Origin stories have always been a favorite of film fans, especially when it comes to their heroes. While some stories remain firmly set in the pages of novels and comics, others have roots firmly planted in history. The story of Marcel Marceau is one of those tales that bring together both. While mostly known worldwide for his work as a mime, the performer’s life before fame is as poignant as it is purely courageous. The upcoming film “Resistance” hopes to change how the world sees this legendary figure.
For the role of Marceau, director Jonathan Jakubowicz went with the talents of Jesse Eisenberg; the actor’s range alone seems like a fitting complement to the abilities Marceau himself embodies during his career. Eisenberg has straddled the line between light-hearted fare like “Zombieland” and darker roles such as his chilling performance in “The Social Network.” Both seem like mere preparation for tackling a topic as complex as the future mime’s fight to save children while Nazi brutalities of World War II encroach.
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Jakubowicz himself is also an interesting choice to helm “Resistance”. The Venezuelan auteur’s gritty and pulse-pounding work on “Secuestro Express” helped the film gain a following throughout the world. Those same traits could make his current endeavor all the more intriguing if he chooses the harsh tones of realism over lush cinematic landscapes that some filmmakers fall into when telling war stories.
“Resistance” arrives in theaters on March 27.
The film’s official synopsis:
“Resistance” is a true story of heroism in which a group of Girls and Boy Scouts created a network that ended up saving the lives of around ten thousand orphans whose parents had been killed by the Nazis in the Second World War. At the center of the movie we find an aspiring Jewish actor whose desperate need to help the children lead him into the world of pantomime, and who will later and, thanks to this experience, become the legendary French mime Marcel Marceau.