Most people would probably never think that a Hitler buddy-comedy is something they need to see and I’m fairly confident there were more than a few production executives who likely felt the same way. Honestly, it’s tough to imagine being in a pitch meeting where this idea actually went over well but, low and behold, someone finally decided to invest in the concept and here we are. Jojo Rabbit is hilarious and offensive, in a very refreshing way, but the slapstick elements of the premise don’t get in the way of the film’s surprisingly substantive and heartfelt story…definitely my kind of movie.
Writer/Director Taika Waititi has risen to prominence on the strength of his unique blending of humor and emotional depth but his talents as a filmmaker may not be on display more courageously in any of his other works. He adapted the screenplay from a little known novel, Christine Leunens’ novel Caging Skies, in which a member of the Hilter Youth discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl inside the walls of their home. Much of that basic premise was kept in place but Waititi turned it upside-down by injecting humor…and a young boy’s ridiculous, imaginary Adolf Hitler…to help guide the story and emotional cues. The script is tremendous and manages to raise some moral and intellectual questions while still having the self-awareness to indulge in the absurd nature of the idea. He is excellent in the role of imaginary Hitler and, despite the inherently offensive nature of the character, he’s incredibly fun to watch. After all, this certainly isn’t meant to be historically accurate so you may as well have fun with it but, by disarming the audience with humor, the heavier themes involving indoctrination, nationalism, and moral responsibility are able to gestate comfortably before they hatch. This may not be the kind of project that gets the New Zealander a nod for Best Director but it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility either and a definite step in that direction. The more likely scenario finds him in contention for Best Adapted Screenplay which would certainly create a world of opportunity beyond his next Thor project.
Des Hamilton put together a pretty star-studded cast but the standout performances belong to the two young actors at the center of the story, Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo and Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa…and Waititi as the idiotic Adolf. Davis took the reigns as the lead and had quite a lot on his plate. This was the 11-year-old’s first professional acting job and he was thrown right into the fire but he acquitted himself well considering the subject matter. Even though you kinda want to smack him upside the head on more than once occasion, he took on the role of Jojo with just the right amount of charm and naivete.
McKenzie sorta broke through with her role in Leave No Trace last year but this movie is getting much more buzz and she brought a lot of passion to a meatier, more mature character. She had to convey quite a bit of pain, anger, and frustration throughout the film and she did so with a fierce intensity but her understanding of the humor in the script helped flesh out a well-rounded character and provide balance to a very colorful story. It was a very strong performance from the young actress that highlighted her versatility and range.
There were some particularly enjoyable supporting performances by Sam Rockwell and Alfie Allen as a couple of disillusioned Nazi soldiers who’ve been relegated to glorified babysitting duty at the tail end of the war. Scarlett Johansson played an important role as Jojo’s mother who struggles to teach him about the realities of the war, the regime, and life while trying to conceal a few secrets of her own. I was worried about her accent becoming the dominant feature of the portrayal but it fit the timbre of the film and Johannson gave one of her more layered and heartfelt performances in recent memory (although I haven’t seen Marriage Story).
The whole thing had a definite Wes Anderson feel to it, almost like Moonrise Kingdom set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany. It’s easy to see the film was made with passion, quality, and nuance. The cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. was reverent of the period nature of the film which gave it a definite gravity down the stretch and Academy Award winner Michael Giacchino composed strong original music that captured both the warmth and freedom of childhood while still showing awareness of the surroundings and keeping an eye on tone.
The road from concept to completion must have been especially bumpy with this project but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more original World War II-era film. The critical response has been mixed but audiences have loved it, including me. When Fox Searchlight was acquired by Disney this was one of those films that were sort of in limbo so, I’m glad it still got to have its moment in the sun.
Recommendation: If you like any of Waititi’s work, there is no reason you shouldn’t like this as well. Sure, it’s meant to be offensive but there’s a lot more to it than that if you give it the chance. It’s only recently expanded its theatrical release so go catch it while you can.