Jojo Rabbit - Review
Director: Taika Waititi
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Roman Griffin Davis, Taika Waititi, Thomasin McKenzie, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Stephan Merchant, Alfie Allen
Jojo (Davis), a young boy living in Nazi Germany, is committed to joining the Hitler youth and confides all of his ambitions, woes and insecurities in his imaginary best friend - Hitler himself (Waititi). When he discovers that his single mother Rosie (Johansson) has been hiding a Jewish girl in the attic, Jojo is forced to confront his blind nationalism.
Perhaps his bravest, and definitely his most audacious, effort to date, writer-director Taika Waititi tackles the most unsympathetic and unhumourous group of people in history - the Nazis. A comedy about their actions seems unfathomable, but the framing of their crimes and mentality is done so in such plain terms that the sheer ridiculousness of it all prevails and successfully satirises the atrocity.
Every Nazi defends the cause or espouses their beliefs with such feeble logic that they are immediately rendered laughable and incompetent. Gestapo chief Deertz (Merchant) tries to put the rumour to rest that Hitler only has one testicle by positing that he in fact has four whilst Captain Klenzendorf (Rockwell) and Fräulein Rahm (Wilson) make the young boys and girls aware of their duties that they must enact during the war - the boys must fight valiantly to serve their country whereas the girls are expected to nurse the wounded and get pregnant. This approach to the subject matter makes for a shrewd comedy but means that the moments designed to rouse emotion fail to pack the intended punch.
We learn that Jojo's father is supposedly serving on the Italian Front (although the boy's taunters suspect that he has deserted the war) and has not been in contact with his son or the family for two years. Seeking a father figure and a sense of belonging to assuage his loneliness and uncertainty in confusing times, Jojo turns to his imaginary friend to find comfort and support. Waititi's previous films Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople both explore this theme of absent parental figures and the effect that it has on the child left behind. Although there are more pressing and explicit messages that Waititi pushes, it's this one that emerges as the most bittersweet and personal of the filmmaker's.
This facet of the film is so effective largely due to Roman Griffin Davis' standout performance as the titular character. Making his acting debut, Davis gives one of the best performances by a child actor in recent memory, utterly convincing us of Jojo's naiveté as he attempts to make sense of his circumstances in the best way he can amidst the absurdity.
Waititi's Jojo Rabbit may never be brave enough to swing for the grand moments of emotion, but what it does manage to achieve is a warm and sincere depiction of the power of love and positivity in the face of oppression.
EB
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Roman Griffin Davis, Taika Waititi, Thomasin McKenzie, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Stephan Merchant, Alfie Allen
Perhaps his bravest, and definitely his most audacious, effort to date, writer-director Taika Waititi tackles the most unsympathetic and unhumourous group of people in history - the Nazis. A comedy about their actions seems unfathomable, but the framing of their crimes and mentality is done so in such plain terms that the sheer ridiculousness of it all prevails and successfully satirises the atrocity.
Every Nazi defends the cause or espouses their beliefs with such feeble logic that they are immediately rendered laughable and incompetent. Gestapo chief Deertz (Merchant) tries to put the rumour to rest that Hitler only has one testicle by positing that he in fact has four whilst Captain Klenzendorf (Rockwell) and Fräulein Rahm (Wilson) make the young boys and girls aware of their duties that they must enact during the war - the boys must fight valiantly to serve their country whereas the girls are expected to nurse the wounded and get pregnant. This approach to the subject matter makes for a shrewd comedy but means that the moments designed to rouse emotion fail to pack the intended punch.
We learn that Jojo's father is supposedly serving on the Italian Front (although the boy's taunters suspect that he has deserted the war) and has not been in contact with his son or the family for two years. Seeking a father figure and a sense of belonging to assuage his loneliness and uncertainty in confusing times, Jojo turns to his imaginary friend to find comfort and support. Waititi's previous films Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople both explore this theme of absent parental figures and the effect that it has on the child left behind. Although there are more pressing and explicit messages that Waititi pushes, it's this one that emerges as the most bittersweet and personal of the filmmaker's.
This facet of the film is so effective largely due to Roman Griffin Davis' standout performance as the titular character. Making his acting debut, Davis gives one of the best performances by a child actor in recent memory, utterly convincing us of Jojo's naiveté as he attempts to make sense of his circumstances in the best way he can amidst the absurdity.
Waititi's Jojo Rabbit may never be brave enough to swing for the grand moments of emotion, but what it does manage to achieve is a warm and sincere depiction of the power of love and positivity in the face of oppression.
EB
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