Jojo Rabbit (Review)

Jojo Rabbit is the Must-See Movie of 2019!

I hate to say it, but Jojo Rabbit might just be the most important movie of 2019. Not because it’s bad, but because it’s absurd that we have to remind people, once again, that racism (and intolerance in general) is bad. Director/writer Taika Waititi creates a tale that embraces the fact that no one is born racist (or in this case a Nazi) and that given a chance, love can always triumph over hate. The end result is a film that tackles one of the darkest times in modern history with such absurdity that it succeeds in turning Nazis into what they literally are, a joke. A stupid, pathetic joke. Their cause though was anything but and something to be taken very seriously so that it can be squashed immediately whenever it tries to raise its ugly head again in the future.

Jojo Rabbit is a movie about the most adorable Nazi that ever lived. Jojo (newcomer Roman Griffin Davis) is a fanatical little boy obsessed with joining the Third Reich and becoming Hitler’s BFF. So much so, that he’s even created his own imaginary version of the Führer (Waititi) to be his best friend. He blindly follows Nazi ideology, especially when it comes to their ridiculous perceptions of Jews (he believes they have horns and read minds among other things). His mother (Scarlett Johansson) doesn’t share his same blind loyalty to the cause and tries to steer her son towards being a normal 10 year old rather than trying to grow up so quickly. Jojo though will hear nothing of it and is determined to be a good little Nazi. That is until he actually encounters a Jewish girl named Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) that his mother is hiding in the walls of their home. Faced with a real live Jew, Jojo is forced to realize that everything he’s been told has been nothing but lies.

First and foremost, Jojo Rabbit is hilarious. Then again, that’s to be expected from Waititi (who became a mainstream name with Thor: Ragnarok). He’s always had an incredible sense of humor and uses that to get to the heart of his stories. With Jojo Rabbit he’s faced with the difficult task of making something funny that most certainly is no laughing matter. However, his method of absurdist humor is more about exposing just how ridiculous and ignorant intolerance is rather than trying to make light of the events themselves. The main Nazis in the film, played by Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, and Alfie Allen, are spectacular idiots. Wilson pulls out all the stops when it comes to spouting off nonsensical “facts” about Jews, driving home the complete idiocy behind the rational. Rockwell (who has made a career out of playing incredible racists recently) seems more interested in the war itself than the ideologies of Hitler and simply nods along while rolling his eyes the whole time. This brings us to the most important part of the film as a whole.

The key take away from Jojo Rabbit is that Jojo is not a Nazi. He’s a scared little boy that likes dressing up and wants to be part of a group. With that revelation, Waititi gets to the heart of racism. No one is born hating anyone else. They’re taught what to hate and fear by those they believe they should be able to trust and respect. Hatred is something that is forced on someone so much that they can’t help but start to believe it themselves after a while. Jojo starts off wholeheartedly believing that Jews are evil incarnate and Hitler is the best thing since strudel because that’s the message he’s been force-fed by Nazi propaganda. Given a chance to think for himself and have experiences with an actual Jew he’s able to see through all the lies. Sure, it takes him some time, but racism isn’t something that’s created overnight and it certainly won’t be eliminated that way. Waititi’s cure for this epidemic is good old fashioned curiosity. Taking the time to learn more about the ones that we supposedly hate will reveal that they’re just like us. This message though is never spoken aloud, instead, he shows us how even a child can realize just how stupid he’s been when he takes a chance and opens his mind. 

I have to salute Waititi on the casting in Jojo Rabbit. Every single actor is absolutely perfect in their role. Roman Griffin Davis manages to capture all the wonder and innocence that the character needs in order to truly grow as the story unfolds. However, it’s Scarlett Johansson who is absolutely spectacular as his character’s mother. She embodies everything a good mother should be from her patience to her unconditional love for her son and lights up every scene she is in. It’s easily one of my favorite performances from her. Johansson is matched though by McKenzie as Elsa, who had the most difficult role in the film. Her job is to win over the fanatical little Jojo and she does so perfectly. Hell, it’s hard not to have a bit of a crush on her character by the end of it. She’s smart, sarcastic, and willing to play into Jojo’s expectations in order to expose just how illogical they are. Jojo Rabbit is filled with brilliant performances, and I could sit here going praising each character all day.

Simply put Jojo Rabbit is a must-see movie. It delicately handles its message, filtering it through humor to make it easy to swallow and accept (not that the idea that Nazis suck is that hard to believe). Its strength comes from the fact that so many of its absurd points are funny because they are true. The result is a beautiful coming of age story about a boy that learns that the best way to become a good man is to be a child for as long as you can. I loved every minute of this film and while it was “laugh out loud” the whole way through, it packs serious emotional punches as well. Jojo Rabbit is a movie with heart and that is exactly what we need these days. If you haven’t seen it, don’t wait. It’s one of the best comedies of the year and might even be one of the best movies of the year overall.