‘Jojo Rabbit’: Movie Review
A pensive lens of Nazism, yet faithful to humanity
There is a problem with our history books. We were taught about wars and politics and genocides, but there is a whole other side to the Reich that is almost forgotten: the cheers, the rally, the culture. If not for Taika Waititi’s new satire, Jojo Rabbit, our understanding of the past will still be bleak.
This movie takes a whole other lens to Adolf Hitler’s orgasm we have never explored before: through the lens of a child. Jojo Betzler, a ten-year-old boy, joins the Hitler Youth over the blinded ambition to be in Hitler’s personal guards one day. But despite all the fun and games, he also feels left out, being the most innocent of all. To feel like he belongs, he creates an imaginary friend, as any kid would. But yeah, he is none other than Hitler himself.
This controversial premise has divided critics because it trivializes and ignores the Holocaust. At least, allegedly. Many viewers may think that this disrespects many of Hitler’s victims, and contains lots of antisemitic rhetoric. But critics forgot that this movie does look at Hitler’s reign through the eyes of someone that is totally into him. Which they do exist. And the imaginary friend is not Adolf Hitler, but a cowardly presentation of Hitler by a juvenile fanatic. However, I don’t see any problem with seeing this man as semi-Hitler: he is stupid and weird, which is who Hitler is exactly.
After the discovery of a teenage Jewish girl in his house, Jojo decides to keep her in order to learn more about the Jews… and not in a good way, of course. However soon, he also learns something’s abnormal about the Jews. They don’t seem scary. What? And — and my mother is the person hiding her? I thought she heils the Fuhrer! Gradually Jojo’s world turns upside down and learns something he has never been taught: love.
“Choose love” is a cliche story prompt. From 7-Eleven advertisements to Wonder (2017), it has become quite a cliche and not a prompt we really need, it seems. But Jojo Rabbit is different. It revolves around something we don’t get to see and, amplified by its stunning visuals and marvellous music, has intriguing themes. Waititi does not force himself into trying to spread the moral, because the moral will come to itself naturally. That’s also possibly why critics hate it, but also why it is more relevant than ever. It’s natural and heavy, giving a priceless slap to modern-day fascism, a reborn of Nazism.
With the movie set on a whole different side of the war, we get to see the 40s charms. The liveliness, the vivid nature, all of which are exploited for one’s greed. As a PG-13 and war-themed story, there’s a whole new thing I picked from Jojo Rabbit. Love your surroundings. Be grateful because you are still alive, and you are still here to enjoy what (remembering Jojo’s Christianity) God has given you. “We have to dance,” Jojo’s mother stated. And when things happen, the joy will fade.
It is an overall compelling comedic-dramatic satire, full of offensive symbolisms and exaggerations that further makes the movie more engaging. The humour is odd and goofy, yet quite accessible. The drama is not forced, but subtle and natural. Everything in this movie is daring to a fault, yet it succeeds. It is a glorious look at the way people live during the war, saturated.
This is of course not without fault. There is a scene where Rosie says, “Dancing, singing, and romance,” and the dialogue “romance” has a slight editing error. I thought this was just in my device, but others also expressed a similar sentiment. Some transitions feel rushed, and though Archie Yates brings a whole other mood to the movie, he has some quite stiff acting.
But Jojo Rabbit is all I need. It felt close to my heart, and I will never forget how emotional I feel every time I think of it. Tears are always in stock for it.
GENRE: Comedy, drama
DURATION: 1 hour 48 minutes
WATCHED ON: HBO Max
AGE RATING: 13+
LANGUAGE: English, German, Russian
