7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
Four Jewish brothers living in Nazi occupied Poland escape into the forest where they join up with Russian resistance fighters.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, Allan CordunerAction | 100% |
Thriller | 92% |
War | 72% |
History | 61% |
Period | 32% |
Drama | 29% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Our revenge is to live.
For all of the many good directors out there who deliver quality picture after quality picture, a few
will inevitably become lost in the shuffle when it comes time to make a list of the best of the
best. One such Director is Edward Zwick, whose credits
include a long list of films that excel across the board. His pictures consistently deliver
tightly-woven stories of some
import, fine acting, well-staged action, and thought-provoking drama. Glory, Blood Diamond, and
Legends of the Fall
represent three of the director's best films, each one a beautifully-photographed and emotionally
satisfying work of art that stimulates the visceral senses while engaging and embracing deeper
psychological undertones. His latest effort, the 2008 World War II film Defiance,
represents another solid outing by the director, the movie playing as classic Zwick with its
breathtaking locales and photography, strong acting, moving story, and healthy doses of action.
Though perhaps not quite as engaging as Glory or as meaningful as Blood
Diamond, Defiance offers up an even-keel experience that both emotionally invests
the audience in its characters and their plight while also entertaining on a more fundamental
level.
Daniel Craig gives new meaning to 'open fire.'
Paramount delivers Defiance to Blu-ray with a splendid 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. The film begins with a collection of darker sequences where steely, cold blues dominate the palette. Most colors, generally found in clothing, fade into the darkened appearance of the film, but are offset by a nice sprinkling of greens that mark the presence of foliage. Brighter daytime sequences sparkle, with colors standing out as natural and realistic, even if they do tend towards shades of blue and gray. Some interior scenes, those taking place at night, for instance, offer a warm, inviting presence, the yellow glow of a candle providing a pleasing atmosphere that might not reveal intricate levels of detail but showcases all that is asked of it, the Blu-ray disc handling the broad array of lighting conditions thrown its way expertly. Detail is generally stellar across the board, be it on clothing, faces, tree trunks, or the forest floor. Close-ups of Tuvia's and Zus' faces throughout the film, for instance, almost always reveal fine lines, bumps, and scruffy several-day-old beards that showcase plenty of texture and very fine and nuanced details. Defiance also offers up a discernible depth about the image that further reinforces the strong foreground and background details. Flesh tones and black levels also excel. Finally, a fine layer of grain swirls around the image, adding the finishing touches to what is a stellar cinematic-in-appearance presentation. Defiance may not feature an abundance of eye-catching color, but the transfer delivers a first-class presentation that, properly displayed, rivals top-notch theater presentations.
Defiance debuts on Blu-ray with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This mix offers wonderful ambience throughout the film, of note most any scenes taking place in the forest where rustling leaves, chirping birds and insects, a subtle breeze, a flowing stream, or a drenching thunderstorm all deliver natural, immersive atmospheric effects that aren't terribly loud but certainly realistic in presence, virtually placing listeners in the midst of the natural locales. The action scenes also deliver. Though some single gunshots lack punch on the low end, the film's several running gun battles feature effects that spread evenly across the soundstage, with shots thumping out from every direction. They continue to lack slightly in volume at reference levels, particularly shots from the pistol-caliber submachine guns. The rifles offer a bit more of a sonic crack, but still lack that last bit of realistic punch. Several confrontations near the end of the film offer up suitable dynamics. An air raid that sees bombs dropped on the forest floor and a tank firing shells offer up decent levels of bass and spread out nicely, creating a discernible sense of both power and space. Both sequences serve up good directionality and make use of the entire soundstage. Defiance also delivers strong dialogue reproduction. While this track never falters, it never quite reaches into the stratosphere, either, the end result a very good but not quite reference-grade presentation.
This Blu-ray release of Defiance doesn't evade the extras tab, delivering a suitable selection of bonus materials. First is a commentary track with Director Edward Zwick. Although Zwick sometimes delivers his comments as if he were reading them, he offers plenty of pertinent information on the film's origins, production, historical accuracy, shooting locations, staging the action sequences, and more, all coming together for a solid listen. Defiance: Return to the Forest (1080i, 26:05) plays out as a routine making-of feature that examines the history of the real-life people portrayed in the film, the background of the production, the plot, and themes of the film. Cast and crew share their thoughts on each subject, intercut with both footage from the film and from the set. Children of the Otriad (1080i, 13:42) is an emotional piece where the children of the Bielsky brothers recount the story that inspired the film. Scoring 'Defiance' (1080i, 7:00) takes a brief look at the assembly of the film's Oscar-nominated score. Bielski Partisan Survivors (1080i, 1:58) is a photomontage of real-life survivors. Concluding the supplements are a pair of theatrical trailers (1080p, 2:05 & 2:28).
Though not the best film in the Edward Zwick canon, Defiance delivers an experience reminiscent of the director's best efforts, this one perhaps not excelling in any one area but certainly not floundering in any, either. The film offers an important story told through pacing that allows the difficulties faced by the characters to become more palpable as the film moves on. Featuring strong acting, a solid emotional foundation, well-staged action sequences, an Oscar-nominated score, and fine photography and editing, Defiance sees everything come together nicely in a generally engaging film. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Defiance marks another fine effort from the studio. Though delivering only an average supplemental experience, the disc offers a strong lossless soundtrack and a stunning visual presentation. Recommended.
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