2008 was a year of many phenomenal movies, some being The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, and Milk, to name a few. One particular movie that managed to be overlooked due to the competition it was faced with was Defiance. This film tells the story of three Jewish brothers who find themselves hiding in a forest of their Russian homeland from the Nazis after their village has been destroyed and most of the villagers killed. They begin to come across other Jews from neighboring villages who have escaped with their lives. As they find more and more survivors, the brothers find themselves having difficulty supporting them. Because the brothers know the forest so well, they find themselves in charge of this micro-society, fighting to stay alive. All the survivors become designated workers based upon their skills, and they all work together to find a way to rebuild the lives that had been taken from them. Led by the oldest Bielski brother (Daniel Craig), the survivors work together not only to survive, but also to fight back against the Nazis.
Being a studio film, this movie is full of aesthetically appealling visuals, but also full of insights into the humanity of individuals who are struggling to survive day to day. The action is gripping and intense, and the audience feels the struggle and pain that these people are going through. While Quantom of Solace was a dissapointment compared to its predecessor Casino Royale, Daniel Craig gives a phenomenal performance along with everyone else invloved in the film. This movie is based on a true story and is definitely one worth witnessing.