Film Review: Jojo Rabbit Proves No One Wins In War

Directed, written, and starring Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit completely furthers that he is awesome. It is his masterpiece because  Waititi’s ability to bring light to the darkest of matters is necessary and important. He makes the reason for so much death understandable, even if uncomfortable; if you do not love yourself then you are more open to someone turning you into their weapon of hate. Enter Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo; a sweet 10 year old boy with a bag of insecurities that he quells with his invisible friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). 

Here is a little backdrop to the Jojo Rabbit’s setting. Close to 85 million people died, in total, during WWII, which at the time was around 3% of the world’s population. Germans had followed Hitler like he was their beacon of economic/ spiritual light, despite his deranged hatefulness (sound familiar!), which is something Waititi plays in his portrayal. This is a guy who was horrible and insecure and used those two qualities to tap into other people’s horribleness and insecurity. Think misery loves company, which by all means Jojo is unhappy. He does not like his looks, his noble heart, or that he has lost half of his family. He is a young man that has not had an easy life and it not kind to himself. In this, Jojo Rabbit adds nuances to how shockingly terrifying it is to see so many people cruelly/foolishly believe the mass extinction of Jews would bring them long-awaited prosperity. Yes, I said nuance. 

JOJO RABBIT | Official Trailer [HD] | FOX Searchlight

The magic of Davis’ performance as Jojo is that from the beginning, he questions why do you have to or would you even want to end a life. While he may impress gestapos with his avid fanaticism, when it comes time to hurting, even a little rabbit, he inherently feels that the loss of life is useless. It is not just that killing others is dumb, it is that it should not be a thought. The beauty of this child’s realization is subtle because he gets isolated. He is “Jojo Rabbit;” the boy with scars and a limp who would probably get himself killed before killing someone else. Yet, Waititi makes that quality dignified, strong, and one Jojo gets from his mother (Scarlett Johansson as Rosie). 

Johansson as Rosie will, literally, make you dance. Her warmth emanates maternity, and how important it is for a mother to teach her child compassion in the face of a world that is literally teaching him to hate. Scenes between Jojo and Rosie are so casually light and beautiful, which describes the film. Yes, it is hilarious, with scenes that burst with creative, prat laughs and it does have its violent scenes. Yet, the light of this film is that it reveals not everybody goes with the crowd or rather not every German hailed Hitler, but there is a cost to choosing love in a hateful situation, of which, as a viewer, you admire Jojo and his willingness to take the cost for Thomasin McKenzie’s Elsa. 

JOJO RABBIT | “This Table is Switzerland” Clip | FOX Searchlight

Through Elsa, Mckenzie is able to reveal that elegance is a mixture of fragility and resilience. It is learning to carry your fear so that when opportunity comes to love and stand by someone that by all means can be defined as your enemy, you choose to redefine them as a friend. This is a recurring theme that happens with two of the funniest, heartwarming characters I have seen in recent pictures: Archie Yates as Yorki and Sam Rockwell’s Captain Klenzendorf. Whether man or child, these two are such funny representations of how you follow the crowd in look but not in action. They were Nazis because, technically, those were national soldiers, but they did not support or follow the cause. Hence, Jojo Rabbit could definitely be a film to discuss “nature vs nurture,” but, again, its nuance lies in its belief that you, yourself, can nurture a kinder nature within you.  Jojo Rabbit will be released on October 18.