A young boy in Hitler’s army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.
Just when you think the bad elements of a movie can make it totally uninteresting, this one comes around and proves you absolutely wrong. “Jojo Rabbit,” based on the book ‘Caging Skies’ by Christine Leunens, is a film that captures the essence of bullying and the innocence of youth in a hilarious and comical look at the imperfection of biases.
Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) is a young German lad who is a proven “Momma’s boy” who is ill-equipped to handle an initiation process at a Nazi Camp that will make him a better person, a better man, a tough little soldier boy. His mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), who is ill-equipped to fill in for his absent father, is so busy trying to fend for the two that she doesn’t have the time to properly raise Jojo into the man he should be. What she does have time for is being a passionate human being who shows compassion for the underdog in spite of her limited resources.
When Jojo fails to prove to his camp leaders that he has the power to kill and destroy a rabbit on command, he becomes an outcast of the group and is given the nickname Jojo Rabbit. While his mother tries to assure him that it is okay not to be that powerful, he has to live with the bullying that comes as a result of it. After a long, lonely day of reflection at the house by himself, Jojo hears a noise and discovers a young Jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), in the basement who his mother has been hiding away. Sworn to secrecy by the young girl to not let his mother in on his discovery, Jojo is both taunted and entertained by the young adolescent who is a lot smarter than Jojo can fathom. The two forge an unlikely relationship whereas Jojo, who has been told he should hate Jews, goes through a period of rediscovery as he develops a fondness for Elsa that he can’t quite explain. Elsa, who taunts him daily, also reaches a form of self-discovery where she becomes passionate about the boy who doesn’t understand why she is supposed to be the enemy.
Director Taika Waititi does an excellent job in the telling of this coming-of-age story that shows the stronghold of biases, the lingering impact of broken homes, and the robbed innocence of youth. While the cast is complete with a wealth of characters including Rebel Wilson, the most hilarious role in this movie goes to the ever-present Adolph Hitler (Waititi), whose relationship with Little Jojo is one of utter chaos. While he is not visible to the world around him, Hitler in human form is always present to guide and taunt Jojo as well as get him to realize that he shouldn’t take life so seriously and that he still has value in spite of his circumstances. This movie offers a wealth of emotions on social norms as well as a prolific look at the unequivocal power of love and devotion. For a humorous and telling look at the dark side of human bias, don’t miss it!
In Theaters Friday, November 1st
