The director and writer Edward Zwick is no stranger to stories set against the backdrop of war. He is the man behind the Civil War film Glory and the Japanese epic The Last Samurai.

With Defiance, Zwick has turned his attention to World War II to tell the highly personal tale of the Bielski brothers, three Eastern European Jews who saved the lives of thousands of their countrymen from the hands of the Nazis.

Scrappy, desperate and eager for a fight, the Bielskis take refuge in the dense Polish forest as the Germans begin their deadly Final Solution. Led by the charismatic Tuvia (a brooding Craig) and his hot-headed sibling Zus (Schreiber), the men help a growing band of refugees survive in an inhospitable landscape. Bent on revenge and reluctant to protect people who once looked down on him, Zus clashes with Tuvia over their ill-conceived mission. A rivalry forms between the brothers, with the youngest, Asael (Bell), caught in the middle.

The Bielskis form an effective partisan outfit whose reputation grows among the enemy and the Russian Army. Zus eventually goes off to fight for the Russians, gaining respect and admiration for his bravery even in the face of fierce anti-Semitism. Tuvia stays in camp doing his best to manage his ragged community. Sitting astride a white horse, he is a commanding presence, but his indecision as a leader often gets him into trouble.

Both Craig and Schreiber give strong performances in Defiance, making clear the strengths and weaknesses of each man as they strive toward a common goal. As a director, Zwick maintains a realistic approach to the material, only occasionally venturing into melodrama. Defiance is often uplifting, but it is never preachy or heavy-handed. Zwick shows great flair when it comes to telling historical stories, and this movie is one of his strongest.

By Robert Rossiello