Raised by a Jewish butcher (Karl Markovics, recognizable from concentration camp drama “The Counterfeiters”), the young Marcel defies his father’s wishes to follow in the family business, spending his free time painting and practicing his Chaplin routine in the local cabaret. Eisenberg portrays Marcel as clumsy and awkward in real-life situations, but intuitive and graceful when play-acting, and he almost instantly realizes that his gifts have a practical application when trying to make kids feel more comfortable in an intimidating situation. The first time Marcel used mime was after France was invaded, in order to keep Jewish children quiet while he helped them escape to neutral Switzerland. The outfit signified life’s fragility and Bip became his alter ego, just as the “Little Tramp” became Charlie Chaplin’s. The story of mime Marcel Marceau as he works with a group of Jewish boy scouts and the French He entertained his friends with Chaplin imitations, and dreamed of starring in silent movies. He was miming for his life.” While fighting with the French resistance, Marcel ran into a unit of German soldiers. Marcel and his younger brother Alain adopted the last name “Marceau” during the German occupation of France to avoid being identified as Jewish. In this remarkable true story, Jesse Eisenberg plays French mime-to-be Marcel Marceau, who helped lead Jewish orphans to safety during World War 2. A romantic subplot between Marcel and a fellow Resistance fighter named Emma (Clémence Poesy), whose courage outstrips his own, similarly clouds our view of the man Marceau would become, while suggesting some rather conventional thinking in what makes audiences care about characters. “He was miming for his life.” Image from the Yossi Alfi Archive, accessible through a collaboration between the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage, the National Library of Israel and Haifa University. As it happens, this would be the most exciting chapter of his life — and one about which the tight-lipped performer seldom spoke — making for a fresh entry point to an otherwise familiar if ever relevant subject. If you liked this article, try these:
That’s because “Resistance” tells a story that’s plenty strong on its own terms, and if anything, it’s a bonus that one of the key participants should survive to become famous. Many thanks to the author and JewishGen for permission to republish this article. He was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923 in Strasbourg, France, to a Jewish family. Program for Marcel Marceau’s 1966 appearance in Israel. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Instead, Jakubowicz uses Marceau as just one character in a broader and considerably grimmer reminder of the evils Europe faced under Nazi Germany, focusing on one of those rare but inspiring cases where lives were spared. | It’s at this point that Marcel gets involved. / AFP / HENNING KAISER Si la mayoría de nosotros conocemos cómo se hace la mímica, eso es en gran parte gracias a Marcel Marceau . Marcel Marceau died at the racetrack in Cahors, France, on 22 September 2007, which happened to be Yom Kippur, at the age of 84.