Jojo Rabbit - Review

Release Date:  October 18, 2019​​​​​​​​​

Child Nazi Camp

Jojo Rabbit is probably one of the most divisive films of the year. Sure, it doesn't have the internet hate mob stirred up, but its critical reception clashes with general audiences. In the face of every major news outlet giving it a rotten tomato, it still won the highest award at TIFF. The People's Choice Award is legendary for predicting Best Picture winners and nominees at the Oscars. Having seen the film, I understand why critics don't like it and why audiences do.

The first thing I noticed when watching Jojo Rabbit was how colorful it was. It had an unusually vibrant presentation throughout that never went away. It's a choice that stems from good intentions as the director, Taika Waititi, says that Germany was a beautiful place at the time. Germans were into the latest fashion and believed that it was an aspect of the future they were aspiring to achieve. In this context, he captured that perspective of the period, but it still comes with some problems. The movie never juxtaposes the bright with the dark reality of war, a setting that does come knocking on the main character's door. For some reason, the horror of fighting on the front lines wasn't taken seriously. 

This complaint of the laissez faire attitude spreads throughout the film and is felt in every scene. There is a distinct lack of proactive action; each character seems to have an aspect about them to lend itself to comedy while betraying the truth of the situation. The attempt to make light of atrocities only works when done in satire, think The Great Dictator from Charlie Chaplin. Where Waititi gets it wrong is making it a Dramedy that pretends to have a message. It's a situation where the intention is well-meaning but didn't translate to action. 

The main character, Jojo, doesn't have a moment where he casts off his Nazi fanaticism because it's wrong. Everyone around him except for two people encourages his behavior, pressing him to continue in blind faith. He is given a pass, even though he is a Nazi. That's where all of the critics have their hangups. It gives an out to people for their terrible behavior with no repercussions.

The reason that general audiences like the film is because of the lighthearted mood that rarely falters. The movie's ability to make jokes and keep them going is spectacular. Some gags show up at the beginning of the picture and only come back at the very end. Dialogue is excellent as reasoning for characters' actions are contextualized in little quips that cue the viewer into the hilarity of the situation. It all works due to the cast's great performances.

The obvious standout is Scarlett Johansson, who plays Jojo's mother. I say obvious since she is one of the only actors whose roles are not solely used for comedic effect. Though, Sam Rockwell is a delight as the ineffective German general. The last person to make an impression was Thomasin McKenzie, who plays the Jewish girl. She does a great job being sarcastic and lending the story some humanity. 

The strength of Jojo Rabbit comes from how much it can make you laugh. There is plenty of fun to be had while watching it, but when the credits roll, there are some severe insinuations that the movie makes. These problems didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying myself, but they are unavoidable. I also want to make clear that even without the pressing issues at the end, there are still other problems in the rest of the film. I would advise that you go into the movie ready to laugh, but understand that being a Nazi is not ok.

6.5/10
Its extremely enjoyable and simultaneously misses the mark