Defiance a Film Directed by Edward Zwick

1271 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Holocaust themes in literature

Defiance is a 2008 American docudrama film starring Daniel Craig and directed by Edward Zwick. The plot takes place in Western Europe has Tuvia Bielski and his brothers lead a Jewish partisan group against Nazi forces in the struggle for their lives. The group saved more than 1200 Jews from Nazi persecution and would be one of the most successful Jewish resistance groups during WW2. The movie is well done involving multiple elements and a high dose of action and adrenaline. Defiance generally did well in theatres and was well approved by critics; and WELL displays some of the events of the Holocaust.

The bitter winter brings sickness, starvation, betrayal, and constant hiding, afterwards the group learns of an oncoming heavy German attack. This leads the Soviets to abandon their pact and evacuate their camps as the German dive bombers strike. Asael and Sofiya stay behind to delay the assault as the rest of the group flees. Their efforts fail and only Asael and Sofiya survive from the delaying defense. Unfortunately the group is crossed between an impassable marsh and approaching Nazi forces. Although the group is able to pass the marsh they are immediately attacked by a German infantry and tank. Tuvia is able to flank the tank

Tuvia is able to flank the Nazi tank with a MG34 machine gun and uses the tank on the Nazi force; Isaac is shot and killed while trying to throw a grenade which detonates in his hand. Escape seems bleak for the group until Zus returns with some Soviet partisans who have deserted the Soviets; they immediately attack the German forces from the rear and the German forces are quickly overwhelmed. The film ends as the survivors escape into the forest and states “they lived in the forest for another two years,...

... middle of paper ...

..."The Bielski Brothers Jewish Resistance and the "Otriad"." Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team. 2008. 24 May. 2011. .

"The Bielski Partisans." Holocaust Memorial Day. 24 May. 2011. .

"The Bielski Partisans." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 6 Jan. 2011. 24 May. 2011. .

"Tuvia Bielski and His Partisans. Heroes or Common Bandits? Peter Duffy's humbug story of Tuvia Bielski. ." Nasza witryna. 2 Sep. 2003. 24 May. 2011. .

Tec, Nechama. Defiance: The Bielski Partisans. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

Show More
Related

  • Go My Son by Chaim Shapiro

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    While spending time in Kazakhstan, his desire to go out and fight grows stronger and stronger. Through much hard work and planning he eventually manages to enlist in a Polish Army division called Battalion 92, which helps maintain the railways which deliver supplies to the fronts. After nearly starving to death on an assignment in the Ural Mountains, he deserts the Battalion, escaping to Chelyabinsk, where he joins a military school. Upon completion, he is sent to fight at the front in a Polish Army Reserve, achieving his goal o...

    Read More

  • Bergen-Belsen Camp

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this paper, we will explore the camp that is Bergen-Belsen and its workers, the camp system, liberation and trial. The notorious detention camp, Bergen-Belsen, was constructed in 1940 and “was near Hanover in northwest Germany, located between the villages Bergen and Belsen” (jewishvirtuallibrary.org), hence the name. Originally, the “camp was designed to hold 10,000 prisoners” (jewishvirtuallibrary.org) but, Bergen-Belsen rapidly grew. “In the first eighteen months of existence, there were already five satellite camps.” (holocaustresearchproject.org).

    Read More

  • Simon Wiesenthal: The Nazi Hunter

    1747 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The Holocaust: 36 Questions & Answers About the Holocaust.” 36 Questions & Answers About the Holocaust. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014

    Read More

  • The Horrors of Killing Centers During the Holocaust

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    "World War II in Europe." 10 June 2013. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 18 March 2014 .

    Read More

  • Jewish Resistance During WWII and the Holocaust

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Jewish Resistance". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d. Web. 19 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Elie Wiesel's Holocaust Experiences Portrayed in the 'Night'

    1637 Words  | 4 Pages

    ade Manifest: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Virginia University, 10 Mar. 1997. Web. 5 Apr. 2011.

    Read More

  • Compare the way Goldhagen and Browning present the perpetrators of the Holocaust

    2071 Words  | 5 Pages

    The events which have become to be known as The Holocaust have caused much debate and dispute among historians. Central to this varied dispute is the intentions and motives of the perpetrators, with a wide range of theories as to why such horrific events took place. The publication of Jonah Goldhagen’s controversial but bestselling book “Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust” in many ways saw the reigniting of the debate and a flurry of scholarly and public interest. Central to Goldhagen’s disputed argument is the presentation of the perpetrators of the Holocaust as ordinary Germans who largely, willingly took part in the atrocities because of deeply held and violently strong anti-Semitic beliefs. This in many ways challenged earlier works like Christopher Browning’s “Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland” which arguably gives a more complex explanation for the motives of the perpetrators placing the emphasis on circumstance and pressure to conform. These differing opinions on why the perpetrators did what they did during the Holocaust have led to them being presented in very different ways by each historian. To contrast this I have chosen to focus on the portrayal of one event both books focus on in detail; the mass shooting of around 1,500 Jews that took place in Jozefow, Poland on July 13th 1942 (Browning:2001:225). This example clearly highlights the way each historian presents the perpetrators in different ways through; the use of language, imagery, stylistic devices and quotations, as a way of backing up their own argument. To do this I will focus on how various aspects of the massacre are portrayed and the way in which this affects the presentation of the per...

    Read More

  • Treblinka: The World's Mistake

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    By explaining the sad, yet undeniably true facts about the concentration camp Treblinka, Wiesel spoke of how far the Nazis were willing to go in order to exterminate the Jewish people. During the year 1942, under the orders of “Operation: Reinhard”, Treblinka opened it doors to the thousands of Jewish masses being crammed inside, su...

    Read More

  • Heroism During The Holocaust: The Bielski Brothers

    1665 Words  | 4 Pages

    Henia Konopko was my grandmother. The Belski brother’s mission included saving children, and because of that I am alive. 1200 might seem like a small number in the comparison of the world’s population today. In fact bsjfgskf notes that the Beilski partisan is the largest number of Jews saved by other Jews during the Holocaust. Additionally, the magnitude of what the Bielski’s accomplished is seen in the descendants and all those who they saved. They saved my grandmother and because of that nine people are alive today! In fact historian’s estimate the number alive today because of their tremendous efforts to be sgkegv 20,000, and that number continues to constantly grow. The brothers choose not just to fight back, but to make a difference. Gdwkujsgf Bielski is noted saying how his proudest accomplishment is this. Yet, the brother never received fame and glory during their lifetime, even though in reality they should be recognized and memorialized in a hall of fame all their

    Read More

  • Female Holocaust Experiences

    2263 Words  | 5 Pages

    Levi, Neil, and Michael Rothberg. The Holocaust: Theoretical Readings. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2003. Print.

    Read More

  • Nazi Eugenics and Racial Hygiene

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 10 June 2013. Web. The Web. The Web.

    Read More

  • The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    "A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust-Victims." A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust-Victims. University of South Florida. Web. 19 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland by Janet Gross

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    The account of Jedwabne is unique in the fact that it focuses on one mass murder of roughly 1,600 Jewish residents, which occurred in July 1941. The murder occurs during the violent German campaign of anti-Semitism in Poland. The main occurrence seen across Germany and Poland of the anti-Semitism campaign was the killing and justified harassment of Jewish residents. Without a doubt the event in Jedwabne was triggered by Nazi influence. What is interesting is how Gross represents these influences. He shows that the killings of Jedwabne were planned, organized, and enthusiastically conducted by local authorities and citizens of the non-Jewish community. Gross also points out that it is possible that Germans did not participate in this killing and that it is even possib...

    Read More

  • Lord of The Flies and Hitler’s Nazi Regime

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Gestapo Torture of Jews in Warsaw Prisons Reported, List of Guilty Nazis Published." . The Global Jewish News Source , 19 October 1942. Web. 10 Dec 2013. .

    Read More

  • Courageous Movie

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    The movie Courageous discusses important issues we face in society today. This movie shows the importance of family, the danger of drugs, and the major importance of Christian values. Courageous causes me to consider how I treat others around me and how I can become a better Christian. I learned that living a life looking out only for myself and pursuing worldly pleasures not only consists of superficial and temporary happiness, but also consists of pain, suffering, emptiness and a longing for something more than what we have.

    Read More

More about Defiance a Film Directed by Edward Zwick

Open Document