Over the last twenty years, Edward Zwick has been Hollywood’s resident socially-aware director, shelling out well-intentioned historical epics and military thrillers every couple of years to lukewarm critical applause, save Glory, which is the man’s masterwork critically lauded. Also, Courage Under Fire is a wildly over-looked war film. But both of those films were over a decade ago, and it shows.
Recently, Zwick has given us Blood Diamond and Defiance. Both films tell very interesting stories based on a certain amount of truth, one revolving around the illegal drug trade and warlords in Sierra Leone, the other about a trio of Jewish brothers who saved over a thousand people from the Nazis by living in the Belorussian Forest. Unfortunately, both films are weighed down by heavy-handed dialogue and slow-paced storytelling.
In short, the best parts of both films are the action scenes. The scenes in Blood Diamond that involve bombs and gunfire are brilliantly choreographed and nail-biting to watch. Unfortunately, the film spends a considerable amount of time confronting the political side of the illegal diamond trade and winds up trying to bite off far more than it can chew. Defiance does a similar thing, trying shine a light on several different characters within the group of survivors while never taking the time to make the viewer care about Tuvia Bielski (played by Daniel Craig), who led the group. While watching the film, I felt the struggle of his character would have been so intriguing had I cared enough about him to be curious. It’s as if Zwick assumes the viewer will be swept simply because the amazing story (and it is amazing) is a true one. Has he forgotten that it is all about the execution?
I don’t think so, because the action scenes are beautiful in Defiance as well, save the stunted and choppy final battle scene, which looks to be have been more of a post-production editing problem.
The guy should put away the history books and just direct an action film. Once you’ve made Tom Cruise The Last Samurai, it’s time for a style change.
Ed, direct something like Pierre Morel’s Taken, a all-out actioner with little plot and less intelligence starring Liam Neeson. Luckily for Taken, those films do not rely on either of those two things but rather it relies mostly on style. Style is something which Zwick appears to have a bunch of, when it comes to directing action. Take the scene in Blood Diamond where DiCaprio and Hounsou attack the war lord base during the aerial bombing, or the first time in Defiance that Daniel Craig and his brothers ambush a Nazi patrol to steal food and ammunition. Both of these scenes make the most of both close-up frames and establishing shots and allow the action to occur naturally wth special effects that are top-knotch.
Match this “eye for action” with a solid action star like Jason Statham (or Liam Neeson? who knew he could be so badass?) and you’ve got a hit. Not only a hit, but a fun fucking film that won’t beat down social issues into the viewer like he’s a 5th grader. Not that we don’t need that sometimes. Alright, Ed, at least switch off between historical epic and straight action every other year, just to keep it fresh.
Zwick has had a long career, and he’s getting old (he’s 56). This age is reflecting into his work, which feels more and more sloppy and inpassionate with each new film.
Make an action movie, Ed, and feed whatever passion you’ve got left into scenes involving flipping cars and well-orchestrated bare-fisted brawls. Think Crank 3: Higher Voltage. And, for God’s sake, if you’re going to hire Tom Cruise, keep him away from the Samurai swords.