Jojo Rabbit movie review rating: Four stars out of five
Down with hate, hail cinema! Now this is what I call a big screen movie experience!
Jojo Rabbit is my favourite film of 2019 by a long shot, it has the parallel vibes of the comic-satire drama Life Is Beautiful (1997) and a re-imagined contrast to Spielberg’s beautiful black and white classic Schindler’s List (1993).I like it better than the deliciously biting Korean social drama Parasite, the World War I buddy drama 1917, the controversial Joker and other esteemed Oscar 2020 nominated movies and that is saying something.
Clearly, the best movies do not win as many deserving awards as much as they win hearts.
The nature of propaganda
It is amazing how the makers cheerfully showcase the devastating effects of propaganda. Filtering down hatred to children in organized camps, could have been a chilling depiction. Instead in the hands of director-actor Taika Waititi, it becomes an hilarious take on the absurdity of hate.
The beautiful symbolism of dance as a celebration amidst darkness is another lovely tip to life, living and celebration. The colour palettes remind one of Wes Anderson movies, but Waititi is not going for symmetry, cuteness and texture. How objects and footwear tell stories is effective both in foreshadowing and in heartbreaking telling of a death.
How Jews are demonized in the guise of education is an echo across generations of prejudice. How Jews are shown to have horns in their head, and that they look ugly and horrific, is part of the propaganda. As a counter, painting, art and poetry is showcased as the beauty of living, as resistance against Hitler’s Germany.
Johannes “Jojo” Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) is a 10-year-old kid growing up in Nazi Germany during World War II, a spirited member of the local Hitler Youth Camp, with his mother (Scarlett Johansson), while his father is away, fighting the war in Italy.
Jojo tags along with an imaginary friend going by the name of a certain Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). His cheerful mother awaits his father’s return and Jojo is filled with Nazi propaganda of why Jews aren’t human and have horns. Things come to a boil when the young boy discovers a young Jew girl Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) hiding in his house. Will Jojo be faithful to his demi-god Hitler or let the girl live?
Hilarious with bite
Taika Waititi’s brilliant and wacky fun screenplay brings home the absurdity of war and hatred in almost every frame. When an unexpected tragedy soaks up the light proceedings, Jojo Rabbit becomes pure cinema, showing how hate is like acid, eating away at the human heart, affecting simple, normal, brave lives forever.
Superb performances, great direction
The entire cast is in great form, the Jojo-Hitler, Jojo-Elsa interplay is deftly balanced, and the dialogues are funny jazz – the German Shepherd one, the one about blind fanaticism, the multiple “Heil Hitler!” moment, the planned book on Jews, are just few of the superb writing instances. The initial youth camp scenes are especially hilarious gems, Sam Rockwell deserves special mention for his cameo as Captain Klenzendorf, the Hitler Youth Camp leader.
If you are a cinema lover, Jojo Rabbit is a gem best seen on the big screen. I left the theater with a ballooned up heart, both forlorn and uplifted by Waititi’s intent. One of the best movies of the decade.
