Dir. Taika Waititi
I love Taika Waiti as much as any rational person should but when I heard that his next movie was about a 10 year old in the Nazi Youth whose imaginary friend is Hitler, I was a bit worried as to the outcome. But in the hands of a great writer and director, that concerning storyline becomes the absolutely incredible movie now playing in theaters. The guy next to me cried (profusely) at my first viewing, and at my second viewing it was introduced by a theater employee who said he’d seen it the night before and hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. It’s the first movie I’ve been in since Avengers: Endgame to get a round of applause in the theater. It’s that good.
To state the obvious, this movie is hysterical. The laughs were so loud in my first showing, I caught a bunch of new lines the second time that had been drowned out. The comedy is also very varied which keeps it feeling fresh; while a large majority of the jokes are at the expense of the Nazis or Hitler, a lot of it is rooted in relatable family dynamics. Despite the fantastical trappings of Taika’s oafish Adolf, most of the movie’s humor is rooted in the inherent ridiculousness of child soldiers and their inability to be violent actors in a world they don’t yet understand.
While the movie is fairly insulated from the carnage of WWII and the Holocaust, their threat looms over the whole movie. Our protagonist, Jojo, sees the war as glorious and is excited for his chance to join the effort and eventually become a member of Hitler’s personal guard. But after discovering that his mother is hiding a Jewish refugee named Elsa in their home, the rose colored glasses are removed and he finally learns of the real human cost of the Nazi regime.
In light of the mostly awful trend of movies wherein an accomplished racist makes a Black friend and then learns Black people are people, this movie avoided some of the predictable stumbling blocks. While Jojo is very much a fanatic, his youth plays in the film’s favor. He does truly believe terrible things about Jewish people but because his youth and naivete have been abused, you forgive him for some of the awful or hurtful things he says. And unlike most “be nice to racists until they’re not racist anymore” movies, he is routinely called out by Elsa- there are consequences for the things he says. Additionally, most of the adults and even the older teens are shown as pretty thoroughly believing the violent rhetoric and hate speech against Jewish people. They are old enough to know better and make up their own minds yet most of them choose to believe in hate. This line drawn between a vulnerable child and a willingly hateful adult sets it apart from Green Book and The Best of Enemies type movies.
Jojo is magnificently played by Roman Griffin Davis in what is, shockingly, his first ever acting role. Jojo has such wonderful depth- he’s a sweet kid who loves his mom, cares about his friends, but admires a revolting man because that’s what society has told him to do. There are points in the movie where you just want to yell at him but you’re also aware of his enormous potential for growth. Roman is just one of a wealth of impressive performances in this movie. Scarlett Johansson does an absolutely charming turn as his quirky mother Rosie, who is struggling to do the right thing while her own son becomes someone she doesn’t recognize. This is the most I have ever liked her in a movie. Ever. Thomasin Mackenzie plays Elsa, the Jewish girl being hidden by Rosie, and she feels excellently well-realized and her relationship with Jojo grows naturally from its tumultuous beginnings to one of the most heartwarming relationships in a movie I’ve seen all year.
Sam Rockwell plays an injured captain who is demoted to the head of youth training and the local recruitment office. Captain Klenzendorf is a fascinating character who seems generally bereft about no longer being on the front lines but is simultaneously tired of the failing war effort. He does have a heart but he hides it deep beneath his gruff demeanor and perpetual flask. And while those performances are great, nobody steals the show as much as Archie Yates who plays Jojo’s best friend, Yorki. Yorki (and the adorable hugs him and Jojo exchange during their various reunions) is so cute, it’s almost gross. There were audible awws in the audience whenever he was on screen that could be heard when there wasn’t laughing at his excellently timed jokes.
Yet the heart of this movie lies in the relationships it develops. Jojo and his mom. Jojo and Elsa. Jojo and Yorki. Jojo and imaginary Hitler. Jojo is a great starting point but it’s his relationships with other characters that allow him to grow throughout the course of the film. The movie’s ending is bittersweet but there were happy tears in my eyes as the credits rolled. I can name several movies that made me cry this year but I can’t think of any that made me cry because I was so genuinely pleased for where the characters ended up. (Maybe The Farewell, which is excellent but also comes with a side of “I don’t call my grandma enough” guilt.) And set against the backdrop of one of the worst human atrocities in history, this simple happiness feels all the more beautiful.
This is a fantastic film that I can’t praise enough. It is not playing nationwide yet but if it’s playing in a theater near you, go. Go now. The only time my attention wasn’t entirely held by the movie was when I had to resist the urge to look at my phone to check the time because I was scared that the movie was ending soon. Jojo Rabbit is an excellent mix of fun, comedic, and heart-felt while also being gorgeous to look at, well-acted, and well-directed. I’m confident in a few years, a Jojo Rabbit poster on the dorm wall be the new “Hi, I’m a film student” flag.