Defiance
(2008/Paramount Blu-ray + DVD)
Picture:
B+/B- Sound: B- Extras: C+ Film: C+
It is
hard to do a good film on The Holocaust, even when you have a new aspect of the
story to be told that has received little attention. Ed Zwick tells about the Bielski Brothers and
those who were with them as they escaped the Nazis against all odds in
Defiance, a 2008 art release from Paramount Vantage with Daniel Craig as Tuvia
Bielski, the film has its moments and is worth a look. However, it never reaches the heights of the
best of these films.
One
problem is that Liev Schreiber seems totally miscast and out of his element as
Zus, who thinks Tuvia may be too kind in the face of murderous fascism and
becomes the strongest conduit between them and the Soviet fighters out to get
the Nazis back for betraying the Non Aggression Pact. He can act, but his role is never totally
realized, throwing the film off along with too many obvious melodrama moments
and an uneven, muddled script that undermines the crux of the tale. Still, those interested should see it one and
it is nice the story was told in some form.
Jamie Bell also stars.
The 1080p
1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on the Blu-ray is very impressive in the
majority of new shots we get with little motion blur or detail issues. Even the anamorphically enhanced DVD looks
very good for the format and at this point in time as we inhabit the HD
era. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix on the
Blu-ray is barely better than the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in both editions, as
this is a dialogue-based film and rarely are the surrounds or bass engaged to
any major extent. That is not to say
this is not well-recorded, but is limited by choice for whatever reason. Extras on both versions include three
making-of featurettes (including back stories on the real survivors and
fighters portrayed in the film), previews and a fairly good audio commentary
track by Zwick.
- Nicholas Sheffo
