Bringing us many amazing movies such as Thor: Ragnarok and Two Cars, One Night, Taika Waititi has yet again directed a film that will put others to shame. His new film, “Jojo Rabbit,” is centered around a 10-year-old Nazi named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) following him on a journey through life during World War Two.   

Jojo lives in Germany with his caring mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson). He has become a new member of the Hitler Youth and plans on becoming a part of Hitler’s personal guard one day. However, a mishap with a grenade during training leaves him with scars and a slight limp. After being demoted by the incident, his mother convinces Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell) to make her son feel included despite his injuries. His main duty is spreading Nazi propaganda. 

Jojo returns home from his duties one day only to find out that a Jewish girl, Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie), had been living in his home. When he first found out, he despised the girl as he was taught to hate the Jewish people because of their unholy characteristics such as horns and their ability to read minds. However, over the length of the film, the two begin to warm up to one another and build a relationship.

The first aspect of the film that caught my eye was Jojo’s imaginary friend, a childish version of Hitler (Taika Waititi). This energetic character brought the tragic event into a new light under his comical remarks and actions. He provided the viewers with all sorts of comical actions ranging from him jumping out a window, to eating a unicorn head. Though the character did hold back Jojo from making his own decisions in life, he played a major role in building up Jojo’s character development. Without this comical version of Hitler, the movie would have been a total flop.

Jojo Rabbit didn’t solely rely on comical scenes alone. The film also interpreted the perfect balanced amount of drama as well. One scene that caught my attention was when Jojo found his mother dead in the town square. This scene caught me off guard because before this we saw Jojo happily skipping down the street. The boy looked up to see what traitors the Nazis found for that day only to find his mother within the few that had been caught. He wrapped his arms around the limp body of his now-dead mother, which caused quite a few tears within the audience. Scenes like these keep the audience intrigued and on the edge of their seats as they wait for what will happen next. 

The last aspect of the film I would have to applaud was the interpretation of each character within the film. They applied each individual character to a single aspect of WWII itself. Jojo is meant to represent the Nazis within the war that realized what they were doing was wrong and the changes in their ways. Rosie represented those who, from the start, didn’t agree with what the Nazis were doing and the people who did everything in their power to slow down the progression of the war. Those are only the most noticeable aspects of the film.

Jojo Rabbit has already received numerous awards such as the Grolsch People’s Choice award from the Toronto International film festival and two from the Hollywood Film Awards. The film is also in the process of receiving yet another award, the Best Original Score in a Feature Film award from Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

Overall, Jojo Rabbit provides the audience with a comical view of WWII while also depicting the tragedies that were brought upon both sides of the war. The plot was executed very well, keeping the viewers intrigued with the plot while keeping them entertained with the comical aspects. The film shows the audience that it’s possible to change your ways for the greater good and that you have the power to make your own decisions in life. The film is a great pick for anyone who enjoys not only drama but comical twists as well.

5/5