Under the threat of death and the shadow of tyranny, one voice dares to keep a message of hope alive.
It’s late 1942 in Lyon, France and the nazi’s are naturally making life miserable for everyone. Hidden away in an attic with a pirate radio is Jacques (Cary Elwes) broadcasting messages of positivity and hope to anyone who has a radio. He lives in fear everyday that he’ll get found and busted for hiding a Jewish family (Judd Hirsch, Mira Furlan and TW Leshner) in the attic.
After getting caught with radio parts, Juliet is given refuge from Andre (Jason Patric), a Swiss banker who takes pity on Juliet and her family’s situation. Whisking them off to his country house in the Côte d’Azur and eventually off to Spain. Everything is going great until Jacques’ radio signal is traced by Klaus Jager (Sebastian Roché) who will stop at nothing to find him.
Nazi’s suck, that’s never going to change. This blending of two families from two different backgrounds is a great example of how easy it should be for people to put away their differences and stand together to fight the common enemy. Radio is a powerful tool to get messages out to the masses and the last thing the enemy wants is for certain people to gain knowledge. Censorship will spell the beginning of the end for freedom if the enemy controls it.
Directors Matthew Hill & Landon Johnson, along with writer Jonah Hirsch weave an inspirational story of how the kindness of a perfect stranger can save two families from a cruel world filled with ignorance. Resistance: 1942 is an awe-inspiring example that there are still some people out in the world that will do the right thing when they see how unjust people can be treated. With solid performances from the entire cast, this film works as a reminder on how you should never give in to tyranny and always go down swinging.
Reviewed January 25, 2022 (screener provided by Signature Entertainment). Rating: Cert 15. Running time: 111 min.
PRODUCTION: A Signature Entertainment release of a Cats & Dogs Productions, Slingshot Media Group, Taylor & Dodge production, in association with Living the Dream Films. Producers: Joshua M. Fine & Jonah M. Hirsch. Executive producers: Ray Bouderau, Roderick Flint, Nicholas Gialamas, Tyler W. Konney, Guy J. Louthan, George Voskericyan & Jason Weiss.
CREW: Directors: Matthew Hill & Landon Johnson. Writing: Matthew Hill, Landon Johnson & Jonah M. Hirsch. Editing: Dan Wilken. Cinematography: Spencer Hutchins. Music: John W. Snyder.
CAST: Cary Elwes, Jason Patric, Gilles Marini, Sebastian Roché, Judd Hirsch, Mira Furlan, Greer Grammer, Don Harvey, Ezra Buzzington, Corey Sorenson.