Jojo Rabbit:A Simple English Critical Analysis

Taika Waititi is an interesting director.Started his career with movies like Boy ,What we do in the Shadows and ofcourse the MCU’s very own Thor Ragnarok,Taika Waititi,for a MCU fan is more than a director.He single handedly saved Thor franchise which was falling apart after the Dark World

When Jojo Rabbit was announced in 2019,i was pretty excited since Taika Waititi was one of my favourite directors.Yes,it received mixed reviews with some calling it offensive while others calling it great.I am from the “This movie was great”side.

Jojo Rabbit is a movie starring Roman Griffin Davis playing the titular character Jojo Betzler,a 10 year old innocent boy with deeprooted Nazi Ideologies.He has an imaginary friend named Hitler(a stupid kiddish version of Hitler).However,his life turns upside down when he realizes that his mom played by Scarlett Johansson is hiding a Jew Elsa played by Thomasin McKenzie.The rest of the movie speaks about how Jojo and his realization about his Blind Fanaticism

Jojo Rabbit is an interesting take on the Nazi’s.Its not that kind of movie that screams Nazi’s are bad,They are the devils kind of movie but more to making fun of their ideology.This can be presented through Jojo.Yup,You might remember the dialogue from the Gestapo agent Deetz played by Stephen Merchant where he says “I love your blind Fanaticism”.I do kinda find this dialogue to be humorous.Taika Waititi makes the character lucid in a manner that they joke about what is going on in their lives and find their actions to be mean.

Jojo Betzler is an interesting character.A kid who is innocent to the fact that he doesnt realize what he is doing.One brilliant presentation is the first scene,which shows his excitement to be a part of the Hitler Youth Camp.Then,when we are presented the scene where Jojo is asked to kill a rabbit,to which he does not attempt and instead pushes it to run away.It presents a take on Jojo.An innocent one who is blinded fanaticism to a higher extent.This is evident in the later scenes especially when he realizes that his mom is keeping a Jew in her residence.

I find this scene to be highly interesting.Remember this scene where Jojo’s Mom shows the people hanged in public and forces him to look at it.I find Scarlett Johannson’s acting to be exceptional in this particular part.She is shown fearless but as an audience,you dont realize what is running in her mind(it is at the end will you take this scene seriously).And the scenes leading to her execution(Free Germany Slip,The sudden Entry of the Gestapo,Captain K carrying the cycle and telling Jojo to tnerake care of the family).The next is the climax or the realization of the MC.The butterfly represents Jojo’s innocence.As the butterfly comes close and escapes,Jojo finds his mom’s shoes,only to see her lifeless body suspended via a rope.This scene has no background music but you are shocked.Everyone is.Your moved from the realms of Dark Humour to reality.This is when you,the MC realize one serious thing:They were Cruel.The Nazi’s are cruel.What ends this cruciating scene is Jojo realizing his Mom’s shoes are untied.Again,we all know that Jojo does not know to tie his shoes(which represents his maturity).Unable to tie her,he hugs her against representing the fact that he no longer has the guardian angel who would help him through his path

The third act is the sisterly relationship of Elsa and Jojo,when he realizes that he depends on her as a motherly figure.Then we are shown montages of Jojo surviving after his mother’s death(him attaining maturity).He is able to comprehend what is right and what is wrong(the scene where he looks at Hitler eating a unicorn in a shrewd manner.And the song Everybody’s gotta Live playing in the background representing the plight of war victims in a manner.

Jojo March is the most brilliant piece of soundtrack in 2019.The beginning logo,the times in the youth camp,the war scenes.It is a song sung by children and how it goes from a song which sounds cheerful and by the end of the movie,it becomes grim,darker.The song itself portrays the fact that War always has victims on both sides

Throughout the movie,the movie carries an interesting moral.Find Strength.Use Strength

Jojo Rabbit has an exceptional casting with Yorki played by the humorous Archie Yates,the Fanatic Fraulein Rahm played by Rebel Wilson(I forgive her for her nauseating performance in Cats) and of course Taika Waititi casting himself as Hitler

Overall,this is a movie which says the story from the Nazi’s point of view.Its a rarity to come across such a movie(since most of the movies told are from the point of view of the Jews)

Rating:3.75/4