'Jojo Rabbit' stands as a creative, thought-provoking example of the power of childlike wonder in the face of terrible forces. It’s funny, poignant, and unfortunately, more relevant than ever. anneesthercohen writes.
, the film follows the travails of 10-year-old Johannes “Jojo “ Betzler , a committed member of the Hitler Youth whose fanatic endorsement of the Nazi cause is put to the test when he realizes his mother is hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa
in their house. To make matters even more fraught, Jojo’s imaginary friend is none other than Adolf Hitler himself, parodied with zestful relish by Waititi. As Jojo gets to know Elsa, under the guise of using her as a source for his side project, a book about identifying Jews called “Yoo Hoo Jew,” his dogmatic views come into conflict with his increasingly heartfelt feelings.
That moment foreshadows a showdown with Elsa later in the film. “You’re not a Nazi Jojo,” she tells him. “You’re a 10-year-old kid who likes dressing up in a fancy uniform and wants to be part of a club.” Unfortunately, for Jojo and his ilk, the realities of war don’t make exceptions for kids with overactive imaginations.
Empathizing with a budding anti-Semite is a big ask of an audience, but Waititi mostly pulls off a difficult balancing act between fantasy and the much darker realities of living under an authoritarian dictatorship. Like Brooks, he constructs a whimsical version of the terrifying regime, with flourishes straight out of a Wes Anderson film. Cinematographer Mihai Malaimare frames his shots in fairy-tale color.
That optimism doesn’t always work. Klenzendorf, for example, gets off a little too easily, as does Jojo himself. The fact is that many young people did not give up their hateful beliefs — a reality that led to the unprecedented carnage wrought by the Nazi regime. But overall,stands as a creative, thought-provoking example of the power of childlike wonder in the face of terrible forces. It’s funny, poignant, and unfortunately, more relevant than ever.
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