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Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski in the movie 'Defiance.'
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Last update - 00:00 10/08/2008
Were Jewish partisans depicted in new Hollywood movie murderers or heroes?
By Marissa Brostoff, The Forward
Tags: Jewish World, Nazi, Holocaust 
 

A new movie about a band of Jewish partisans who fought the Nazis during the Holocaust has led some in Poland to suggest that the group may also have been murderers.

In anticipation of the December release of "Defiance" starring Daniel Craig, aka James Bond, a Polish newspaper ran an article headlined, "A Hollywood Movie About Heroes or Murderers?"

The article in Gazeta Wyborcza contrasts the film's portrayal of Tuvia Bielski as a Moses figure leading frightened women and children through the forest, with a recently released report from a Polish government investigative body. The government report suggests that Bielski and his followers may have participated in a massacre of civilians in the eastern Polish town of Naliboki.
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The tarnishing of the Bielski partisans has infuriated a number of people close to the memory of the group. Some of those people have also been involved with the production of the movie, directed by Ed Zwick ("Legends of the Fall," "The Last Samurai"). Nechama Tec, who wrote the historical account of the Bielski partisans on which the film is based, told the Forward that allegations connecting the partisans to the massacre were "total lies."

Those allegations "underline the anti-Semitic tendencies of the writers and the distortion of history," Tec said.

The controversy comes on the heels of a Lithuanian government investigation into allegations that Jewish partisans committed war crimes during World War II. That investigation has been met with dismay on the part of Jewish communal leaders inside and outside Lithuania, who note that only three Lithuanians have ever been prosecuted for wartime crimes against Jews.

The reinvestigation - or, as some former partisans and historians claim, the revision - of what happened in the town of Naliboki in May 1943 began in 2001, when the massacre was first being studied by the Institute of National Remembrance, a Polish government agency known as IPN, that is devoted to prosecuting "crimes against the Polish nation." The agency's report, which has thus far been limited to a short brief released this year, claims that on the morning of March 8, 1943, Soviet partisans shot 128 civilians outside their homes.

About two-thirds of the way in, the report brings up the Jewish partisans affiliated with Bielski and his three brothers, noting that though some accounts by witnesses and historians place the group at the scene of the attack, these accounts have not been verified.

"Therefore the fact of participation of partisan soldiers of the Bielski Unit in the attack on Naliboki village is merely one of the versions of the investigated case," the report concludes.

Robert Bielski, Tuvia Bielski's son, said that his problem with the IPN report and the subsequent Gazeta Wyborcza article was twofold.

"The Bielskis were not in Naliboki in May of '43," he said, echoing historians who believe that the partisans did not arrive in the area until August of that year.

"But," he added, "even if it were true, which I know it's not, the 128 people are in no way close to the millions of people that the Polish people herded towards the Germans so they could be extinguished. I believe it's just a consistent Polish anti-Semitism and the Poles are sloughing off their own crimes of being an enemy of the Jews during World War II."

The IPN declined to comment on the controversy, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. But Piotr Gluchowski, the Gazeta Wyborcza reporter who co-wrote the article on the IPN report - as well as a longer feature story about the Bielski brothers, published several days later - was more forthcoming. Gluchowski wrote in an e-mail that he was sure the Bielski partisans were not involved in the massacre, but that, on the other hand, the IPN "are no amateurs. This is a government organization, very serious thing."

Gluchowski and his co-writer, Marcin Kowalski, are authoring a book about the Bielski partisans. Gluchowski said it will be published in December to coincide with the release of the film. (A publicist representing the film said she had no knowledge of the book project.)

"The Bielskis... are completely unknown in Poland," Gluchowski said in the email. "But - I think - it will be hot in December, when 'Defiance' goes to the theaters."

According to both Gluchowski and the detractors who found his article unsympathetic, the Bielskis are known in Poland only to the extent that some Polish nationalists have seized upon the idea that a Jewish partisan group collaborated with the Soviets to kill Polish civilians. The IPN itself is currently dominated by members of Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc, a rightist party, Gluchowski said.

Whether the debate over the Bielski partisans will seep into the reception of "Defiance" remains to be seen. The Variety story appeared briefly on the magazine's Web site, is no longer accessible because, according to the publication's editor, Dana Harris, it had not been properly edited.

As for the movie itself, shooting was completed last year, before the IPN released its report. Judging from the film's trailer, there was no question in the minds of the filmmakers that Tuvia Bielski and his followers deserve to be celebrated
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  1.   Poles do this as revenge because Jan Gross uncovered Jedwabne 04:32  |  Genuine Tosefta 10/08/08
  2.   Polish thief of Jewish property 05:02  |  Great White North 10/08/08
  3.   My relative were thrown alive in a weel by Poles 05:30  |  judith 10/08/08
  4.   genuine tosefta 1 05:44  |  potobac 10/08/08
  5.   Bielski`s son comment - scandalous 06:01  |  Justine 10/08/08
  6.   to Great White North 06:06  |  Justine 10/08/08
  7.   Hypocrites! 06:30  |  MichaelF 10/08/08
  8.   Partisans no Boy Scounts 06:46  |  tbart 10/08/08
  9.   Justine 06:50  |  Connie 10/08/08
  10.   More than 60 years after: Who gives a damn? 07:37  |  TC 10/08/08
  11.   Justine 07:40  |  judith 10/08/08
  12.   Polish anti semitism 07:44  |  Eugene Schmer 10/08/08
  13.   Polish Jewish Communitst 07:49  |  Eugene 10/08/08
  14.   This film is inflammatory, and inciting, should be buried 08:56  |  Ivar 10/08/08
  15.   to Eugene 09:24  |  Justine 10/08/08
  16.   to Connie - Jewish and British historians rewriting history? 09:42  |  Justine 10/08/08
  17.   Connie & al. 09:58  |  Konrad 10/08/08
  18.   Gazeta Wyborcza 11:07  |  Tomasz 10/08/08
  19.   Konrad - a race or a religion? 11:46  |  Palestinian Brit 10/08/08
  20.   Palestinian Brit 11:54  |  Syper Cynic 10/08/08
  21.   Polish thief of property - #2 12:15  |  Barry 10/08/08
  22.   Movies as history lessons? Forget it! 12:41  |  Natallie Durson 10/08/08
  23.   Eugene @ 14 - the answer is ... 13:23  |  Chris 10/08/08
  24.   Palestinian Brit - and by the way 13:29  |  ChanahS 10/08/08
  25.   Nat Durson # 26 14:31  |  Sabra 10/08/08
  26.   every movie 14:33  |  sabra 10/08/08
  27.   Jewish Generals 14:39  |  Man deVoshkes 10/08/08
  28.   #26 Natalie Durson 15:10  |  H 10/08/08
  29.   Poland and the Shoa 15:15  |  Charles 10/08/08
  30.   Syper Cynic 15:19  |  Palestinian Brit 10/08/08
  31.   Channah S- still no answer? 15:21  |  Palestinian Brit 10/08/08
  32.   Channah S 15:26  |  Palestinian Brit 10/08/08
  33.   H - Here is a fundamental truth 16:31  |  Natallie Durson 10/08/08
  34.   Jewish Partisans 16:47  |  Dallas 10/08/08
  35.   Natallie 16:55  |  Ronnie 10/08/08
  36.   Majority of gazeta wyborcza are jewish 17:32  |  Piotr 10/08/08
  37.   Jewish perpetrators 17:54  |  Henry 10/08/08
  38.   Justine # 6 18:08  |  ernie 10/08/08
  39.   Hear, hear, Henry! 18:11  |  hollingsworth 10/08/08
  40.   sensational newspaper article 18:25  |  ernie 10/08/08
  41.   A milder version of "An Eye For An Eye"... 18:27  |  Gray 10/08/08
  42.   to Henry 18:27  |  Justine 10/08/08
  43.   Natallie Durson - `Fundamental Truth`? 18:32  |  Michael Jacobs 10/08/08
  44.   Why Poland? 18:47  |  Curious 10/08/08
  45.   Justine 18:47  |  Hopping Mad 10/08/08
  46.   h 28 18:48  |  potobac 10/08/08
  47.   to ernie 18:52  |  Justine 10/08/08
  48.   murderers or heroes? 18:53  |  potobac 10/08/08
  49.   German occupation 18:59  |  Klaus Bloemker 10/08/08
  50.   # 44 Curious, Please explain to Piotr , Post 36 19:15  |  Haham me Bat Yam 10/08/08
  51.   to Bloemker 19:19  |  Justine 10/08/08
  52.   It`s Not Worth It To Fight With Poles 19:29  |  Yosemite 10/08/08
  53.   # 23 Chris, number of Jewish generals in US before WWII 19:33  |  Max Horoskopski 10/08/08
  54.   to Haham 19:40  |  Justine 10/08/08
  55.   Freedom Fighter or Terrorist? 19:42  |  Mark Lincoln 10/08/08
  56.   re: 48 (both murderers and heroes?) 19:43  |  mp 10/08/08
  57.   Curious 19:45  |  HM 10/08/08
  58.   Germans, Poles and Jews 19:47  |  Klaus Bloemker 10/08/08
  59.   to Bloemker 20:22  |  Justine 10/08/08
  60.   Antisemitism and antipolonism 20:34  |  Tomasz 10/08/08
  61.   #46 Potobac 20:41  |  H 10/08/08
  62.   Max @ 53 20:41  |  Chris 10/08/08
  63.   Curious # 44 20:58  |  Charles 10/08/08
  64.   Charles #63 21:32  |  Tomasz 10/08/08
  65.   Ernie asked 21:50  |  Jackie 10/08/08
  66.   Klaus Bloemaker 22:01  |  Connie 10/08/08
  67.   to # Klaus germans ocupation 22:27  |  Ted 10/08/08
  68.   h 61 22:27  |  potobac 10/08/08
  69.   to Haham me Bat Yam #50 22:29  |  Jack 10/08/08
  70.   charles 63 22:29  |  potobac 10/08/08
  71.   Are you joking or what? 22:44  |  Marcin 10/08/08
  72.   Typical anti-semetic response. Attempt to rewrite history. 23:44  |  common sense 10/08/08
  73.   bielski 23:52  |  english jew 10/08/08
  74.   Palestinian Brit: A Retard or A Moron? 00:05  |  Tex 11/08/08
  75.   IPN never said that bielski was in Naliboki 00:40  |  Piotr 11/08/08
  76.   Same old 00:42  |  Rab Burns 11/08/08
  77.   Bielski Otriad 00:48  |  Charles Ronen 11/08/08
  78.   That is all BS. Jews were sheep. 00:49  |  M 11/08/08
  79.   Jewish partisans were all communists. 00:57  |  Olas 11/08/08
  80.   Marcin in Poland 01:05  |  Connie 11/08/08
  81.   English Jew 01:05  |  Konrad 11/08/08
  82.   Lithuanian inquiry very very much suspect and smelly 01:05  |  Mark B. 11/08/08
  83.   to English Jew 01:14  |  Justine 11/08/08
  84.   As a partisan myself in Belarus 01:20  |  sweis Melbourne 11/08/08
  85.   To some 01:24  |  R`faelMoshe 11/08/08
  86.   I hope you`ll forgive me... 02:02  |  Gray 11/08/08
  87.   Gray # 85 excellent perspective of the and one sided melodrama. 03:11  |  American in NY 11/08/08
  88.   common sense 72 03:22  |  potobac 11/08/08
  89.   # 62 Chris, Number of Jewish soldiers killed in WWII 03:24  |  Max Horskopski 11/08/08
  90.   jewish partisans 04:49  |  t.spess 11/08/08
  91.   History 05:10  |  babayaga 11/08/08
  92.   babayaga: #90 A Calm and Honest perspective but 05:52  |  Gray 11/08/08
  93.   Marcin 06:56  |  sweis Melbourne 11/08/08
  94.   To the supporters of poland 06:58  |  Connie 11/08/08
  95.   M 07:06  |  Connie 11/08/08
  96.   palestinian brit 08:02  |  dano 11/08/08
  97.   Justine, Poles participated in the murder of the Jews with relish 08:51  |  Terry 11/08/08
  98.   Once upon a time someone said something wise... 08:59  |  Tomasz 11/08/08
  99.   Tomasz asks " are they ( the alleged Jews) all anti-semites` 09:06  |  Terry 11/08/08
  100.   Thomasz # 64 09:11  |  Charles 11/08/08
  101.   Connie 93 09:17  |  Charles 11/08/08
  102.   Connie 09:29  |  Konrad 11/08/08
  103.   Charles, not every country murdered Jews after the war, Poles did 09:31  |  Terry 11/08/08
  104.   The Question.....# 99 for example 09:44  |  Gray 11/08/08
  105.   Tomasz, Poles acted on their anti-Semitism, Jews write posts 09:47  |  Terry 11/08/08
  106.   Connie @ 93 13:48  |  Chris 11/08/08
  107.   to Connie - Whom the Poles saved 14:22  |  Justine 11/08/08
  108.   to Terry - "revisionnism"? 14:36  |  Justine 11/08/08
  109.   to add to 107 14:58  |  Justine 11/08/08
  110.   more lies about Poles 17:41  |  Rudy 11/08/08
  111.   mp 17:48  |  Terry #102, #103 11/08/08
  112.   continuing lies about the Poles 17:55  |  hneryk 11/08/08
  113.   to Connie #93 18:01  |  grzyb 11/08/08
  114.   Justine 18:04  |  Terry 11/08/08
  115.   Poles saved Jews 18:08  |  Pawel 11/08/08
  116.   Justine, Robert Novak is not a historian 18:14  |  Terry 11/08/08
  117.   clouding Polish history 18:16  |  Helena 11/08/08
  118.   Rudy, the organization was Zegota 18:22  |  Terry 11/08/08
  119.   Jedwabne 18:22  |  Cyprian 11/08/08
  120.   terry #117 18:36  |  rudy 11/08/08
  121.   np Jews are capable to do bad things 18:43  |  Terry 11/08/08
  122.   to mp: cont. 18:50  |  Terry 11/08/08
  123.   response to #120 19:01  |  Frank 11/08/08
  124.   Cyprian, Poles did the murdering in Jedwabne 19:01  |  Terry 11/08/08
  125.   to Terry #121 19:05  |  Frank 11/08/08
  126.   Rudy, Gross writes about Zegota. 19:25  |  Terry 11/08/08
  127.   Frank, Beria wasn`t a Jew, but Georgian and 19:31  |  Terry 11/08/08
  128.   Frank, there is absolutely no evidence that Poles were forced 19:34  |  Terry 11/08/08
  129.   response to #123 19:36  |  Cyprian 11/08/08
  130.   Zegota 19:40  |  Rudy 11/08/08
  131.   Pawel 19:41  |  Terry 11/08/08
  132.   Terry #120, #121 19:48  |  mp 11/08/08
  133.   re: #126 to Terry 19:50  |  Frank 11/08/08
  134.   Connie at 9 20:02  |  Greg 11/08/08
  135.   Pawel`s response to Terry 20:10  |  Pawel 11/08/08
  136.   German documents were found in the 1950`s 20:12  |  Frank 11/08/08
  137.   Cyprian, Terry, Jedwabne 20:13  |  mp 11/08/08
  138.   Re: Frank 133 20:27  |  mp3 11/08/08
  139.   Klaus @ 49 20:32  |  Greg 11/08/08
  140.   Klaus @ 58 20:38  |  Greg 11/08/08
  141.   Terry @ 104 22:17  |  Greg 11/08/08
  142.   Who`s got the agenda? 22:26  |  Michael 11/08/08
  143.   Percentage of Polish Population lost in WWII 22:30  |  Michael 11/08/08
  144.   Terry @ 113 22:36  |  Greg 11/08/08
  145.   Terry @ 115 22:47  |  Greg 11/08/08
  146.   Terry 23:29  |  Michael 11/08/08
  147.   Jewish were antipolish 00:48  |  John 12/08/08
  148.   to Terry - "alleged" victimhood?? 01:47  |  Justine 12/08/08
  149.   to John 02:52  |  Justine 12/08/08
  150.   Terry @ 113 03:57  |  Gregory 12/08/08
  151.   Michael, take remedial math 04:28  |  Terry 12/08/08
  152.   To Connie- part one 05:01  |  babayaga 12/08/08
  153.   Frank, Beria was not a Jew, religiously, ethnically 05:11  |  Terry 12/08/08
  154.   to Terry 05:22  |  Justine 12/08/08
  155.   to Terry - post war 05:27  |  Justine 12/08/08
  156.   That righ Justine, stick to IPN historians 05:58  |  Terry 12/08/08
  157.   Justine 06:12  |  Terry 12/08/08
  158.   to Terry 06:22  |  Justine 12/08/08
  159.   to#149 06:36  |  John 12/08/08
  160.   to Terry 07:08  |  Justine 12/08/08
  161.   re: IPN 07:17  |  mp 12/08/08
  162.   to Terry 07:53  |  Justine 12/08/08
  163.   157 & 1943 08:37  |  Konrad 12/08/08
  164.   157 during the war 08:53  |  Konrad 12/08/08
  165.   Jews of Poland 13:11  |  Eddie 15/08/08
  166.   Learn from Simon Wiesenthal 05:00  |  Marie Glowacki 01/10/08
  167.   1600 is THE BIG LIE 06:10  |  Marysia 02/10/08
  168.   They just can`t stop ROBBING poles 06:40  |  Marysia 02/10/08
  169.   The more people obsess about WWII, the less they seem to know 08:11  |  Iris 15/10/08
  170.   I do not understand... 10:34  |  Maciej 31/10/08
  171.   That doesn`t mean Bielski`s were heroes 11:13  |  Ala 01/12/08
  172.   - 11:15  |  A 01/12/08
  173.   Not true.. 11:18  |  me 01/12/08
  174.   To Dallas 11:39  |  me 01/12/08
  175.   To Justine 11:43  |  me 01/12/08
  176.   To Connie 11:54  |  me 01/12/08
  177.   Terry 114 12:12  |  me 01/12/08
  178.   To Terry 118 12:26  |  me 01/12/08
  179.   Add to 118 12:27  |  me 01/12/08
  180.   121 to Terry 12:31  |  me 01/12/08
  181.   124 Terry 12:39  |  me 01/12/08
  182.   128 12:41  |  me 01/12/08
  183.   @ Charles Ronen 09:10  |  Isabel van Haperen 01/05/09
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