Ed Zwick's 'Defiance': Brotherhood, Survival, and a Questionable Director Choice?

Okay, so I finally got around to watching 'Defiance' (2008). As a director-focused viewer (you guys know I am!), the guy at the helm really matters. Ed Zwick directed it, which... well, it's a choice. Zwick does the big, dramatic historical epic okay. I think. But his touch often feels a little… Hollywood-ized? Like, it's trying so hard to be important and sweeping that it kinda loses some of the genuine grit, y'know? I thought the performances were mostly solid. Daniel Craig brought his usual intensity, Liev Schreiber was fantastic as Zus (the more...violent? vengeful? brother), and Jamie Bell held his own. The story itself, based on the Bielski brothers' true story, is incredibly powerful and heartbreaking. Watching them carve out a life in the forest, balancing survival with protecting other Jews—it's compelling stuff. But, and this is maybe where Zwick's direction fell a little flat for me, it felt like certain emotional beats were played too broadly. Like the violins were cranking up WAY too loud at times. Here's a thought: the way Tuvia (Craig) wrestled with leadership felt true, actually. That scene where he executes the guy who was stealing food? Brutal, but necessary. However, I kept wondering what a director like, say, Paul Greengrass or even someone like Susanne Bier would have done with this material. Someone who could've leaned into the rawness and moral ambiguity even more. Think about the visceral feel of 'Bloody Sunday' or the complex characters in 'In a Better World'. Overall, 'Defiance' is worth watching because the story is incredibly impactful. But I can't shake the feeling that with a different directorial vision, it could have been truly exceptional. Maybe I'm being too harsh. What do you guys think? Could another director have elevated this even more, or was Zwick the right choice to tell this story?