Defiance Blu-ray delivers stunningly beautiful video and great audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Four Jewish brothers living in Nazi occupied Poland escape into the forest where they join up
with Russian resistance fighters in battling the Nazis. Throughout the war they built a village
inside the forest and saved the lives of more than 1200 other Jews. Based on a true story.
For all of the many good directors out there who deliver quality picture after quality picture, a few
will inevitably become lost in the shuffle when it comes time to make a list of the best of the
best. One such Director is Edward Zwick, whose credits
include a long list of films that excel across the board. His pictures consistently deliver
tightly-woven stories of some
import, fine acting, well-staged action, and thought-provoking drama. Glory, Blood Diamond, and
Legends of the Fall
represent three of the director's best films, each one a beautifully-photographed and emotionally
satisfying work of art that stimulates the visceral senses while engaging and embracing deeper
psychological undertones. His latest effort, the 2008 World War II film Defiance,
represents another solid outing by the director, the movie playing as classic Zwick with its
breathtaking locales and photography, strong acting, moving story, and healthy doses of action.
Though perhaps not quite as engaging as Glory or as meaningful as Blood
Diamond, Defiance offers up an even-keel experience that both emotionally invests
the audience in its characters and their plight while also entertaining on a more fundamental
level.
Daniel Craig gives new meaning to 'open fire.'
With Fascism on the march throughout Europe during World War II, Operation Barbarossa
underway, and the
elimination of the Jewish people at the forefront of Hitler's vision for a post-war and Nazi-led
world, those Jewish peoples not yet imprisoned by the fall of 1941 found themselves in hiding
from strong and determined German forces. Defiance tells the story of the Bielski
partisans, Polish Jews who built for themselves a life deep in the dense forests of Eastern Europe
while evading their would-be captors and murderers. Their parents slaughtered by Nazi forces,
the surviving Bielski brothers -- Tuvia (Daniel Craig, Quantum of
Solace), Zus (Liev Schreiber, The Manchurian
Candidate), Asael (Jamie Bell, Jumper), and Aron
(George MacKay) -- flee to the Lipiczanska Forest in August 1941. As time passes, the group
adds
to its numbers both people and weapons, building a community of survivors that have in
common the shared goal of elusion, survival, and defiance of their would-be killers.
Defiance plays at a "slow" pace, though that does not mean it plays at a "sluggish" pace.
Instead, Defiance makes for a thought-provoking, deliberate experience where the
emotional core of the story is allowed to at times idle, in a way drawing the audience into the
plight
of the characters as they struggle to survive against the German forces, the environment, and in
some cases, one another. In a timeframe of just over two hours, the film allows the audience to
experience the full spectrum of life in the Bielski camp, where staying alive and gathering
necessities is not just a job but instead a way of life. The character that exemplifies the situation
is a self-proclaimed "intellectual," Isaac Malbin (Mark Feuerstein), a former pamphlet-publisher
who no longer reads and writes but instead works with his hands to build the camp and, by
extension, a future
for himself and his people. Feuerstein plays the role well, and indeed, the entire lead cast offers
quality performances that span a broad array of emotional turmoil that lends further drama and
realism to the picture. A film that is anything but glamorous, Defiance takes on a
dreary,
reflective, and melancholy tone that demonstrates the hardships, the dangers, and the prejudices
faced
by the Jews. The emotional over-and-undertones of the film come effortlessly together
on-screen, the end result a satisfying emotional effort in classic Zwick fashion. Though the film
may not be
grounded in complete historical accuracy, it takes liberties only for slight dramatic license,
although
not
at the expense of the essence of the story.
Not only emotionally satisfying, Defiance serves up a healthy dose of action that
punctuates the film at several junctures, each sequence delivering good, but not groundbreaking,
battle sequences. Sufficiently intense, appropriately dramatic, and well-photographed, the action
falls in line with the rest of the film and never interrupts the emotional core but rather tends to
enhance it. The film also enjoys an Oscar-nominated score courtesy of James Newton Howard
(King Kong). Also of
note is
the film's wonderful photography; Cinematographer Eduardo Serra, who also worked with Zwick
on Blood Diamond, captures many a wonderful backdrops and vistas, whether framing
static shots or kinetic action sequences. Finally, Defiance enjoys fine editing courtesy of
longtime Zwick accomplice Steven Rosenblum. Of particular note is a sequence that intercuts the
festivities of a wedding with an ambush on a German convoy, the juxtaposition both startling and
startlingly effective, the pacing of the edits just right to underscore the thematic intent and
emotional underpinnings of the sequence.
Paramount delivers Defiance to Blu-ray with a splendid 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer.
The film begins with a collection of darker sequences where steely, cold blues dominate the
palette. Most colors, generally found in clothing, fade into the darkened appearance of the film,
but are offset by a nice sprinkling of greens that mark the presence of foliage. Brighter daytime
sequences sparkle, with colors standing out as natural and realistic, even if they do tend towards
shades of blue and gray. Some interior scenes, those taking place at night, for instance, offer a
warm, inviting presence, the yellow glow of a candle providing a pleasing atmosphere that might
not reveal intricate levels of detail but showcases all that is asked of it, the Blu-ray disc handling
the broad array of lighting conditions thrown its way expertly. Detail is generally stellar across
the board, be it on clothing, faces, tree trunks, or the forest floor. Close-ups of Tuvia's and Zus'
faces throughout the film, for instance, almost always reveal fine lines, bumps, and scruffy
several-day-old beards that showcase plenty of texture and very fine and nuanced details.
Defiance also offers up a discernible depth about the image that further reinforces the
strong foreground and background details. Flesh tones and black levels also excel. Finally, a
fine layer of grain swirls around the image, adding the finishing touches to what is a stellar
cinematic-in-appearance presentation. Defiance may not feature an abundance of
eye-catching color, but the transfer delivers a first-class presentation that, properly displayed,
rivals top-notch theater presentations.
Defiance debuts on Blu-ray with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This
mix offers wonderful ambience throughout the film, of note most any scenes taking place in the
forest where rustling leaves, chirping birds and insects, a subtle breeze, a flowing stream, or a
drenching thunderstorm all deliver natural, immersive atmospheric effects that aren't terribly
loud but certainly realistic in presence, virtually placing listeners in the midst of the natural
locales. The action scenes also deliver. Though some single gunshots lack punch on the low
end, the film's several running gun battles feature effects that spread evenly across the
soundstage, with shots thumping out from every direction. They continue to lack slightly in
volume at reference levels, particularly shots from the pistol-caliber submachine guns. The rifles
offer a bit more of a sonic crack, but still lack that last bit of realistic punch. Several
confrontations near the end of the film offer up suitable dynamics. An air raid that sees bombs
dropped on the forest floor and a tank firing shells offer up decent levels of bass and spread out
nicely, creating a discernible sense of both power and space. Both sequences serve up good
directionality and
make use of the entire soundstage. Defiance also delivers strong dialogue reproduction.
While this track never falters, it never quite reaches into the stratosphere, either, the end result
a very good but not quite reference-grade presentation.
This Blu-ray release of Defiance doesn't evade the extras tab, delivering a suitable selection
of bonus materials. First is a commentary track with Director Edward Zwick. Although Zwick
sometimes delivers his comments as if he were reading them, he offers plenty of pertinent
information on the film's origins, production, historical accuracy, shooting locations, staging the
action sequences, and more, all coming together for a solid listen. Defiance: Return to the
Forest (1080i, 26:05) plays out as a routine making-of feature that examines the history of
the real-life people portrayed in the film, the background of the production, the plot, and themes
of the film. Cast and crew share their thoughts on each subject, intercut with both footage from
the film and from the set. Children of the Otriad (1080i, 13:42) is an emotional piece
where the children of the Bielsky brothers recount the story that inspired the film. Scoring
'Defiance' (1080i, 7:00) takes a brief look at the assembly of the film's Oscar-nominated score.
Bielski Partisan Survivors (1080i, 1:58) is a photomontage of real-life survivors.
Concluding the supplements are a pair of theatrical trailers (1080p, 2:05 & 2:28).
Though not the best film in the Edward Zwick canon, Defiance delivers an experience
reminiscent of the director's best efforts, this one perhaps not excelling in any one area but
certainly not floundering in any, either. The film offers an important story told through pacing that
allows the difficulties faced by the characters to become more palpable as the film
moves on. Featuring strong acting, a solid emotional foundation, well-staged action sequences, an
Oscar-nominated score, and fine photography and editing, Defiance sees everything come
together nicely in a generally engaging film. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Defiance marks
another fine effort from the studio. Though delivering only an average supplemental experience,
the disc offers a strong lossless soundtrack and a stunning visual presentation. Recommended.
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