Wilderness Survival

While Hollywood is on the Holocaust production line lately, pumping out films like 'The Reader', 'Valkyrie', and 'The Boy In The Striped Pajamas', 'Defiance' is the first to really captivate me enough to watch. It is 1941 and the Germans have invaded the Soviet Union. The Beilski family is torn apart amidst the chaos and major losses occur. The 4 brothers take refuge in the forest that they know like the back of their hands and begin a survival camp in the wilderness. What was 4 becomes 20 and eventually over a 1000 as citizens flock to the forrest seeking the Beilski legend.

Daniel Craig plays the eldest brother Tuvia and Liev Schrieber (seen this summer as Sabertooth in the new Wolverine movie) is the next brother in line, Zus. The Germans are closing in on the camps and with the help of Russian resistance fighters they rise to endure sickness, seasons and dysfunction. This is an incredible story of courage and faith. Its historical importance seems unknown as the brothers never sought recognition for their efforts. There isn't any flair or Hollywood tricks for this one - none other than a powerful reminder of the evil that was and the power of the human spirit. 4 out of 5.