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Resistance

Score: 75%
Rating: Not Rated
Publisher: Film Movement
Region: 1
Media: DVD/1
Running Time: 92 Mins.
Genre: Drama/War/Thriller
Audio: English 5.1 Surround Sound,
           English 2.0 Dolby Digital

Subtitles: English SDH

Resistance takes place in an alternate history where D-Day has failed and Britain now lies under Nazi control. One morning, the women of a small Welsh farming valley awaken to find their husbands have disappeared without a word. Fearing they've all gone to join the Resistance movement against the Nazis, led by Tommy Atkins (Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex), the women choose to wait until the men return, but then a German patrol arrives to set up an outpost.

The de facto leader of the group of village women is Sarah (Andrea Riseborough, Chasing Shadows), a mere 26-years old, but quite strong-willed. She immediately draws the attention of Albrecht (Tom Wlaschiha, Game of Thrones), the head of the German patrol, who makes every effort to make their occupation of the village more comfortable. The patrol's true reason for being in the small village is to locate an artifact, but Albrecht does everything he can to draw out their time there, clearly enjoying the peace and the company of Sarah.

A dreadful storm comes up suddenly, trapping many of the farm animals and leaving the women helpless to save them, but the soldiers come to their aid to rescue the livestock. Bolstered by their feeling of good will after helping the women, the soldiers then begin helping out on the farms since the men are away. Almost as if they are "playing house," Albrecht soon requests some men's clothes since their uniforms are getting tattered, and it is all becoming too comfortable.

Hanging over the heads of the women like Damocles' sword is their government's decree that no one should help the Nazis in any way, but what are they supposed to do, trapped in their valley? Little do they know, but the Germans are telling anyone approaching the village that there is no one left there. However, as the months pass with no sign of their husbands' return in sight, tensions relax between the women and the Nazis. Albrecht allows one of the older women, Helen (Melanie Walters) and one of his soldiers, Steiner (Alexander Doetsch) to attend an agricultural festival happening in the city, but when George (Iwan Rheon, Game of Thrones), a local boy involved in the Resistance, spies Helen with the Nazi, he knows she must be punished for collaboration. This sets off a tinderbox of events that rock the idyllic symbiosis that has been fostered in the valley, causing Albrecht to confront his feelings for Sarah and make some difficult decisions, and require Sarah to do the same.

Resistance came out in 2011, and I suspect that this release is due in no small part to the huge popularity of Game of Thrones and the fact that two of its actors are currently or were previously in that show. I came into watching Resistance expecting a tense action/thriller, but this was much more of an introspective drama. The Resistance movement joined by the village men is nothing compared to the quiet resistance the women left behind worked towards, even in the oddest of situations.

The acting is solid and the plotline is interesting, just don't go into it expecting espionage and danger. Resistance is more of a quiet film wrapped in an underlying tension. While it is nice to see Iwan Rheon play a fresh-faced and nicer guy than Ramsay Bolton, Resistance doesn't quite make it to the status of great, mostly because it's pretty slow. Still, if you are a fan of alternate history, you may like it.



-Psibabe, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ashley Perkins

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