Three Brothers from Belarus, in an area that was part of Poland in 1939, are hunted by Nazi's as partisans, saviors and protectors of over 1200 Jews in WWII. 

Tuvie Bielski, played by Daniel Craig, would rather save one old woman than kill 10 Nazi's,  Asael Bielski played by Jamie Bell and Zus Bielski played by Liev Schreiber.   The Bielski family were farmers in Stankiewicze  near Navahrudak which at the time of invasion in 1939 was part of the Second Polish Republic. 

When in 1941 the Bielski's parent's are murdered with thousands of other Jews in the Navahrudak  Ghetto ( in the movie they are on their farm) the Brothers manage to escape to the woods where their upbringing as poor farmers and outdoors people will play a pivotal point in their lives, survival,  and over 1200 other people they they will save from the Nazi's. 
This movie is a dramatized story based on those facts. What is remarkable and unusual is the the different view we have have of Jews finally not being portrayed  as passive victims of the Nazis.  Rather they prey upon the Nazi's and the Nazi sympathizers.  The relationship of Zus to the Soviet Army is most likely a highly fictionalized account but shows the collaboration of the two groups in some sense and at the same time underscores the policy of Stalin to exert influence in the area so that after the war it would not revert back to Poland but become part of the Russian empire.

Liev Schreiber plays a very convincing role as Zus.  He is merciless in his treatment of Nazi's and sympathizers and thinks like a military man. Liev Schreiber will make a remarkable performance with a wide range of emotions and is truly believable as this man that is tormented emotionally as much as he is ruthless  Tuvie Bielsk on the other hand is more the humanitarian, and Daniel Craig gets to play up the more sensitive part of this man while still keeping his role as the absolute ruler of this rag tag group of homeless Jews safe in the woods.  It is rumored that he killed three of his own people for dissension and disobedience and in the movie there is a dramatic time of a confrontation inside the camp that has to be settled once and for all in violence.  But this is not the true inner Zus.  Daniel Craig does his character great justice. 

I enjoyed the movie from several points.  The story is compelling, the action is well done and keeps up with the drama.  There is time for different character development and in the end , good triumphs.  All the making for a good movie.  I would say a 3 out of 4 stars type event.  A warningg, there is a fair amount of graphic violence as this is a war movie, but it's main point are not the war but the struggle of the human spirit in the most horrible of circumstances.