Title: Defiance Director: Edward Zwich Staring: Daniel Craig Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Studio: Warner Bros. Picture Genre(s): Drama Rated:       (For violence and language)   Buy From Amazon.com: Soundtrack / Soundtrack (MP3) / Biography /

CONSUMER ADVICE

Parents, there is a good amount of blood and gore in this WWII movie. Strong language is also sprinkled throughout. Recommended for ages 16 and up.

With epic shots and heavy dialog, “Defiance” roars to the theaters with a loud thud, proving once and for all that holocaust movies, for better or for worse, are getting old. Yes, we should never forget the past, but is there something wrong with wanting to move on once in awhile? This year I sat through Tom Cruise trying to kill Hitler while wearing an eyepatch in “Valkryie.” Then I saw a thirty-six year old German soldier seduce a fifteen year old boy in “The Reader.” These were both good films and I gave them passing grades, but now I feel my patience with this subject is at an end. Like watching one anti-Iraq War film after another, there comes a point where I just don’t care anymore. “Defiance” stars Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski, a Jewish man who’s family has been murdered by the German’s (the term Nazi is conspicuously absent).

The only survivors of his family are his two younger brothers, Zus (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell), who go with him to hide in the woods. Their plan is to go get food and weapons from whoever will help them, but Tuvia warns them not to kill because “we will not become animals. Our revenge will be to survive.” Eventually a group of people join them, and before you know it the Jews have made a secret village in the woods, getting by with bare essentials. Zus is annoyed and wants to fight the Germans. Tuvia wants to live peacefully. They have a falling out where I found myself siding more with Zus, but then, the movie certainly doesn’t agree with him, so we stay behind with Tuvia. Seasons change, people fall in love, power is questioned, and occasionally there is a battle scene with stunning cinematography.

Little of this matters though as “Defiance,” for all it’s beauty and skill, is a downright bore to watch. These characters are not interesting. They speak with heavy dialog, making important speeches and quotes throughout, I just didn’t give a hoot about any of them. This movie also displays one of the cheapest and most overused rules in a movie, where despite all the bullets that fly in a battle scene, bad guys will always miss the main characters and only kill background characters that invoke no sympathy from the audience. Actually, now that I think about it, I can kind of see why director Edward Zwick decided not to develop the characters properly: There isn’t any reason to. Since this is a World War II films that revolves around the holocaust, the film makers take advantage of that.

Sure the characters are boring, uninteresting, and speak as if they are Shakespear wannabe’s, but they are Jewish for pete’s sake. Not only that, but they are being hunted and killed just because of that. Why wouldn’t you feel sorry for them? To that I just have one answer: Why? After years of watching holocaust movies, I’m ready to throw in the towel and say that I simply don’t care anymore. Why should I? This is a tragedy, yes...but without my knowing any of them it’s a tragedy that’s more fact then emotional. The Nazi’s killing a bunch of background characters we never get to know is like stepping on ants that you aren’t emotionally attached to. It may be wrong, yes, but I’m just not sure why it demands my immediate attention. During the credits of the film it is noted that the survivors never asked to be acknowledged for what they did. They can rest easy knowing they haven't been.