Jojo Rabbit (2019) — Movie Review
Directed by: Taika Waititi. Produced by: Carthew Neal, Taika Waititi, Chelsea Winstanley. Screenplay: Taika Waititi. Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson.
Based on Christine Leunens’ book Caging Skies, this award-winning movie gives us a comic yet dramatic commentary on war, love, fanaticism, personal relationships and sacrifice. And shoes. It is a masterful piece of storytelling that has will keep you in your chair from the opening scene right to the dramatic third act.
The plot (spoiler-free)
Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) is a 10 year-old German boy who is a true Nazi fanatic. He lives and breathes Hilter ideology, he even made his own imaginary version of Hilter (Taika Waititi). Jojo believes in Hilter and everything thing he stands for, until his convictions are challenged by the reality of a lost war and a falling country. Jojo falls in love with an unexpected girl, and then he has to chose between the truth and his own beliefs. We follow the young boy’s journey as he struggles through the loss of his ideals, his country and even his own mother.
The good parts
The acting was very good overall, and I particularly enjoyed Taika Waititi’s portrayal of the devious, manipulative, yet quite comedic Hilter, an external reflection of Jojo’s inner feelings and conflict.
The movie intrigues the viewer from the first scene which shows Jojo with his imaginary Hitler. This sets the pace for the whole movie and puts us in Jojo’s shoes where we learn about his dreams and aspirations. This is built upon the movie where we follow Jojo’s journey as he falls and rises to the aid of the Jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie).
The portrayal of Hilter Youth, propaganda, sites and places has been appraised by critics, which adds to the authenticity of the story. I wasn’t put off by the lack of historical accuracy, as it wasn’t relevant (or needed) to drive the plot.
The script is overall good, although it has a few shortcomings, which I’ll discuss in the next section.
Where it went South
While my overall reception of the movie is pretty good, I found the lack of character background annoying. For one, we don’t really know why Jojo’s mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), chose to become an anti-Nazi. I think this was really important to the storybuilding, as Rosie is a central figure in Jojo’s life, and her unexpected removal in the third act was an important turning point for Jojo. Was her husband killed by the Nazi’s? Did she work together with her husband (this idea was tackled briefly in the movie)? Is there any specific trauma in her past that led to this?
And where is Jojo’s dad? The lack of a father figure is an important piece of the puzzle, as it explains (at least in part) why Jojo made up his imaginary Hitler, as a replacement for this lost father.
Lastly, what is Elsa’s background? She is mainly used as a backup character to allow Jojo’s character to grow, while in fact she is a central piece in the plot. She is part of Rosie’s fight, and she instills conflict between Jojo and Rosie, and then Jojo and his ideals and convictions. This character should have received more character building and it could have made the movie even better.
My conclusion
So what do I think of this movie? It is a comic drama that grips you from the beginning to the end. While the main theme is Nazi’s and fanaticism, the movie tackles the subjects of war, love, sadness and personal growth. The serious parts are balanced by the comic bits, which don’t feel forced. It is a very good movie to sit through, and I give it 8/10.
