This is the true inspiring story of the defiance put up by the Bielski brothers (Jews) against the Germans during the latter’s occupation of Belarus. These brothers lose their family (including parents, wife and kids) to the brutal Germans.
Tuvia and Zus, the elder of the brothers, have conflicts of interest due to their varied philosophies but their cause is the same. While Tuvia wishes to congregate all the surviving Jews as a single community, Zus wishes to go all out to take revenge against the Germans.
Later, Zus goes and joins the Russians in the fight against the Germans while Tuvia along with his brother and other likeminded survivors build a strong community where women and children are protected. Younger brother Asael even meets his life partner in this camp.
In this camp, the survivors scout for food in turns, all the women are trained to fight and all the survivors’ skills are used in some productive way.
Tuvia leads them through in-fighting, a bad winter, bad health and the rampaging Germans. There is a major battle with the Germans in the end which the camp survives and in the end the surviving Jews move to another camp site where they rebuild and manage to make a living. Zus also joins his brothers in the end after helping them in the battle and the Bielski brothers are reunited.
The movie is grim due to the subject but is very well shot. The locations are authentic and the film making is top class.
Among the actors Daniel Craig as Tuvia has good screen presence while Live Schreiber as the aggressive Zus has the best role in the film. Alexa Davalos as Lilka is the romantic interest of Tuvia in the camp and she is truly beautiful. Jamie Bell as Asael also has a spunky role.
The other characters in the camp also make a mark particularly the intellectual, the teacher, the lady who is attracted to Zus, the lady who gives birth to a child at the camp and Asael’s wife Chaya.
On the whole, it is an uplifting story of defiance but is grim and serious given the subject. One time watch for sure.
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