Defiance ***

"Defiance" is interesting because of its subject: the true story of Jews who hid in Belorussian forests and joined with Russian resistance fighters against the Nazis. Largely through the efforts of four Bielski brothers, especially Tuvia (Daniel Craig) and Zus (Liev Schreiber), more than 1200 people were saved from the death camps. Part action story, part history lesson, part romance, part survival tale, and shot on location in Eastern Europe in all seasons, the movie makes a strong impression. Here for your consideration is a different perspective on the passivity of the Jews in the Holocaust. Schreiber and Craig are forceful and believable. The score by James Newton Howard is particularly good - soulful, longing, with echoes of the classics.

Rated R. 137 minutes. Edward Zwick - Director / Writer (screenplay) / Producer, Clayton Frohman - Writer (screenplay), Nechama Tec - Writer (book "Defiance: the Bielski Partisans"), Pieter Jan Brugge - Producer, Eduardo Serra - Cinematographer, James Newton Howard - Composer, Dan Weil - Production Designer, Steven Rosenblum - Editor. Produced by The Bedford Falls Company. Distributed by Paramount Vantage.

Principal actors: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, Allan Corduner, and Mark Feuerstein.