By ABBY GROFF
Staff Writer
Jojo Rabbit (2019) directed by Taika Watiti is one of my favorite films of all time, despite its very recent debut. It is a dark-humored, anti-hate satire taking place during the events of World War II in Germany. Quite obviously you can tell where this is going.
The movie’s protagonist is Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), a ten year-old boy whose main goal in life is to one day serve his country in the name of Adolf Hitler. His blind fanaticism and loyalty is put to the test when he finds a Jewish girl hidden in his walls by his own mother. While he deals with internal struggles, his imaginary friend, Hitler himself (Taika Watiti), accompanies him along the way. After Jojo is injured at a Hitler Youth camp, he is forced to spend more time at home where he makes his discovery. As time passes, he learns that everything he’s been told was a lie and there is no reason to fear a person based on their religion. He gets close with the young girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), and tries his best to keep her presence a secret in order to protect his mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson).
The movie overall has an amazing message while also being very educational. It’s rated PG-13, but can be enjoyed by everyone so long as younger audiences have a parent or guardian around. Because of the film’s setting, it definitely allows for viewers to gain insight on what living in Germany was like during WWII, especially from the perspective of Germans themselves. Its comedic tone makes for some very funny and satirical jokes about the absurdity surrounding Nazis in that era.
Personally I cannot think of any flaws in this movie. The music choices, the cinematography, and the performances given to us by young Roman Griffin Davis and Scarlett Johansson were amazing. There was never a moment where I was bored watching this film. Some of the scenes remind me of movies directed by Wes Anderson (my favorite director), where the shots are crazy symmetrical and eye-candy to look at. The character development in the story is realistic, and watching Jojo break free from his previous hateful ideologies is refreshing. I’d rate Jojo Rabbit an astonishing 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend it if you enjoy a good comedic satire, but are still looking for a film to tug at your heartstrings.