Defiance

Year:

2009

Duration:

137 min

Genres:

Action | Drama | History | Thriller | War

IMDB rate:

7.2

Director:

Edward Zwick

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 2009-01-16

Filming Locations: Lithuania

Earnings

Budget: $32,000,000

Opening Weekend: $8,911,827 (USA) (16 January 2009)

Gross: $28,644,813 (USA) (30 April 2009)

Cast

Actor

Character

Kate Fahy

Defiance

Mia Wasikowska

Defiance

Daniel Craig

Tuvia Bielski

Liev Schreiber

Zus Bielski

Jamie Bell

Asael Bielski

Alexa Davalos

Lilka Ticktin

Allan Corduner

Shimon Haretz

Mark Feuerstein

Isaac Malbin

Tomas Arana

Ben Zion Gulkowitz

Jodhi May

Tamara Skidelsky

Iddo Goldberg

Yitzhak Shulman

Iben Hjejle

Bella

Martin Hancock

Peretz Shorshaty

Ravil Isyanov

Viktor Panchenko

Jacek Koman

Konstanty 'Koscik' Kozlowski

George MacKay

Aron Bielski

Jonjo O'Neill

Lazar

Sam Spruell

Arkady Lubczanski

Mark Margolis

Jewish Elder

Markus von Lingen

German SS Scout

Rolandas Boravskis

Gramov

Algirdas Dainavicius

Motl Lubczanski

Aurelija Prashuntaite

Rachel (as Aurelija Prasmuntaite)

Vidas Petkevicius

Avram Rubinski

Ina Frismanaite

Avram's Daughter

Ana Goldberg

Lila

Rimante Valiukaite

Miriam

Leonardas Pobedonoscevas

Jacov

Kristina Bertasiute

Dark Haired Beauty

Kristina Skokova

Red Haired Woman

Remigijus Bilinskas

Pinchas Zuckerman

Rimgaudas Karvelis

Oppenheim

Janina Matiekonyte

Well-Dressed Woman (as Janina Matekonyte)

Leonas Ciunis

Accountant

Aleksandr Zila

Chaya's Father

Iveta Nadzeikiene

Chaya's Mother

Clayton Frohman

Isadore Skidelsky

Marc Levy

Yechael Efrati

Zoe Rosenblum

Sarah Oppenheim

Sakalas Uzdavinys

Lova Volkin

Saulius Janaviciu

Israel Kotler (as Saulius Janavicius)

Leonid Kotik

Krensky (as Leonidas Kotikas)

Dalia Smalskiene

Rosa

Tadas Kavaliauskas

Levine

Matas Cancingeris

Little Boy

Diana Aneviciute

Koscik's Wife (as Diana Aneviciute-Valiusaitiene)

Sigitas Rackys

Belarussian Police Captain

Vaidas Kublinskas

Police Captain's Son #1 (as Vaidas Kublinkas)

Valentin Novopolskij

Police Captain's Son #2

Dalia Micheleviciute

Police Captain's Wife

Ervinas Peteraitis

Kissely the Milkman (as Ervinas Martynas Peteraitis)

Dmitrij Denisiuk

Policeman

Antanas Surna

Orthodox Rabbi

Dalius Mertinas

Belarussian Police Officer #1

Vaidotas Martinaitis

Belarussian Police Officer #2

Aldona Bendoriute

Jewish Mother Separated From Child #1

Darius Gumauskas

Jewish Father Being Beaten #1

Irmantas Bacelis

Jewish Father Being Beaten #2

Edita Uzaite

Jewish Mother Separated From Child #2

Jordan Bielsky

Villager Getting Shot

Gediminas Girdvainis

Screaming Man

Stanislav Adamickij

German Captain

Klemens Becker

SS Captain

Jonas Tamulevigius

German Courier (as Jonas Tamulevicius)

Jaroslav Psenicka

German Officer in Car

Jolanta Dapkunaite

Woman in Car

Miroslav Lhotka

German Officer

Giacomo Strasser

German Private

Mac Steinmeier

German Sergeant

Dmitri Slepovitch

Musician (as Dmitrti Slepovitch)

Arkadij Gotesman

Musician

Borisas Kirzeneris

Musician

Raimondas Sviackevicius

Musician

Adolf Hitler

Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Zitto Kazann

(uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Extras were brought in and asked to strip naked for the scene where Aron stumbles upon the mass grave at the beginning of the movie.

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Some of the internal walls of the living museum had to be painted with a matte-gloss covering to protect the walls from damage from fake blood.

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The makers considered shooting in Poland and Romania before settling upon Lithuania.

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Goofs

Zus and some others go to the police station to get Ampicillin to treat the pneumonia that is common in the camp. Ampicillin did not come into clinical use until 1961. Even "simple" penicillin would not have been available in Belorussia in the early 1940s.

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In the shot, after Zus scolds Tuvia for not killing the Milkman which led to the attack, when the group is coming down the forest a reflection of some movement can be seen towards the bottom right half of the frame for almost 15 seconds.

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After Zus and Tuvia fight each other, Zus gets up and the bottom of his jacket is flipped up. Cut to another angle, it is down. As Zus leaves past him, it is up again.

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Quotes

Lilka Ticktin: I'm not afraid of anything, Tuvia. I'm not even afraid of you.

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Zus Bielski: What is it we are good for, Viktor? Dying.

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Zus Bielski: We are the Bielski's and we WILL be back!

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Faq

Q

Is "Defiance" based on a book?

A

Yes. Defiance is based on a book by author Nechama Tec entitled Defiance: The Bielski Partisans. The book was adapted for the movie by director Edward Zwick and screenwriter Clayton Frohman. For further reading, there is The Bielski Brothers (2004) by Peter Duffy.

Q

When Russians or Germans speak, there are subtitles, but the Bielskis speak English to each other, what language are they supposed to be speaking?

A

The Bielskis' native language is Yiddish, which is influenced by German, Russian and Hebrew. While growing up, the Bielskis learned Belarussian from their neighbors and also experienced various occupations by Russians, Poles and Germans. To varying degrees, they picked up other languages out of necessity. Tuvia also learned German during World War I when the Germans occupied their land.

Q

What type of mock up is the Panzer 3?

A

The Swiss Panzer 61 was used to create the mock up of the Panzer 3 German tank shown in the last battle scene. Both have six road wheels, but one give away is the sprocket - the Panzer 3 sprocket wheel was in front, the Swiss tank in the rear. The mock up also has round hatches for the driver, while the German tank had square hatches. The cannon is also clearly different.

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