Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Written by Filipe Manuel Neto on May 1, 2024

For those who like satirical films, this film is a must-see.

I saw this film a few months ago, but for whatever reason I didn't remember to write about it until now. Whatever the case, it's one of those films that I wanted to see again, because it's truly good. It's a satire (those politically correct can leave the room now and save their health) in which we follow the journey of a young German who is part of the Hitler Youth. He is truly fanatical about Nazism and has Hitler as his imaginary friend, so he is shocked to discover a Jewish girl inside the roof lining of his house: the boy's mother, in secret, is part of the resistance and helps Jews.

We are tired of seeing films about the Second World War, but it is such a remarkable and fascinating moment in our history that they will certainly continue to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration for filmmakers. However, what Taika Waititi offers us is quite different from the ordinary: a deeply satirical and comical film, where we see things through the eyes of a child perfectly deluded by the massive propaganda to which he was subjected, and who receives the first reality check of his young existence. I'm not going to dwell on the way in which Hitler used propaganda to create a legion of fanatical young people and indoctrinate society, I think this has already been covered extensively by many renowned historians and good documentaries.

I loved Waititi's light and witty direction, which also brings to life the imaginary Führer that young Jojo has as his friend. The director managed to make a film where good humor does not go beyond the limits, and where there is space for serious things handled with a seriousness that gives depth to the film (this is the case with the way in which the authorities repress dissidents, through visits from Gestapo agents, for example). It's not a dramatic film at all, but it's profound in its own way, and the script creates a good story between the fanatical boy, the mother with a double life and the Jewish girl, who reveals to Jojo all the reality he was unaware about the Jews.

Technically, the film intelligently relies on strongly colored, vibrant cinematography and visuals, contrasting greatly with the normally dark vision we have of Nazi Germany. In fact, this not only accentuates the boy's idyllic vision of this world, but also goes against the way the Germans themselves saw their country in those times, which were undoubtedly gray. The sets and costumes agree with this dominant tone, and the reconstruction of the period was satisfactory, although without excessive concern on the part of the producers.

The film has a good cast where the most notable name is Scarlett Johansson. The actress is deeply competent in her role, she exudes elegance and shows us all the contradiction of a mother who, trying to protect her son, also tried to act, to have an active position in the political situation, even if secretly, in hiding. She knows that only much later will her own son be able to understand the scope and value of her actions. Roman Grifin Davies is very good in the role of young Jojo, but Taika Waititi, an illustrious unknown to me, is even better in his satirical interpretation of a historical personality that the actor himself admits to deeply despising. Much of this film's strength comes from Waititi's irreverent and inspired action. In turn, young Thomasin McKenzie does a competent and interesting job in the role of the Jewish girl.