DVD Review: Defiance

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Street: June 2
Prebook: April 21
> WWII yarn blends drama and action with middling results.

Defiance is based on the little-known but fascinating story of three Jewish brothers who created a refugee camp for 1,200 fleeing countrymen during World War II. After their Byelorussian parents are murdered at the behest of Nazi officers, the brothers (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell) become resistance fighters who exact a heavy toll on the Germans with their guerilla tactics. They ultimately jettison their hit-and-run strategy to build a settlement for the steadily growing number of refugees driven to the thick, snowy forests. Determined to survive, the members of this colony learn to build, fight and forage for food, only to have their newfound skills put to the test when the Nazis pinpoint their location. Defiance somehow misses the mark despite a fairly strong cast, exceptional production values and several riveting sequences.

Shelf Talk: Defiance might have fizzled at the box office due to a surfeit of European-set World War II films released in late 2008 (including The Reader and Valkyrie). Its principal assets are Craig and Schreiber, on whose popularity this title’s success could depend. The uneasy blend of ethnic drama and war action might make Defiance a bit more difficult to market than one would initially expect.