ASHOK’s FIVE reasons to watch the satiric comedy from Kiwi writer-director #TaikaWaititi #JoJoRabbit now streaming on #Disneyplushotstar. The New York Times described this outstanding film as one that mixes fantasy, farce and drama and I totally agree. This is one gem of a movie that will leave you laughing and crying alternately. Shot in picturesque Prague and with the eccentric touch that reminds you of Wes Anderson’s work, #JojoRabbit is a must watch.
One of the things that strikes me about movie genres is how much of a manufacturer statement the concept of genre is. The audience does not come in to see a film basis how you have categorised it. Yes, the mindset at a time can influence whether you want to watch an intense film, or a light hearted one, but this becomes a blur when a comedy can make you laugh and cry at the same time. This is a tough one to crack and #Waititi is brilliant at this. The other debate in my mind is which tonality is better to deliver a hard-hitting message – does intense riveting drama work better or would you risk it through a comedy? The jury is out on this one, but I am inclined to think that the comedy works better since you reflect on the message on your own in a secure and comfortable environment and imbibe the message yourself. As they say, adults cannot be taught; they learn on their own!
#JojoRabbit is the story of 10-year-old Johannes Betzler (a truly wonderful effort by Roman Griffin Davis) who is part of a Hitler Youth camp in Nazi Germany towards the end of the second world war and is indoctrinated with the Nazi philosophy. His best friend is an imaginary Adolf Hitler (played by Waititi himself) and all goes fine till he discovers that his mother Rosie (#ScarlettJohansson) is hiding a Jew in the attic of his own house. The film is a daring attempt at looking at our misconceptions through the eyes of children in an absurd, hilarious manner and delivers a left upper cut of some fundamental truths right in the middle of your eyes.
1. “Jews smell like Brussel sprouts” the throwaway line from the film addresses how bigotry and hatred was spread by the German propaganda machine. The film uses over-the-top imagery to show how ridiculous some of these were – Jews have horns and are born off eggs. Russians mate with dogs. Japanese are our allies though they do not look like us Aryans. Any fascist ideology spreads on the back of ridicule, revile and idolisation. How Johannes, a smart sensitive ordinary boy deals with this and the apparent conflict when faced with 17-year-old Elsa the Jewish girl (Thomasin Mckenzie in a stellar performance) is the crux of the story. Along the way somewhere it is also time for him to bid goodbye to his imaginary friend and of course some of his innocence!
2. The story is told from the eyes of the ten-year-old boy who is fascinated with the Fuhrer, but his life starts crumbling when he discovers that his mother is hiding a Jew. Both Roman Davis and his friend Yorki (Archie Yates) are endearing and Johansen as the mother is fantastic in her portrayal as a secret member of the resistance movement. The scene where she rubs the soot from the chimney on to her face as a beard and imitates her husband to cheer Johannes up is brilliant. Captain Klenzedorf and Finekl his assistant at the Hitler Youth camp are goofy and funny. The piece de résistance though is Waititi as the imaginary Hitler, sometimes clumsy and dorky and sometimes intense and aggressive when the squeaky mannerism turns into a fierce growl. Thomasin as Else also shines in her portrayal of the vulnerable and yet spunky Jew girl. She teaches young Johannes some of life’s most important lessons. Johannes in turn cannot fathom the turn life takes when his mother is gone and it is interesting to see how his innocence gives way to fear, insult and possessiveness.
3. #JojoRabbit is both hilarious and heart-warming as it takes on a subject that is interestingly so relevant currently, especially in light of the ‘Black lives matter’ protest in the United States. It is a wonderful laugh in the face of hatemongers and it doesn’t matter if it is Germany of that decade or any part of the world in 2020. The film is audacious, satirical, earnest, hilarious, poignant, part fantasy and part bizarre and the coming-of-age narrative is brilliantly juxtaposed with the philosophy of hope, though fragile is precious and needs to be nurtured.
4. The treatment merits comparison to the eccentricity of Wes Anderson and his typical visual narrative style (Remember the opening scene from The Darjeeling Limited – simultaneously idiosyncratic and meticulously detailed https://youtu.be/8Q6YqCRMwEI ). The cobbled streets and the distinctive colourful architecture of Prague provides a signature visual style to the film. Waititi reached out to Paul McCartney for the Beatles music and the opening scene boats “I want to hold your hand” in German. Based on the book by Christine Leunens “Caging Skies”, #JojoRabbit stands out for top draw cinematography and editing. The film went on to win the Oscar for adapted screenplay.
5. Waititi uses humour to devastating effect and the farce is amplified. The scene where Johannes and Else are visited by the Gestapo officers has each officer repeating the over-the-top Heil Hitler salute and this is hilarious.
#JojoRabbit is a paradoxical film, the sweetness and charm is juxtaposed against the divisive forces of genocide and fascism and this makes it more hard hitting. This is categorised 12+ and is suitable for family viewing and enjoyable watching in a group. The humour is like the point of a sabre and can prick you the sharpest. Waititi’s genius is in the manner the film hits home the message without using any graphic violence, gore or sadism. The spirit of the film is communicated through the words of Rilke on the end frame:
“Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final”
It means we will experience the highs and lows of life and we must be prepared for more; in many ways similar to what the Gita says that we have to do what we have to do and the outcomes are separate. Ultimately, it leaves you with a poignant and beautiful message that hate stems from ignorance and bias; what a wonderful world it would be if we could just celebrate life and for which as Rosie says, we must dance! Going with a clear 4.6 on 5 for this masterpiece. Don’t miss it.
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