Defiance

From writer/director Edward Zwick, comes this harrowing true story of a group of Jews that hid in the forests of Poland during WWII. Led by the three Bielski brothers, their numbers swelled to 1200 surviving four years hiding and fighting back again the German army.

The three brothers are played respectively by Daniel Craig, Liv Schreiber, and Jamie Bell. All three are excellent and the story is really remarkable. The film can be difficult to watch as you experience how these people survived but ultimately, it is an uplifting story and a very different kind of portrayal of Jews in a war movie. Rather than play the victims, these people band together for survival and to fight back against their oppressors.

As with most Zwick films, there are overly melodramatic moments and dialogue but overall, "Defiance" is a strong story, well told.