Since the adverts for this film came out on T.V I wanted to see it. It had catchy music, fast action and it looked like my type of film. So Monday having a day off work I spent a lovely day with my boyfriend and took a trip down to the Cinema in Bath to see it. Cinema prices are so bad at the moment I hardly ever go anymore but I couldn't wait for this one to come out on DVD. As it was a Monday there weren't many people in the screen which I liked as you always get some idiots sitting near you who won't stop talking through the whole thing which really bugs me. Some info on the film below for those not knowing anything about the film-
Edward Zwick is a well known director especially for heroic films. He has made a very successful career and has worked with many star actors. Some of these films include- Blood Diamond-2006, The Last Sumuari-2003 and Courage Under Fire-1996. This means he has worked with many popular actors including, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCapro and Matt Damon who he helped set off his career. Having such a well respected director did attract me to watch it as they have all been really good. Edward has also won an Oscar for his work on Shakespeare in Love winning Best Picture.
Writers- Clayton Frohman and Edward Zwick - Screenplay Nechama Tec- The novel of the true story- 'Defiance: The Bielski Partisans'.
Music- James Newton Howard Distributed- Paramount Vantage Release Date (UK) - 9 January 2009-01-14 Runtime- 137 Mins Rated- 15
~ PLOT ~
Defiance is set in western Belarus which was Poland at the time of WW2 when The Nazi occupied the region. Set during WW2 when the Jews were targeted by The Nazi Regime the story is set along the line of the novel- 'Defiance- The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec which is a true story. Four Jewish brothers manage to escape the homeland ruled by the Germans and join
soviet Partisans in hiding in the woods away from being slaughtered. The Brothers rescue many other Jews from local towns and fight to survive in the harsh winters of the woods. Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig) comes to be known as a hero amongst their people and he struggles to keep a heroic status when their camp is over run by patrols of Nazi police and soldiers.
~ CAST ~
Tuvia Bielski- Daniel Craig
Tuvia- is a proud and determined man. Being a Jew he is targeted by The Nazi but his strong will gives him the courage to rise against them. He takes control in setting up a camp in the deep woods of Belarus and has many lives to save. He is seen as the father figure to his younger brothers Asael and Aron and is constantly keeping them from harms way. The character is played extremely well and I soon forgot the image of James Bond from Daniel Craig. He plays the emotional scenes with high quality and even though the action scenes show his familiar characters I think he is seen in a different light.
Zus Bielski- Liev Schreiber
Zus is a very different character to Tuvia. Being an older brother plays it difficult on him and he is more interested in killing than keeping safe. He is dangerous and doesn't see that surviving is the ultimate revenge. Zus is a strong minded male but has a lot of anger and violence in him. I think he is jealous of how popular his brother Tuvia gets and he is always trying to out beat him. Live is a very well known actor. When I saw the name I didn't know who he was but I recognised his face straight away. Some of his other films include- 'The Omen'- 2006, 'The Sum of all Fears'- 2002 and 'Scream 3'- 2000.
Asael Bielski- Jamie Bell
Asael's character is very interesting. He is the middle brother so has his older brothers to help him but he likes to take care of the youngest Aron. The character changes throughout the film and the development is done very well. Asael at the start is shown as quite naive and weak but later we see that he is actually very strong and intelligent. He has a brave nature like his older brothers and comes out on being a very tough and respected person amongst the group. Jamie Bell has an uprising career as an actor and has starred in many successful and popular films. Being a young actor he has certainly done very well in making a thriving career. He has appeared in films such as- a lead role in 'Jumper'- 2008, 'King Kong' - 2005 and the star role of 'Billy Elliot' - 2000.
Aron is the youngest of the Bielski brothers and is a very young and scared boy. His brothers try their best to keep him out of the danger and killings but death surrounds him and he sees terrible things. Aron is an intelligent child though and he knows how to look after himself. George Mackay being so young is not very well known but has done a few known productions including- 'Peter Pan' - 2003 and the TV series 'Tsunami- The Aftermath'- 2006.
Lilka Ticktin- Alexa Davalos
Alexa joins the camp when her village is visited by Tuvia for an attempt rescue to save the Jews in the village. She is a dominant female and is very independent in her ideas and keeping herself safe. She soon develops a bond with Tuvia after nursing him when he becomes ill and soon becomes his love interest. Alexa has also done some successful films including- 'The Mist'- 2007, 'The Chronicles of Riddick'- 2004 and has appeared in a few episodes of TV series 'Angel'- 2002-2003.
- Other Characters -
- Shamon Haretz- Allan Corduner - Isaac Malbin- Mark Feurstein - Ben Zion Gulkowitz- Tomas Arana - Tamara Skidelsky- Jodhi May - Riva Reich- Kate Fahy
~ OPINIONS ~
I was very impressed with the film and will defiantly be buying this on DVD when it is released. I didn't really know what it was about when I watched it all I knew is that it was a war film but it is much more than that. It has all the emotions and ingredients for a wide ranged audience to enjoy. The emotional scenes are done exceptionally exquisite and I found myself being quite sad at points where I was so into the film. I also think these parts worked well because it is a
Pictures of Defiance (DVD)
Soundtrack cover CD
true story and everyone knows the history of the Holocaust which is why it is quite sad at times. However there are plenty of action scenes for the men and females who like it, the pace during these parts were fast just like what it would be like in these situations. The music really helps with this and the audience is kept interested and intrigued. The tension is built very well in these action parts as well. When some Nazi's are spotted nearby you see the panic on their faces and when they come closer you really feel the danger for them. The acting was outstanding and even the accents put on by Daniel Craig and the others were so good it really fitted the characters. The filming stunts and techniques used were really amazing which gave it the atmosphere and tension it needed. There is a particular part where a grenade goes off very close by to Tuvia. Director Zwick uses the combination of muffled gunshots and screams and a high pitched piercing sound to show the audience what he is going through. I loved this affect and thought it keeps the audience really involved on what's going on and the status of the character's.
It is a very moving and unique story which we must remember is a true story and events such as these actually happened to the Jews in WW2. It is nice to see the point of view from an actual Jewish family and to remember the lost stories of the Jewish Resistance. The action is gripping, the narrative is emotional and terrifying and the cast acts to a superb level of standard for a tense subject such as this. I found it very fascinating and is one of the best films I have seen for a long time.
The film is rated a 15 which is suitable for the content as there is some gore, sexual references and swearing.
Defiance was started in 1999 after having filming rights to use facts from Tec's book. The film was done in three months and had a budget of $50 million.
The film was received very mixed on the opening weekend and received a 52% rotten tomato rating. Critics did complain about the story as not being 100% correct and that a lot of issues were left out. Including how there was a significant presence of Polish in this area at the time which was ignored. I don't think this really matters has the film focuses on The Jewish stand and not the polish.
Filming Locations- Lithuania - which reduced the cost and so the budget could be spent more on stunts, equipment and a great cast.
~ SOUNDTRACK ~
The CD soundtrack can be brought from play.com at £5.99.
1. Defiance Main Titles 2. Survivors 3. Make Them Count 4. Your Wife 5. Bielski Otriad, The 6. Bella And Zus 7. Exodus 8. Camp Montage 9. Wedding, The 10. Winter 11. Escaping The Ghetto 12. Police Station 13. Tuvia Kisses Lilka 14. Nothing Is Impossible 15. Bielski Brothers/Ikh Bin A Mame, The
~ RECOMMEND ~
I would defiantly recommend this film to everyone. It targets a wide audience so I think it will attract many people including both male and females of all ages. It accomplishes everything needed in a successful film and it conveys in all emotions from, sad, anger, relieved and happy. It is the best film I have seen in the last few months so it is a must see film!
Website- http://www.defiancemovie.co.uk/
• Thanks for reading * Blackmagicstar4* JAN 09 * Published on Dooyoo and Ciao under the same name xx
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Advantages: Based on a remarkable true story. Strong convincing acting. The soundtrack. Disadvantages: Deviates from the true story a mite too much. Cliched scenes.
MAFARRIMOND 20.06.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Defiance (DVD)
Jan 14th, 2009
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