Jackassalope

Pass the Popcorn: Defiance

There's something about Holocaust movies that just make them hard to watch. Perhaps it's because everybody is dying and even the happy endings are sad. Defiance is no different. It tells the heroic story of three Jewish brothers who establish a forest hideout community during WWII in order to escape from the Nazis. This true recounting does a good job at giving each of the brothers their own emotional arc, but overall, there wasn't anything fresh to see. It showed the torment men go through when they are elevated to saviors, when hard decisions have to be made, and that everyone has the opportunity to stand up and lead when the time is right. But even though the action was good in spots, a lot of the scenes felt stagnant.

I'm constantly in awe of those who made it through that time in history and fully appreciate those who try to do them justice by telling their stories. But it takes a great piece of work for me to really appreciate the situation cinematicly. I like the effort here but don't love the outcome.