"Jojo Rabbit" – Literary Analysis and Critique
“Jojo Rabbit” is a breathtaking Anti-hate satirical movie which is based on Christine Leunen’s novel “Caging Skies”. This 2019 movie was directed by Taika Waititi and it has received 6 nominations at the Academy Awards. It has been awarded as the best adapted screen play along with being nominated as the best motion picture at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.
This movie showcases a series of events that took place during the Second World War but unlike any usual war film, this movie sets differences from it all in quite a unique way. The plot follows a young 10-year-old boy ‘Johannes Betzler (Jojo) who's the protagonist of this film played by actor Roman Griffin Davis whose dreams are of joining Hitler’s personal guards and going off into war. As the scenes move on, Jojo finds out that his mother ‘Rosie’ (played by Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl named ‘Elsa’ ( played by Thomasin Mackenzie) in their attic. Even though he wants to expose the Jew, he knows that if he does that, his mother too will get in trouble, therefore Jojo sets up a few conditions privately with Elsa. He tells her that he will let her hide in the attic only if she helps him by giving information about the Jews for his book called ‘Yoo-hoo Jude’. As the storyline evolves, we see how Jojo gradually starts to warm up to Elsa and we see a friendship being formed between the two of them despite their stark differences.
One of the main reasons why I favor this movie is because of how this movie manages to blend politics and satire quite seamlessly. It is part drama and part satire which makes the experience quite entertaining as well. The use of satire in this film which has a complex base on the Second World War’s tragic events, needs to be applauded. The director blends humor with the dramatic and political aspects in amazing ways, one being how Jojo is shown to have an imaginary friend, who is none other than Adolf Hitler but appears in a very goofy and comical way. The intention of this movie was mainly to mock those who thought that Hitler’s rule was the best and to show the discrimination against religion and race as well.
The theme of loss of identity and innocence can be seen during these scenes where Jojo joins Hitler’s youth camp for young aspiring children wanting to join Hitler’s army, this reveals how the youth were being ideologically poisoned and brainwashed from the beginning.
Jojo gains the name of ‘Jojo Rabbit’ within this period as well. In the camp, he is selected to strangle a rabbit’s neck to show his manhood and strength but this 10-year-old who is non-athletic and innocent refuses to do so, thus he is named Jojo rabbit. This part is quite ironic because rabbits are symbolically known for being brave and facing dangers every day, thus revealing Jojo’s character in a different light perfectly as well. How these children are being ripped off of their childhood and thrust into war all for the sake of power evokes emotions within the audience too. Rosie, Jojo’s mother seems to understand this loss because whilst they are on an evening stroll she brings it out by saying that young children shouldn’t be “celebrating war or talking politics” instead they should be “climbing trees and falling out of them” which highlights how children should be living their lives but due to greed for power in humans even the most innocent are taken to be exploited.
The moments that mainly stand out in this movie to me are related to cinematography, sound, and editing all done through the guidance of the amazing director. The use of music as a way of narrating the storyline is showcased brilliantly as we hear the Beatles' song “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in German during the footage of women and men going hysterical, praising and crying for Hitler and parallels this to how crowds went wild for this music band as well and through this song we see how theme of power is showcased as Hitler was a respected and loved figure regardless of the fact that he killed millions of innocent humans and was the face of corruption.
Sceneries that bring deep meaning to the movie although it is a comedy are when Jojo and his mother find hanged people in the middle of the Town square and when Jojo questions “What did they do” Rosie answers with “What they could” and the meaning of these words are understood much later in the movie when Jojo finds his mother hung and dead at the same place. The visual motif of the mother’s shoes is quite a powerful symbol used in this scene by the director wisely to evoke emotions and through that delivers quite an emotional gut punch to the audience as it showcases the mother’s death in the end….by the camera panning to nothing but the mother’s shoes hanging in the air at the town square.
Rosie herself as a character was quite funny, and lively but also tough in regards to her ideals and the need to protect both her son and the Jewish girl from any harm. The constant showcasing of this visual motif made the audience relate the shoes to Rosie herself therefore to reveal her death only her shoes needed to be shown. Thus, the themes of unpredictability of death and loss are quite prevalent in this movie even though it is mainly a comedy.
The way in which all parts of society regardless of gender, race, and ethnicity were all shown to be suffering could be seen through the bravest character in the film that is Elsa who was passed down from family to family due to the war and ended up in Jojo’s home finally and how she stated that the first thing she would do after the war is “to dance” which makes the viewer understand the suppression and oppression of the Jewish during these times. Such moments in this film make the audience watching it experience a mixture of conflicted emotions. Though comedy is prevalent the director does not limit it to that, the emotional quotient of this film is visible when Jojo’s mother dies and when the friendship between Elsa and Jojo progresses as the film continues.
The utilization of the theme of relegation of humanity is visible through many moments but mainly when several people were hung in front of the whole town, thus showing the mercilessness of the Nazis and the Gestapo. Cleverly the director in the end makes our protagonist Jojo understand that the “glorious” image that he had in mind about war is not real and instead, it is quite brutal, destructive, and catastrophic to all. Jojo’s realization of what war really is is showcased mostly through the montages of where Jojo’s friends are shown coming back from war with decapitated limbs and bloodied souls, and also through how he witnesses the deaths of his loved ones and those around him as well in this film. The deep sense of irony causes laughter and tears which highlights how this film ‘Jojo Rabbit’ is indeed a comedy with aspects of tragedy as well that makes us realize that no war brings good to anyone.
