Most people know of Marcel Marceau as a French mime (also by his famous stage persona "Bip the Clown"), who practiced the art of silent acting in the late 1940s. His name became incredibly well-known globally in the arts, but what many don't know is how active he was in the French Resistance during World War II. Prior to studying dramatic arts, Marcel (whose surname at birth was actually Mangel, not Marceau) was a member of the French Resistance, a collection of individuals who fought back against the Nazis and, in this film's case, helped in saving upwards of ten thousand orphaned Jewish children during the Holocaust. Jonathan Jakubowicz's latest feature tackles Marcel's incredible true story, along with detailing the accomplishments of the French Resistance during the tumultuous span of the second World War. Led by a charismatic performance from Jesse Eisenberg, Resistance is a harrowing story but often feels as if it bit off more than it could chew.

The film opens on a Jewish family getting ready for bed, with a young girl named Elsbeth (played by Game of Thrones' Bella Ramsey) listening to her father (Edgar Ramírez) tell her a bedtime story. Unfortunately, this brief moment of pleasantry is cut short once the Gestapo comes crashing through their front door, killing Elsbeth's parents in the street right before her very eyes. This heartwrenching scene sets the tone for what's to come, as the story flashes forward to introduce Marcel (Eisenberg), the son of a butcher who longs to become the next Charlie Chaplin. His dreams soon take a backseat once his cousin Georges (Géza Röhrig) explains that he and the Resistance have managed to rescue a group of Jewish orphans, diverting the truck they were in away from the concentration camp they were en route to, moving them into an empty castle. Young Elsbeth is also included in this group, with Ramsey delivering an astonishing performance that captivates viewers every chance she gets to on-screen.

Related: The 10 Best World War II Epics, Ranked

When the children have settled into their new safe zone, Marcel decides to come along and be of assistance to his cousin and fellow rebel Emma (Clémence Poésy), who he coincidentally also has a massive crush on. His assistance, however, begins to evolve into a new role. Rather than helping deliver food or clothes to these energetic kids, he finds that his imaginative invisible acting has found an attentive new audience (and far more receptive than the cabaret he spends most nights performing at). He relishes in the joy that his performances bring these children, but more importantly, he's elated that his talents have now found a home. However, his performances start to take on new meanings as time passes, especially as danger grows nearer. Silly jokes formed within an invisible playground evolve into survival techniques that take the act of blending into an absent environment to greater, and far more paramount, heights.

Jesse Eisenberg in Resistance
Jesse Eisenberg in Resistance

Eisenberg delicately balances on the narrative's emotional tightrope, carefully dipping into moments of sincerity or sadness whenever necessary. His interactions with the children, in the beginning, are delightful, as it's clear his feelings are genuine when it comes to their safety and well-being. He knows the importance of childhood and embracing all of its wonder and goofiness, but understands what's at stake and that their lives are on the line. Eisenberg, who's usually typecast as a socially awkward individual, fits the mold of Marcel perfectly. Especially as the film sinks into moments of heart-stopping suspense, he still finds ways to elevate the mood and bring the story back around to its focus: the kids.

Unfortunately, Eisenberg is the only one reminding the viewer of the story's main purpose. The Resistance script adds multiple subplots that often feel unnecessary to the over-arching narrative, making its two-hour runtime feel a great deal longer than it actually is. Intense side characters often feel out-of-place, as do the majority of Jakubowicz's leads who assert such a strong tone of love and protection from the beginning. In particular, Matthias Schweighöfer's wildly intense take on Klaus Barbie, who was known as the "Butcher of Lyon", feels like he was brought in from an entirely different film altogether. This isn't to say his performance was bad; on the contrary, Schweighöfer is terrifyingly captivating in every scene he's in. But, his performance often felt as if it were too heightened for the story that Jakubowicz initially set out to tell. Even a brief appearance from Ed Harris as General Patton feels shoehorned into the story and entirely out of place.

There's a moment towards the end of the film where Marcel describes the importance of what they're doing. He says the best way to resist is to "make sure more Jews survive," explaining that helping these children reach a place of safety far outweighs the gratification that would come from killing Nazis out of revenge. Unfortunately, this wonderful message is one that isn't fully implemented throughout the film. The uneven narrative doesn't fully focus on the story it set out to tell from the get-go, lending too much time to unnecessary subplots. Including the ones that center too heavily on Klaus Barbie and the horrific acts he committed against his fellow humans. Resistance would have benefited from a more straightforward narrative in the style of a biopic, completely centered on Marcel. Regardless, it's clear that Jakubowicz is incredibly passionate about Marcel's story and the accomplishments of the French Resistance. Less can certainly be more, Resistance just devours its source material, and then some, all at once.

Next: Read Screen Rant's Review Of Banana Split

Resistance is now available to watch On-Demand. It is 120 minutes long and rated R for some violence.