LR's THE BLU ROOM: Review of DEFIANCE Blu-Ray By Ron Henriques on June 12, 2009 DEFIANCE (Blu-Ray) PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT 2008/Rated R/ 136 mins Now Available - List Price:  $39.99 A novice moviegoer or self-described comedian may see Daniel Craig on the poster and think "Hey it's James Bond protecting Jews and killing Nazis", but 'Defiance' actually carries some substance and the actor has always been better suited for dramatic stories instead of booze, babes and bloodshed. Craig leads a fine cast that includes Liev Shrieber and Jaime Bell in this little known World War II account of four Jewish brothers who led a community into the safety of the Belorussian forests as the German army began liquidating the ghetto. Though the source material makes for a good story, director Ed Zwick can't resist applying his own custom brand of gloss, much like he does with every other film he makes. His previous effort 'Blood Diamond' suffered from this, but was preceded by the exceptional 'The Last Samurai'. Before 9/11 his 1998 film 'The Siege' was also a bogged down mess, but that was preceded by the more timely 'Courage Under Fire'. Zwick has a knack from bringing gritty realism and drama to stories based on true events ('Glory'), but when he decides to fill in the blanks to make the material more compelling, his work suffers and so does the final product. 'Defiance' isn't a complete mess due in large part to the work by Craig and Shrieber. As real life brothers Tuvia and Zus Bielski, they set out to survive and locate those who collaborated with the Germans in the murder of their parents with younger siblings Asael and Aron (Jaime Bell and George McKay) in tow. Tuvia does find and exact his revenge upon the local police chief who took part in liquidating the ghetto, but then declares "our revenge is to live" and retreats with his brothers into the forest. Zus isn't so eager to give up the fight and though he initially remains by Tuvia's side, in time he becomes a full-time member of the Russian army. The brothers form the Bielski Otriad and through guerrilla tactics they eliminate local collaborators, provide aid to the Russians and gather weapons and ammunition. Though they develop a small reputation they find the weight of responsibility upon them as more and more Jews in hiding retreat to the camp they've established in the forest. Tuvia knows he can not possibly feed and protect the growing number of people, but takes it upon himself to be their leader and establish a community. "We may be hunted like animals" he declares, "but we will not live like animals". Every member is given an occupation for the benefit of the community and in time their numbers grow in hundreds. Zus, still restless with revenge after learning of the slaughter of his wife and child, thinks he can make a difference by joining the Russians full time and even challenges his brother's authority in a physical manner. In such a small community, friction does arise and though they may seem like dramatic plot turns in the story, they feel forced. Tuvia must contend with a sickness spreading through their group at the onset of Winter, a rising faction of individuals who want to take command as well as the diminishing food supply. With Zus gone, Asael must become his elder brother's right hand, but is not given proper respect due to his young age. Then there is the question of whether they will survive the Winter or die from starvation or discovery by German patrols. To add a little romantic flavor to the story, each brother finds his own prospective love interest or "forest wife" as so many in the community have done. For Zus it is Bella (Iben Hjejle) who he leaves behind to help the Russians derail and attack German railroad shipments, for Tuvia, Lilka (Alexa Davalos) becomes his confident and nursemaid after he contracts the illness spreading through the village. With a running time of over two hours there are typical moments where 'Defiance' feels like its dragging along and sadly there are story elements that are unfairly rushed or glossed over, cheapening the material to feel like a TV movie-of-the-week. Craig, Shrieber (who appears to be bulletproof) and even Bell do the best they can with characters that feel flat and non-dimensional even though they are based on real people. Eduardo Serra's cinematography manages to make what amounts to basically forest shots look new every time, but its Zwick's direction that nearly brings the picture down. There is never a sense of real tension amongst these people or threat of discovery by the occupying German army. When flourishes of action do break out, it feels rather staged and rushed, including an aerial bombing towards the film's conclusion. Just when the situations feel dire, our heroes are always miraculously spared by some element that feels like it was lifted from a Hollywood blockbuster. The three leads hold the picture together as best they can, but overall the film feels glossy and directed as if it were an extended movie trailer. Video: This film was purposely shot to have a gritty appearance, so if you're in the mood for a technicolor musical look you're in the wrong place. When I saw the film theatrically I was surprised that Zwick didn't choose to shoot the film in scope as he often does, but this is a more intimate story rather than a full blown action picture and the 1.85 to 1 aspect ratio is just fine. This 1080p AVC transfer isn't reference quality, but a more than adequate recreation of the theatrical presentation providing deep blacks and some good contrast with occasional film grain that is welcome. Audio: There are often moments in this film where little is happening on the soundtrack, whether it be intimate conversation or the stillness of the forest. When action does break out and violence and gunplay ensue, there's a tremendous amount of bass to be found on this lossless Dolby True HD 5.1 track. It's mixed just right, often catching you off guard when situations erupt. Extras: Zwick is a straight forward director and he tells it like it is in his audio commentary for the film which provides information about what drew him to the project and his knowledge of the history of the story. Solo tracks featuring a director can often get winded and boring. This one thankfully does not. Defiance: Return to the Forest (HD, 26:00 mins) is a typical talking heads featurette, but an informative one, delving into the production and the real-life story of the film. Children of the Otriad: The Families Speak (HD, 14:12 mins) is a rather touching featurette of interviews with the real life children and grandchildren of Tuvia and Zus recalling what they remember from the war and Scoring Defiance (HD, 7:02 mins) is a welcome addition that involves Zwick and composer James Newton Howard discussing how to create an engaging score that also incorporates aspects of Jewish culture. Rounding out the extrass are Bielski Partisan Survivors (HD, 2:00 mins) a montage of photographs taken by Zwick and two Theatrical Trailers presented in HD. Source: Tags: News