Film Review: The Resistance
Jesse Eisenberg as Marcel Marceau in Resistance (2020). Photo: PR Supplied.
Resistance is a biopic film about a young Marcel Marceau, Jewish mime actor who joined the French Resistance to save the lives of thousands of children orphaned at the hands of the Nazis. It takes us through the horrors of the Nazi rule, and the ugly side of humanity that occurred at the time.
The film sets a sombre mood from the very beginning. The narrative opens in 1938. A happy family scene with parents and a young, curious child quickly turns ugly when the parents are captured and killed by the Gestapo. The young girl survives to witness the brutality.
We then meet an endearing young Jewish actor, performing at a cabaret, dragged away by his not-so-pleased father. Marcel Marceau (Jesse Eisenberg- The Social Network, Now You See Me) lives and breathes his art, writing a one-man play with 30 characters and painting the backdrop himself. For his ‘day job’ he works at his father’s butcher shop, and on one such afternoon, he is roped in, reluctantly, to help shelter 123 Jewish orphans who were saved from the Nazis.
Despite his initial reluctance, Marcel quickly warms to the task and gets popular with the kids, using his skills in mime and gesture to win their hearts and provide much needed comic relief in their lives, while also teaching them vital survival skills like hiding in trees. At the camp, he works closely with Emma (Clémence Poésy) and their on-screen love blossoms.
As the story progresses to 1941, things take a dark turn as the ruthless commanding officer of the SS, Klaus Barbie (Matthias Schweighöfer) enters the scene, and Germany occupies all of France. Marcel and Emma decide to join the French Resistance movement. They embark on a brave and life-altering mission to save Jewish children from the Nazis by getting them across the border to Switzerland.
Jonathan Jacubowicz’s (writer, director, producer) script is like a tightly woven pearl necklace, with every scene moving the story forward and serving up delightful, gut-wrenching, horrifying, and sad moments as it unfolds. Jacubowicz, who is of Polish Jewish heritage, admits that the story was very dear to his heart and brought him closer to the memory of his grandparents. The carefully pieced together screenplay honours the larger landscape of historic events, as well as the minute details of Marceau’s personality, and the relationships between the characters.
The creative elements of the film deserve their own special credit as they all work together to create this masterpiece. The children are endearing, and all characters are given adequate attention, set up time and arc. We’re invested in all of them, which means we absorb the story in its entirety rather than being focused on one character. The casting is spot on, as well as the performances. Poesy plays a strong, yet vulnerable Emma effortlessly, and Schweighöfer is convincing as the tyrant who wants to bring up his baby girl to be interested in the arts.
The background score liltingly builds anticipation. The cinematography takes us through the vast expanse of the Swiss Alps as well as intimate moments of fear and love with equal ease.
As much as this is a story about the infamous mime artist Marcel Marceau, it doesn’t feel like his heroism takes over the greater purpose of the French Resistance, which is always given more prominence in this film. “Marcel never saw himself as a hero”, said Jacubowicz and this humility is captured very skilfully by Jesse Eisenberg who makes a very endearing Marceau. He plays the charming enabler perfectly, who with his skill, wit and craft makes things happen and keeps his presence of mind in some very challenging circumstances.
Through the relationship of a protective, yet proud father and son, the film beautifully answers questions that an artist or any creative is faced with multiple times in a lifetime: “Why do you do this?” A scene, when Marcel discovers his father’s passion for singing presents his parent’s insecurity. Marcel asks his father, “Why did you fight my passion?”,to which his simple response, “Because I didn’t want you to starve.” says it all. This is one of the many subtly touching moments that the movie is abound with. The film also touches upon how artists could be seen as self-centred when they spend time devoting themselves to their art, but it is this devotion that allows the artist to influence the lives of many.
The film had me in tears before the halfway mark, and I was a complete mess by the end. The brutality of the SS and the ugly side of humanity is very effectively presented with subtlety, leaving a lot of the graphic details to the imagination. In some ways this hits harder than looking at it visually and makes a deeper impact. It left me deeply affected, and with a sense of void which is very pertinent in present times.
Resistance moves, educates, entertains and takes the viewer on a journey while generating empathy for people who suffered during the war. Isn’t this what a film is meant to do?
Resistance is available to rent from July 29 on iTunes, Google Play, Sony (Playstation Network), Microsoft (Xbox Network), Foxtel PPV, Bigpond, Fetch & Quickflix.