Defiance by James Newton Howard - Soundtrack Review

Defining Defiance
Review by Christopher Coleman

Nazi Germany and the Jewish plight during World War II have been, and will likely be for many years to come, the source for powerful movie-making. We need look no further than the end of 2008: THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYGAMAS, VALKYRIE, and DEFIANCE, where three such films were released in very close proximity to one another. There are, obviously and sadly countless stories of persecution and death, but also of heroism and life to be found throughout Europe during World War II. While many of them will go untold, authors, producers, and directors are telling more and more of those that have survived. One of the most conceptually interesting is director Ed Zwick's DEFIANCE. Taken from the book by Nechama Tec, "Defiance: The Bielski Partisans," Zwick brings to the big screen the tale of the three Bielski brothers who lead a growing group of Jewish refugees in hiding from the extermination of the Nazi army. The film is, unsurprisingly, not without its controversies concerning historical accuracies. Those debates aside, Zwick brings his considerable talents, along with those of his musical collaborator from 2006's BLOOD DIAMOND, composer JAMES NEWTON HOWARD, to bear on the project.

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