JoJo Rabbit (2019)- BFI London Film Festival 2019

Review

108min

Genre:     Comedy, Drama, War

Director:  Taika Waititi

Cast:       Roman Griffin Davis, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi… more

Writers:   Taika Waititi and Christine Leunens

-Synopsis-

In the final days of Nazi Germany, a young boy deals with childhood strife and his struggles in the Hitler youth by turning to his imaginary friend and constant companion—Adolf himself. But things take a turn when he discover his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their house, with whom he forms a bond which challenges the lies he has been fed, forcing him to trust in his own conscience and reject a regime of hate on its last legs, in this comedic adaptation of the Christine Leunens novel.

Nazism, the Holocaust, the ‘Third Reich’ and Adolf Hitler, topics not typically broached with farcical comedy, particularly in the age of trigger warnings and safe spaces, and something largely confined to the annals of Hollywood history with Jewish comedy giants like Chaplin and Brooks, and occasionally dusted off for TV by the fearless likes of ‘South Park’ creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Now after introducing the Kiwi sense of humour to the world and then gloriously splattering it onto the biggest cinematic canvas with his Marvel contributions, and armed with Leunens’ 2008 novel ‘Caging Skies’ introduced to him by his Jewish mother—Taika Waititi revamps a poignant message of humanity into a stylish and hilarious yet tender middle finger to fascism and totalitarianism.

Roman Griffin Davis stars as young ‘Jojo’, a dedicated little Nazi but an outsider who struggles in the Hitler youth under the command of the jaded ‘Captain Klenzendorf’ (Sam Rockwell), living with his caring and gregarious but mysterious mother ‘Rosie’ (Scarlett Johansson), while confiding in his constant companion and imaginary friend ‘Adolf’ (Taika Waititi), who gives him reckless fascist advice with gusto at every turn. But when he discovers young Jewish refugee ‘Elsa’ (Thomasin McKenzie) hiding in his house and they slowly form a tentative and educational bond, all his absurd perceptions are challenged and his indoctrination undone, as the sobering truth comes to roost and they struggle to survive the demise of the Third Reich.

If you’re a fan of Waititi’s work or are familiar with any of it, you should know what to expect from ‘Jojo Rabbit’, and in spite of the subject matter here, or perhaps because of it, he refuses to tone down his signature silliness and inherent quirkiness, or as some people feel more comfortable characterising it, not “taking it seriously”. But of course if you look beneath the film’s veneer, and your own preconceptions of what is acceptable or offensive, he does take it seriously, while also not . . . and that’s the point.

Despite the copious comedy and larking around with reckless abandon, Waititi does deal with the issues which define this self-professed anti-hate satire. By staring demagoguery, indoctrination, scapegoating, discrimination and dehumanisation square in the face—the face of regular, respectable German civilians drawn into a toxic ideology—Waititi is not only commenting on history but drawing parallels with the rise of nationalism and the normalising of overt racism in everyday Western society today . . . almost as if we fail to learn from the mistakes of the past and are doomed to repeat them.

Yet for all the moments of genuine poignancy and reflection—and there are a few in the tender mother/son story, and within the trinity of humanity at heart of the film, beautifully embodied by performances from Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie and Scarlett Johansson—no one is surely coming to a Taika Waititi creation to see it wallow in pathos, but rather revel in quirky characters and epic silliness. And ‘Jojo Rabbit’ delivers by the bucketload, proving that his brand of absurdist and idiosyncratic observational comedy translates seamlessly from genre comedy to period film World War II drama, a transition which unsurprisingly adds a certain edge.

But of course it isn’t diminishing the crimes of the Nazis, quite the contrary, Waititi is following in a long tradition of cutting tyrants down to size the only way entertainers and artists really can, by ridiculing them, framing Hitler as an absurd imaginary friend and Nazi guide who appears as a manifestation of indoctrination and hate, borne out of childhood trauma and fear—taking full advantage both as every demagogue does. And it’s a morbid irony that thanks to Waititi’s own outrageous and unforgettable performance, the film is at its most delightful when Adolf takes the stage, appearing at all the wrong times and places to deliver the worst pearls of wisdom imaginable, as the director delivers his brand of silly goose comedy with charismatic reckless abandon like only he can.

Indeed all the principal stars get their time in the comedy sun, helping to make Waititi’s dialogue come to life, especially young British newcomer Roman Griffin Davis as the eponymous rabbit himself, son of Marvel’s go-to cinematographer Ben Davis (Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel) and a young star in the making. Meanwhile the supporting stars also prop up the bountiful comedy, in particular the two standout hapless Nazis Sam Rockwell as the indifferent washed up captain with a heart, and Rebel Wilson as the blunt and overzealous Fraulein.

The film really looks and sounds the part too, brightly shot by cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. (The Master, Nina) who captures the colourful aesthetics and production designs which re-create the period with a certain flair, shooting for something in the region of a Wes Anderson piece. Meanwhile the normally uber-prolific Michael Giacchino gives us only the second of his two original feature scores for this year, after ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’, blending whimsical themes with poignant and dramatic ones to further energise this unique creation—combining seamlessly with German versions of recognisable pop and rock classics . . . from the artists themselves.

The early mixed and lukewarm critical reception to the film in the press and on social media is curious, but hardly surprising. But to those who have decided that you cannot ridicule Nazism and the Third Reich with whimsy, levity and silliness, we suggest they direct their attention to a certain Mr. Mel Brooks for their next cancellation frenzy, or maybe they just don’t think there are enough musical numbers in Waititi’s work.

Ultimately what you take from ‘JoJo Rabbit’ may depend on what you bring into it, particularly in terms of socio-political and ideological leanings, hence the criticism that the film is too tame or doesn’t go far enough in depicting the horror of the Third Reich like a historical drama. It’s almost as if these critics had never seen the director’s work, or presume that his approach will change completely to fit the subject matter. But this isn’t a film by Charlie Chaplin, or some fearless master satirist like Chris Morris or Armando Iannucci, this is a film by Taika Waititi—a graduate of the gloriously idiosyncratic, silly goose school of filmmaking . . . and that’s just fine with us.

The Bottom Line…

A stylish, hilarious, bold, silly goose satirical screwball takedown of fascism and the Third Reich, with a measure of pathos and an abundance of panache, Taika Waititi’s anti-hate satire might not boast excessive edge but it has plenty of heart, packed with memorable characters and outrageous dialogue, daring to say what it wants to say the way it wants to say it, and at a precarious time to do so, securing yet another win for the singular Kiwi raconteur.

‘Jojo Rabbit’ is out on the 18th of October in the US, and on the 3rd of January 2020 in UK cinemas.

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