Jojo Rabbit

Last year on Mark Kermode’s podcast Kermode on Film, director Taika Waititi appeared as a guest. At the end of their interview, Kermode asked him what he was currently working on. The answer was met by discomfort; Waititi commented upon how Kermode’s face resembled ‘confusion and fear and disgust and doubt. A lot of doubt.’


So what was the project? The project was Jojo Rabbit. A story set during the Second World War about a young boy in the Hitler Youth who wants to be the best Nazi. The guide on this goal is his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler. You can now see why Kermode reacted in the way he did. Even Waititi conceded he understood people's misgivings, acknowledging the difficult subject matter was something he wouldn't have approached early on in his career. Risk though is attractive to Waititi. In the interview he confessed to enjoying going into each film ‘thinking it could be career-ending.’ 



Waititi has never played safe in his output. His background came in New Zealand independent cinema with Eagle Vs Shark, Boy, What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople. Here, he honed his off-beat sensibility, juxtaposing tenderness and quirkiness to cult success. With festival garlands and public approbation came Hollywood. Marvel selected him to direct Thor: Ragnarok, heralded as one the funniest films in the franchise. With low and big budget movies behind him, Waititi’s mid-budget Jojo Rabbit is his most dangerous vehicle yet. One wrong move and he's Jeremy Corbyn, a gross offender of Jewish sensibilities.   

Taika Waititi

The film is not career suicide. Waititi hasn't blown his brains out. For the most part, it’s a triumph. From the off, the satire is established through scoring Hitler montages to the sound of The Beatles ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand.’ The inference being that the collective hysteria witnessed in the 60’s was seen more devastatingly in the 30’s and 40’s. Hitler was the rock star of his day. Commanding huge audiences, he whipped crowds into a frenzy. Everyone wanted to hear his song; everyone wanted to sing the tune back. The charisma masked the deplorability. 



After the up-tempo number ends, we’re into Jojo’s (Roman Griffin Davis) room where he practices his ‘Heil’ with his imaginary friend. Whipped into zealotry he’s ready for Hitler Youth camp. Here, Nazi indoctrination is satirised by Rebel Wilson’s Fraulein Rahm whose surreal warnings on Jewish behaviour and appearance is eaten up by the children. A counterpoint to this is Sam Rockwell’s Captain Klenzendorf, a teacher at the camp, whom has all the enthusiasm for pedagogy as inbetweeners Gilbert or Derry Girl’s Sister Michael. Jojo’s day takes a bad turn when one of the instructors demands he proves his devotion by killing a rabbit. Jojo has the head for Nazism, but not the heart, and can’t bring himself to do so. He responds by trying to set the rabbit free, before running away. In turn, he’s branded ‘Jojo Rabbit’ for his cowardice.

After this debacle, Jojo does his all to prove himself to Mein Fuhrer. To show that he is the best ten-year-old Nazi out there. The cartoonish Adolf (Taiki Waititi) tells Jojo to re-appropriate his nickname, turning it from a slur to an honour. A rabbit he argues is a survivor that through subterfuge and cunning avoids enemy detection. With the wind back in his sail, Jojo runs back into camp, only to incapacitate himself in a hilarious accident.


Whilst convalescing at home, Jojo hears a sound that gets his attention. Upstairs, behind a wall, lies a rabbit hole. Hiding in it is Elsa (Thomasin Mckenzie), a Jewish girl. Jojo is horrified. Through his miseducation, he’s been taught that ‘the Jew’ is the devil incarnate. They are the video nasty stuff of nightmare and curses. Monsters from the underworld, bred by Hades and Satan. The term sub-human does not even apply. There’s not a trace of human in them. They are invaders, interlopers, who require extermination. Of course, Jojo’s feelings change over time, which causes confusion in his relationship with Adolf.

Jojo and Elsa

Other than Jojo’s relationship with Adolf and Elsa is the one with his mother, Rosie. Known more for her dramatic roles, Scarlett Johansson has never been funnier. She imbues in her character a wonderful sense of warmth and wit, contrasting against the hate and lies of National Socialism. An example of this is when Jojo considers leaving the house after his injury; he doesn’t want people to laugh at his scars – his mum’s response:

Enjoy the attention, kid. Not everyone’s lucky enough to look stupid. I for one am cursed to look incredibly attractive. Now, we’re going to pluck up your courage, walk out that door, and have an incredible adventure. Okay?  

Even in the face of barbarity and violence, his mum has an artistic lightness that the ‘facts’ of Nazism cannot touch. She wants her little boy to have a free imagination, away from the power-grab of Hitler Youth camps. She fears the Fuhrer’s reach has more parental influence than her own, confiding to Elsa that 'Jojo is a fanatic. It took him three weeks to get over his grandfather was not blond’ yet she hopes and prays that underneath the fake news of Goebbels propaganda, there is a ‘a little boy who loves to play, and runs stupid because he’s scared of thunder, and thinks he invented chocolate cake.’ Her lament for innocence is Waititi’s: the film is about the loss of it, the rediscovery of it.

Johansson in fine form.

For me, the film isn’t a complete triumph though. Waititi is known for spending months editing his movies, in order to get the balance right between light and shade. In this film, he said that was particularly important. Towards the end of the picture, some of the horror is lost by the over-layering of absurdity. If he just pulled back, trusted his way with drama, this wouldn’t have been so jarring. Despite this, I had a lump in my throat for the closing moments. A different pop choice bookends the movie, and just like The Beatles proves inspired.


Jojo Rabbit has divided the critics. There’s been one and five-star reviews. Some commentators don’t feel Waititi has gone far enough with his satire, neglecting to communicate the true horror of Nazism. I feel there are those moments; it’s just Waititi could have lingered on them longer. As far as my review goes, Jojo Rabbit is a brave step by a truly original filmmaker. It’s a ‘Fuck off’ to Hitler and leaders who divide us. In a climate of hate it’s a warning against idolatry, and a reminder that sometimes cowardice is courage. It’s worth your time.


Jojo Rabbit is out in cinemas now.