By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I had wanted to see JOJO RABBIT (2019) since it was released. The trailers looked very promising, and I’m a huge fan of Sam Rockwell. I’ve heard nothing but good things, and was certain I was in for a stellar film. I was not disappointed.
The movie opens with 9-year-old German boy Jojo, who is a devoted Nazi youth during World War II. He wholeheartedly believes in Adolf Hitler, the Nazi party and all the propaganda that the government spews. His highest hope is to be the eventual security detail for Hitler, himself.
While being trained for war, Jojo is harassed by older Nazis because he refuses to kill a rabbit. He tries to prove how tough he is by running with an explosive, but only ends up badly scarring his face and causing severe trauma to his leg. This ruins his aspirations and he ends up posting fliers for the Nazis, instead of being trained in combat.
His mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) sees the atrocities being committed by the Nazis and is appalled. She acts the part of a supportive German woman, but secretly hides Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a 17-year-old Jewish girl in her house, unbeknownst to Jojo. Elsa lives behind a wall and stays there in hopes of not being found.
Knowing how horrible the government is, Rosie does her best to ensure that Jojo does not fully lose his conscience. At one point, she forces him to look at the dead bodies of those deemed as traitors that the Nazis hanged in public square.
Sadly, by this time, Jojo is fully brainwashed. He considers Hitler (Taika Waititi) his best friend and even imagines entire conversations with him. Adolf is his imaginary pal, and in the beginning Jojo would do anything to please him.
After being injured, Jojo is home quite a bit more. He ends up discovering Elsa and is terrified. He has heard so many falsehoods about the Jewish people and believes every single one of them. Elsa plays on those a bit to ensure her safety and that he won’t tell.
They make an arrangement and both promise silence, but Jojo is still wary of Elsa. Slowly, the two form a friendship and at an equally slow pace, Jojo begins to realize how much his country is lying to him.
In so many ways, the awakening of Jojo is relatable. I remember when I first learned of COINTELPRO, The Tuskegee Experiment, MK-Ultra, the Pentagon Papers, etc. etc. etc. I was very young, but completely confused at how selfishness and greed could lead to atrocities and genocide. Despite growing older and understanding far more than I did as a child, I can say that confusion has not gone away.
It is difficult for anyone who believed in the transparency and honesty of their government to be faced with a truth far different than the one being told. Regardless of age, there is a youthful, earnest naivete that is forever lost, upon that realization. That is the story we see with Jojo, and his blind faith in the Nazi party.
The evolution is sad, complicated but also uplifting and promising of a better day. People often cheer for their country or their politicians the way one cheers at a sports’ event. Opposing forces are our collective enemy regardless of how right or wrong our government’s actions are. That’s not a solid foundation for thought, love, compassion or even victory. It’s the mindset of a hopeless romantic in a one-way relationship with an abusive spouse that doesn’t give a fuck. To successfully leave that mindset one must learn what real love is – and for Jojo that was Elsa.
Elsa was the smoking gun evidence that Hitler was a liar. Her disposition, personality, kindness and integrity was enough to show Jojo that everything he had been told was a lie. Jojo realized the Nazis true colors when he saw that those being slaughtered were actually people – something he hadn’t considered when he viewed them as demons and devils and such.
I can’t suggest JOJO RABBIT enough. There are moments that are laugh-out-loud funny and some that are so gut-wrenchingly sad they cause physical pain. Still, it’s a must-see film.
The acting is superb. Scarlett Johansson was fantastic in the role of Rosie. The character is a complicated one as she loves her son, but hates everything he stands for. Johansson expertly walked the fine line of expressing both contempt for Jojo’s vile beliefs while displaying the heartfelt affection she feels for him.
Sam Rockwell, as always was beyond brilliant. He portrayed Captain Klenzendorf, a wounded Nazi forced to work with children due to his injury. He desperately wants to be on the front lines and to be fighting for Germany. That said, he isn’t a one-note character. He does have a genuinely kind side to him which isn’t fully shown until the final scenes of the film. Some may express anger towards this character because of his depth. Many times, people want their villains to be all bad and without a single positive attribute. Sadly, that’s not real life. Real life is complicated and sometimes those who commit the most heinous and vile crimes, do have odd soft spots or moments of clarity and redemption. It would have been far easier to make Kelnzendorf a comedy relief villain and nothing else. Writer/Director Taika Waititi took the far more difficult route and as a result made one of the most compelling characters in movies for quite some time.
Speaking of Taika Waititi, he was amazing as Adolf. He made certain to show the absurdity of Hitler. The tone was rightfully one of condemnation and disgust though shown in an often hilarious way. It was reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin as Adenoid Hynkel in THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940). Depicting Adolf as a joke doesn’t take away from the magnitude of what he had done. It’s actually a sleight against him. It’s a way to be sure that an evil scumbag who demanded respect, receives none. Waititi’s performance highlighted Hitler’s focus on unquestioned conformity, dangerous amounts of power and the way he used deception and dishonesty to attain both.
Thomasin McKenzie also did a spectacular job. She easily captures the viewers hearts. The safety of Elsa becomes paramount to the audience from the first moment she is on-screen. McKenzie is extremely likable in the role and shows Elsa’s perseverance and strength with every scene. Even when the character is rightfully panicked, there’s an underlying bad-ass fem approach McKenzie takes with Elsa that makes her a powerhouse to be reckoned with. She’s young, sad and desperate, but it was because of that desperation and sadness, that she was forced to give up her childhood too quickly. As such, there’s a protective nature she invokes in everyone watching.
Bringing it all together is Roman Griffin Davis as young Jojo. What a phenomenal young actor this boy is! The casting was so spot on. The movie needed someone who could spew bigotry, yet remain sympathetic. Davis pulls this off. He made it easy to see how Jojo could get swept up in the rhetoric and was just a confused child. The immaturity and fear that Davis exhibited told the story as much as the dialogue. His emotional performance will stick with me for a very long while, and I am looking forward to following his future projects.
There were also welcome appearances by Rebel Wilson and Stephen Merchant, who both contributed quite a bit in the short time they were on.
In the end, it’s a difficult and emotional film, but very much worth it. The re-watchability is off the charts, so Imma suggest you buy this rather than rent it.
Scared Stiff Rating: 9/10
