Questions for “Defiance” Movie Writer/Director
by Debbie SchlusselToday, I have a phone interview with Ed Zwick, writer/director of “Defiance” and a number of other movies and TV shows. The interview focuses on “Defiance,” starring Daniel Craig. As you may know, it’s the story of the Bielski brothers, Jewish partisans who fought back against the Nazis and saved hundreds of Jews. They are true heroes, and the movie captures that.
The movie is also important because it betrays the myth that Jews willingly went to the ovens and didn’t try to fight back–an allegation with which anti-Semites often confront me. The Bielskis and the Warsaw Ghetto uprising are the two most famous instances of many such efforts to stop Nazi evil. I’ve always said, Jews with guns are my favorite combo. And I especially love it on the big screen. Hate to paraphrase America’s most famous porn star (Paris Hilton), but “That’s hot.”
I’ve not yet posted my review of the movie, which I’m barred from doing by the studio, until the movie releases in Detroit. But I liked it, and I’ve written about it here. And, as a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, I voted for it as one of the year’s best pictures, best ensembles, and Liev Schrieber as one of the year’s best supporting actors, as Zus Bielski. Zus’ son, Jay (who served in the IDF and is a New York doctor), wrote me that the movie captured his father perfectly.
So, what questions would you suggest I ask Zwick? Please post them in the comments section, and I’ll consider them for use in the interview. I’m posting the trailer [below the foild] as a refresher, but the movie is in nationwide release, next week.
One thing I plan to ask Zwick: Why do the Jews in Hollywood love portraying the bravery of Jews fighting tyranny 65 years ago, but can’t bring themselves to show the bravery of Jews fighting it in Israel today (and instead villainize them)? I know the answer, but I want to see what he says.
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Tips & Feedback
36 Comments
There was just a History Channel special about the Bielskis and an instance were they were attacked by German soldiers.
Three Germans were captured and all three were beaten and shot by the Jewish partisans. The Jewish people who were there admitted to the killings and justified it as their response to the Nazis.
Is this reflected in the movie?
Not having seen it, I don’t feel qualified to ask any myself, but I’m really looking forward to what he says to your IDF question. Anti-Israeli fervor is running through Hollywood like a Pacific Palisades wildfire right now.
I’d love to find Zwick free thinking enough to break ranks, but I’d be shocked if any A-lister refused to goosestep with the dominant view.
Incidentally, Kurt Loder — the best impartial reviewer out there since Roger Ebert went psycho in ‘08 — took issue with a few aspects of the film. Maybe some questions there? (Fairly minor negative review, tho.)
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1601995/story.jhtml
Why not ask him what the difference is between jew-killing, goose-stepping Hamas terrorists, complete with seig heil salutes, to Hitler’s nazis? Why not portray to current conflict in a realistic way, rather than how it’s being presented to the world by the networks via their Hamas news teams?
HUH? According to this film, Daniel Craig can’t play a Jew because he has blonde hair and blue eyes? I have blue eyes that look like those of an Alaskan husky. And even though my blonde hair is fake, my mother was “white blonde.” And my sister is a natural blonde with blue eyes. There are plenty of blondes with blue eyes who are Jews. Sorry to disappoint Kurt Loder’s Aryan eugenics in casting. What an ignoramus. Sorry, but he ain’t an impartial movie reviewer. He’s a leftist without a clue.
Lots of interesting material to mine with Zwick, who also produced an interesting pre-9/11 film about U.S. reaction to Islamist terror called “The Seige.” You may remember it: It starred Denzel Washington, Annette Bening and Bruce Willis, as the overzealous military man. The film does not dispute the threat of terrorism on American soil, but it does raise questions about the right response. I might ask Zwick if he had second or third thoughts about The Seige, in light of how things have played out since 9/11 — no mass round-ups of Arabs, no martial law imposed on major cities — and whether or not he would make the same film today.
Oh, and Splash: Ebert was given to irrational political exuberance long before last year.
I admire Zwick as a person who has managed to make movies about some issues he cares about, and makes them with a high level of quality and without too much preachiness. He’s at least picked subjects most people can get behind, even though his portrayal of Samurai in “The Last Samurai” were vastly different than the reality of real Samurai. (They were a fascist dictator’s soldiers/enforcers and could kill any peasant for any reason if they wanted to. They tested their swords on human bodies.)
Anyway, my question: “Is making a message picture like Blood Diamond harder to get approved by studios or about the same? Is it stars like Leo that made it possible to get made, or is it the same as any other kind of film?”
Looks like a great film. I too will be interested to hear Zwick’s response.
Great site – just a common man who appreciates the insight you all are bringing to our film arts, and the cultural ramifications inherent in the current Hollywood worldview.
Yeah, the racial casting bit was off to be sure. But as the lone MSM reviewer I’ve read who hasn’t been afraid to rip Michael Moore a new one on occasion, I like to consider Loder relatively impartial. Relatively. Which I realize may not be saying much, but I’ll take what I can get.
I agree Ebert’s always been in the tank, but last year was truly embarrassing. He’s just completely gone off the deep end. Like a cat that starts missing the litter box shortly before dying on your favorite piece of furniture.
Debbie, here’s a link to another set of interviews about “Defiance” I cut together for another website. Much more pedestrian than the questions you’re going to hit them with.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid4765107001/bclid4937865001/bctid5742947001
Also, ask Zwick why he doesn’t have the balls to make a film about today’s fighting heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Knee-jerk reaction? Polish Braveheart. I have high hopes for this film. I rarely bother catching flicks at the theater anymore, but this will be one of them.
I have read the book, and may see the movie. I saw an interview on Euornews at the London show and the asked someone who had been with them in WWII and he said the Bielski brothers were now dead. I thought the younger one was still alive, he was in some kind of trouble last year I beleive. Something about forcing someone to a nursing home or something.
Question for Zwick: Are you hoping that the great story found in Defiance becomes a metaphor as the story of European Jews in WWII?
Question for Debbie: You are an “Anti-Semite” if wonder aloud why so many did not fight back? Nonsense! I knew well of the Warsaw uprisings and feel those Jews were beyond heroic! But, I am sorry, across Europe the majority of Jews and others rounded up by the Nazi’s did not put up a fight at all, save for a few great examples! Now, fighting back against an armed force would have been suicidal, but the alternative?
I am eager to see Defiance! But the story of Defiance is not the story of Europe’s Jews sadly.
Please do not quick draw on the words anti-semetic, it waters down the desription and prevents honest historical debate. I marvel at those who become apoplectic if it is suggested that historical accuracy says that maybe 3, or 4.5 million Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis. Why does it matter? The holocust was the holocust, and the Nazis were the epitome of evil, and by and large most Jews chose not to fight back. And yet, somehow this anti-semtic?
Debbie isn’t that interesting how some people when confronted with something they never considered they just can’t get it? I know many Jewish people, some are blonde (fake or not), some are not. I know a few red haired Jewish people. Loder shows some ignorance….
I didn’t want to see this flick but I may now. I like Schreiber and Craig is OK. Can’t wait to read the whole review Debbie.
Did Kurt Loder have a problem have a problem with Daniel Craig playing a Jew in “Munich”?
Did Kurt Loder have a problem have a problem with Daniel Craig playing a Jew in “Munich”?
Actually, he did. See that link.
I PERSONALLY WON’T ACCEPT ANY RESPONSE BY DEBBIE UNLESS IT IS WRITTEN ENTIRELY IN UPPERCASE
Newflash for all you ignoramuses – “Jew” is not a race, it’s a religion. Jews come in all colors. Duh.
This movie’s scenario is why conservatives are buying up all the guns.
That’s why it boggles my mind why most Jews are pro-gun control. You’d think it would be the last group of people who’d want to be unarmed.
Which is why I don’t get how most Jews can be pro-gun control. Talk about not learning from history. If any group should never want to be unarmed, it’s Jews, especially of European origin. And yet you get every Jewish politician trashing the NRA at every opportunity. Go figure.
Ugh. Sorry about the double comment. It’s hard to post here sometimes.
How do you get a cool avatar next to your name in comments? I want to be the Simpsons’ Dr Zaius.
Ironic that anti-gun actor Daniel Craig seems to be waving one in every movie he’s made since becoming a star isn’t it?
I have a conservative Jewish friend and a mystery to both of us is that with so much persecution Jews have endured over the centuries why do the overwhelming majority seem to be leftist pacifists? Even in Israel they have a sizable pacifist contingent.
When they have guns and know how to use them they kick ass to those who would harm them.
Defiance and Grand Torino are 2 must see movies for me in an otherwise desolate movie wasteland.
When watching any movie I always have to wonder how much is based on fact and how much artistic license. I suppose that would be a question to ask Debbie
Loder’s point is valid. Why have people playing siblings in movies when they don’t look anything like one another? And why have people who are obviously non-Jews playing Jews? The fact is that, although there are Jews with blonde hair and blue eyes, due mostly to the Slavic admixture in the Askenazim, most Jews tend to have darker, more Mediterranean features. Is this something to hide or be ashamed of?
Why has Hollywood been providing cover over the last eight years for the evil people who wish to bring about another holocaust (as in, the destruction of Israel)?
Does Steven Spielberg really need new holocaust material to make his holocaust movies?
Or, in his blind love of Collectivism has he forgotten the meaning “Never Again”?
If the evil should come to pass the bloodstain will be on Hollywood’s hands for their Goebbels-like participation in hiding who is the real enemy for paltry the benefit of empowering their beloved Collectivist ideology.
“Ed, do you know you’re speaking with a lunatic?”
First of all, I appreciate this blog. It is very refreshing to read you guys standing up against left in Hollywood. Keep going!
But as it is hard for me not to agree with you on almost every other issue, this post about movie “Defiance” and some of commentaries struct me with complete lack of knowledge about real life of Bielski’s brothers and their
family camps in Naliboki Forrest.
I am aware that for some of you, what you will read in this post might blow your mind and you will simply refuse to believe in it. So don’t take my words for granted. If you are interested in this subject do your own research and find out for yourself what was really going on in “Jerusalem” and what Bielski’s were doing during WW2.
Please don’t missunderstand me. I know history o Jews in II World War a bit. I know about their truly HEROIC fight in Jewish Upraising in ghetto in Warsaw in 1943
(do not mistake it with Warsaw Upraising done by Polish Home Army in 1944) and I admire them for that.
But the reason for writing this post is my awarness that most of you guys are not familiar with WW2 history of Poland, Ukraine and other Easter Europeans countries. And as far as I am aware, this blog was created to fight with bias and lies on other grounds in your country and to stand up for what you believe in.
So I hope that you will be open to hear some real facts about Bielski’s brothers. Because distortion about them
and history of many other Jews in Poland is unfairly affecting my country which is hard to accept for me.
If you have any questions after reading this post I will try to answer them or direct you to reliable sources.
So let’s put some facts on the table.
1. There were actually 4 Bielski’s brothers: Tewje (Tuvia), Asael, Zus and Aron. Youngest of them –
Aron Bielski (he changed his surname to Bell from 1951) together with his wife Henryka Bell is currently charged of kidnapping 93 yers old polish lady Janina Zaniewska living in Florida and stealing from her about $250 000 (for more details look here: http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_World&set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20071121084723893C775798 )
2. Bielski’s Brothers were operated in Naliboki Forest between 1942-1944 (before WW2 it was Polish-Russian border) and there were 2 “family camps” organized by Jews. First one Jerosolima (about 950 people included lots of women and children) were runs by Bielski’s Brothers and has about 162 armed peple. Second one (about 560 people, mostly Jews escaped from ghettos) was commanded by Simcha Zorin and had 73 armed people.
The main goal for this family camps was not to fight with Germans but to survive the war. On the other hand,
these forests were controlled by Soviets and they do not tolerate any military activity that was not
approved by them. They controlled the family camps and required them to delegate armed man for so called
“actions”(very often those actions were aimed at polish civilians and Polish Home Army (PHA), not Germans).
3. Polish civilians living near Naliboki Forrest were regularly raided for food confiscations not only by soviets, but also by armed groups from those family camps, and as reported by Polish Home Army (PHA) to HQ
– they were most cruel from all (beside Soviets, Germans and Jews partisans also ordinary robbers were
operating there). Polish civilians were complaining to PHA that Bielecki’s and Zorin’s partisans were
abusing them, raping women and children and threaten that if they don’t give them food and animals
Soviets will burn them to the ground. So PHA has requested from Soviets to stop sending Bielecki’s people
for food confiscation ( ie. meeting with Soviets command on 8 June 1943).
4. According to Jozef Marchwinski, Tuvia’s assistance for some time, “there were four of Bielski’s brothers, strong and handsome lady-killers for women in family camps. They were quick to alcohol and girls but very slow to fight. The oldest one,Tuvia, were commanding not only all Jews in family camp, but also a beautifull and not small “harem” like king Saud in Saudi Arabia. In the camp, where Jews families very often were going to bed hungry, where mothers where tried to feed their babies with dry brests, begging for additional spoon of soup for their babies – in this camp another live was flourish, other rich world. In Bielecki’s dug-outs and their closest people, tables were heavy from food and drinks, and large bunch of beautiful women always encircles Tuvia and his 3 brothers. Those women doesn’t know hunger and poorness. They were always beautifully dressed and full of expensive jewerly, and never used their delicate white
hands for work”. From Soviets reports: “Tuvia Bielski doesn’t engage in fight but he is speculate in units. He was taking from his partisans gold to buy guns but instead of buying guns he kept gold for himself.” Tuvia himself in his memories published in Palestine in 1947 emphasizes that his “Jerosolima”: “never antered in action with occupant”.
5. The Institute of National Remembrance in Poland is currently running an investigation about pacification of Naliboki village done by Soviets and Bielski’s partisans and this is qualified as a communist crime and crime against humanity ( 128 people were slaughtered ).
The villagers have a really bad luck. Naliboki village was excactly on route for Bielski’s men heading to the Naliboki forrest and for Soviets units coming back from the forrest. Many times food and animals were confiscated from them, women were raped and some men killed. So at some point when villagers saw them coming they ring church bells to warn other villages and men were preparing themselves for defending their households. That annoyed Bielski’s very much, but Soviets even more. So in 8 of may 1943 at 5am they surrounded village and within 2 hours they sloughtered 128 people, mostly when sleeping in beds.
These are just handfull of information about real history of Bielski’s brothers. And I hope you will
spend a minute to think about them. It’s not so cristal clear like some people wants. They saved many
Jews over there, but the price for that was high. They do almost no fight with Germans, 90 percent of their
time they spent on organizing food (through robbery and confiscations) which affects badly civilians
living in the area (mostly polish ones).
I like to watch movies about courage,heroism and rightness but when they are based on true stories I prefer they are simply correct with basic facts.I am deeply sorry for Jews for what they experienced from Germans during Holocaust. I also know few heroic stories about them but history of Bielski’s brothers is not one of them.
Stephen
p.s.
Some polish organizations and people were send those information to Edward Zwick and production company
but they were ignored.
Debbie, you asked for questions to ask Edward Zwick for you interview. If don’t mind I have few of them for him.
(I am aware he is not a historian but during the preparation to the movie they probably done some wide research about Bielski’s brothers and they activities so he must have to know some level of details).
1. How many fights did they have with Germans. Can he pin point some precise details like dates, places, number of killed on German side etc. Can he pointed out some other than Jews’s sources for those details (ie: Germans files – I’m sure they recordered some engagements with Bielski’s partisans, Polish files or Soviets files)?
2. They operated in Naliboki Forrest on Polish-Soviets border. How they cooperated with local civilians?
3. Did Bielski Brothers have problems with organizing food for their family camp and how they solved that problem?
4. Does he know anything about Izrael Kesler Group? Does he know what they were doing in Bielski camp. Does he know why and how Izrael Kesler died?
Thats just few of them, but I think the most important is first one. I would be stronlgy interested in answering to that one.
cheers
Stephen
,” it waters down the desription and prevents honest historical debate.”
That is something all Jewish organizations operating in the USA do not want. Anyone raising any questions regarding the Jewish plight immediately gets branded anti-semetic or holocaust denier and is marginalized. So have they brainwashed western society
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Newflash for all you ignoramuses – “Jew” is not a race, it’s a religion. Jews come in all colors. Duh.
That,is what 99% of the USA inhabitants do not understand. Unfortunately no one will enlighten them to that fact because it is not in the best interest of Israel or the southern evangelists. Basically american peoples historical knowledge other than the BS fed by the media is bismal
Many mid/eastern europeans converted to judaism during the middle ages
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
why do the overwhelming majority seem to be leftist pacifists?
My term would be socialist,communist
which raises rhe question “how many stayed and or went to the eastern side of the iron curtain after WWII. The Ruskies certainly did not divulge that information.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The question I have is why Hollywood keeps churning out these embelished sagas of half truths 65 years after the fact.
I wish they would make one about the plight of the Palestinians who got caught up in a situation not of their own making and have lived a life of misery over the past 50+ years
Here is another idea for a great movie “The Katyn Massacre”
Sorry , I forgot..Angel at the fence……..Holly wood was ready to film this and still might even though it was BS!!
LOS ANGELES (Dec. 28) – A publisher has canceled a Holocaust memoir with an amazing love story publicized by Oprah Winfrey after the writer admitted he made up parts, putting the book on a growing list of tall tales.
Berkley Books, an imprint of the Penguin Group, said it was canceling “Angel at the Fence, The True Story of a Love that Survived” after receiving new information from writer Herman Rosenblat’s agent.
[...] : http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/dschlussel/2009/01/09/questions-for-defiance-movie-writerdirector/ (Ranked [...]
If your interested in this subject there is the original documents plus other research available. The Germans that hunted these people were the SS-Police. The same people who shot over a million people at close range. They would conduct operations just to find Jews, and other partisans, then kill everyone. Certain areas were cleared of everything and everyone, and the villages burned down.
You will need to be able to read German for a lot of these documents.
thegermanpolice.com
Thanks Steve for comment. I know that villages were burned down by Germans too. The same Naliboki Village 3 months later, on 6 of September 1943, was raided by Germans ( as a part of “Hermann” operation)and after shooting some people, rest of them were taken to labor camps. Then Village was burned almost to the ground.
Thanks for the link to that website, but there is lots of documents there. Would you mind to direct me to ones showing some informations about Bielski’s brothers and their camp?
thanks
I guess Kurt Loder won’t have a problem when homosexuals aren’t allowed to play straight people?
[...] Friday, I asked Big Hollywood readers to provide suggested questions for my interview with “Defiance” writer/director, Edward [...]
You must be logged in to post a comment.