"Based on a True Story" makes this WW2-Survivors-Epic more-moving. Director Edward Zwick co-wrote the Screenplay with Clayton Fruman, from a book by Nechama Tec, "Defiance: The Bielski Partisans".

The Bielski brothers, nearly-forgotten for half-a-century, narrowly-escaped an invading German Army that liquidated most of their farm-dwelling Family members in Bielorussia. (The most-recent you've heard of Bielorussia..now called Belarus..was in 1986 when 100,000 of its citizens had to be evacuated to escape the Chernobyl Accident.) It's a small nation still "close" to Mother Russia, bounded South by Ukraine, East by Russia, West by Poland, and North by Latvia & Lithuania.

As the German Army pushed back the sparse Russian Army defenders, they pursued Hitler's "Final Solution" to any Jewish Residents they encountered. The large forested areas in this country were dense-enough to provide shelter to the few Jews lucky enough to know the terrain and leave most everything behind.

Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig..you've seen him as James Bond in "Quantum of Solace") and Zus Bielski (Liev Schreiber) play the two Often-at-Odds brothers who, in real life, saved over 1200 Jewish Refugees during the course of WW2 by heading into these forests and creating their own militia, school, and hospital facilities.

The move recreates the horrors & trials of these 2 heros in the Naliboki Forest..(along with 2 younger brothers who joined-in)..following the grim execution of all the rest of their family members. They then survived Winter Cold, Lack of Weaponry, Starvation, Turncoat Neighbors, and all the Germans had to threaten them with for over 5 years.

The small group grows ever-larger, since Oldest Brother Tuvia believes they can somehow provide care for all who come, and hide peacefully until War's End. Sibling Zus, however, is far more Pro-active, & leaves after a power dispute..to join the Russian Army billeted not too-far-away, taking with him others who want to spill more German Blood. The "Russian Connection" helps the now more-sizeable Refugee Camp survive...but minimally.

Back in the camp...which became 3 over the course..as "Moving Day" came whenever their whereabouts got revealed to the Germans.."Everyone Works" and eats the same rations..(Whatever's available..including horse & wolf meat on-occasion). Vodka and "Forest Wives" help keep the camp warm and as near-normal as possible, under the circumstances. Alexa Davalos, Jodhi May, Kate Fahy & Iben Hjejle all warm the Forest well in their roles.

For me, the Struggle gets kinda bogged-down. It felt maybe a half-hour too-long, though it tried hard to stay Exciting. It ends up still rooted in the Forest, with an overlaid bit of White Lettered Text mentioning they "kept at it the next 2 years until the war's end." Etc.

There IS Strong Acting and vivid & frightening Action Scenes. As well as the Fact that THIS band of Jews-Who-Shot-Back WAS the largest & Most-Successful in all of WW2. It's Memorable Viewing.

As Entertainment, it's a "6-Outta-10" for enjoyment, compared to less-depressing fare. JMO, but I'd have liked to have seen an Epilogue where 2 of the Brothers emigrated to the US at War's End and became peaceful business partners..& lived more-or-less normal lives here..happily-ever-after. (True Story.)

JMO..Keep-or-Sweep-it!

Big Hugs,
Stan