The cinematic take on Jews during World War II has become almost a cliché of victimology. That's why "Defiance," one of 2008's best dramas, is so refreshing in its presentation of Belarus Jews fighting back against the Nazi regime. Compare this film directed and co-written by Edward Zwick ("Glory," "Blood Diamond") with "Valkyrie," which is set in the same historical period and was released around the same time. While the Tom Cruise flick tells us virtually nothing we didn't already know, "Defiance" is full of revelations about how nearly a thousand Jews hid out in the deep forests of Eastern Europe, surviving freezing winters and near-starvation, to mount an effective insurgency against the German war machine.
Defiance
Defiance
Defiance
The cinematic take on Jews during World War II has become almost a cliché of victimology. That's why "Defiance," one of 2008's best dramas, is so refreshing in its presentation of Belarus Jews fighting back against the Nazi regime. Compare this film directed and co-written by Edward Zwick ("Glory," "Blood Diamond") with "Valkyrie," which is set in the same historical period and was released around the same time. While the Tom Cruise flick tells us virtually nothing we didn't already know, "Defiance" is full of revelations about how nearly a thousand Jews hid out in the deep forests of Eastern Europe, surviving freezing winters and near-starvation, to mount an effective insurgency against the German war machine.