Jojo Rabbit, a self-labeled anti-hate satire, is here to tell you exactly why it’s so much fun to be a Nazi – until it isn’t anymore. After his stint in the MCU as director of Thor: Ragnarok, Director Taika Waititi is back to lend his unique voice to the coming of age story of the decade as he takes us on a journey to watch 10 year old Jojo and his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler navigate the tumultuous Germany of 1944.
The film does not skip a beat, starting off by introducing Jojo to a young SS Officer training camp where he will learn everything it takes to be a Nazi; and make his hero, Hitler, proud. Waititi brings Hitler to life as the imbecile we all know and, well, hate; an imaginary best friend who offers young Jojo cigarettes in his more stressful moments and gossips about Jews like a schoolgirl before heading back home to his unicorn dinner. Waititi adds just enough humor and outrageous behavior to make his Hitler almost loveable, or at least enough for the audience to understand Jojo’s admirations.
Jojo is the picture of a perfect Aryan child; never leaving the house without his uniform, and doing whatever jobs he can to aide Germany’s fight in the war, no matter the cost. He lives at home alone with his young mother, Rosie; or so he thinks, until he stumbles upon a young Jew girl living in the walls of his apartment – a discovery that will make Jojo question everything that he has worked so hard to become.
To attempt to summarize the film beyond this description would be a disservice to anyone who will find themselves in theaters in the upcoming weeks. I went into this film knowing nothing more than what was provided by the first trailer for this film and I truly think it is best for everyone to experience this story in the same way. Thankfully, the humor in the film was not distilled to only the scenes shown in the trailer as seems to be the case with many comedies these days; but for a movie about World War II, I sure laughed out loud more than I would have expected.
To say Jojo Rabbit was an emotional rollercoaster would be an understatement, but Taika knew exactly what he wanted to say with this narrative and was spot-on with the delivery. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film that has been so genuine and true to itself from beginning to end, or that has made me go from laughing out loud to crying so quickly, and for so many different reasons.
While Waititi had every opportunity in the world to use this film to drive a greater message about the state of the world and politics today, he took the opportunity to step back and let history, and a young boy with the world at his fingertips, remind us of what is most important at the core of who we are.
An unexpectedly dark, humorous, and thought-provoking film, this movie is more than worth your open mind, open heart, and a few tissues. Boasting one of my favorite and most heartwarming endings of this year, Jojo Rabbit is here to remind us to move forward, be strong, and most importantly, to love without boundary.
Jojo Rabbit is showing now in LA, NYC, Chicago, and Austin and opens in theaters everywhere on November 8th.
Common Man's Critic 