Reviews were mixed for Defiance but the Los Angeles Times suggests the film may be an Oscar contender, "particularly when it plays for the academy, which often goes for Holocaust-themed dramas. High praise was heard especially for stars Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell."LA Times: AFI Ends in a Mood of Defiance (November 10, 2008)

Defiance is a film based on the true story of three Jewish brothers who escaped Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II. The brothers became part of a Russian resistance which led more than 1200 Jews in the forest of Belarus.

• Daniel Craig: Tuvia Bielski
• Liev Schreiber: Zus Bielski
• Jamie Bell: Asael Bielski
• Alexa Davalos: Lilka
• Tomas Arana: Ben Zion
• George MacKay: Aron Bielski

• "Bottom Line: Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber elevate Edward Zwick's important but dramatically flat Holocaust story."—The Hollywood ReporterTHR: Film Review: Defiance (November 10, 2008)

• "Too much ambition and too little reach make Defiance a less-than-satisfactory experience."—Star TribuneStar Tribune: Review: Defiance Doesn't Meet the Challenge (October 25, 2008)

• "Presence of Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber in tough macho guise will attract some action fans, and Holocaust-related theme will draw others, but overall commercial prospects appear modest."—VarietyVariety: Defiance Review (November 10, 2008)