In 1941, as the German invasion of Poland intensified, four brothers retreated to the wilderness to escape the genocide. Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber), Asael (Jamie Bell) and Aron Bielski (George MacKay) had lost their parents to Nazi collaborators, and vowed revenge. Establishing a camp deep in the forest, the Bielski brothers formed a partisan combat group and set about attacking German convoys and bringing collaborators to book.
But perhaps their most famous act was the rescue and protection of more than 1,200 Jews who survived in the forest for two years. This is the story of their courage and determination to survive.
Edward Zwick's adaptation of a true story makes a powerful addition to the war drama genre, thanks in no small part to the excellent headlining combination of Craig and Schreiber. A solid, pacy action/drama from the Blood Diamond producer, the film has been praised for showing the plight of the Jews during WWII in a different light - namely that this small group defied the odds and bested their Nazi pursuers. Intelligent, inspirational viewing.
Defiance is a Film programme that first aired in 2008 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
