Jojo Rabbit
2019 · Directed by Taika Waititi
Original language: English
- comedy
- war
- drama
The story
Jojo, a lonely German boy during World War II has his world shaken when he learns that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home. Influenced by a buffoonish imaginary version of Adolf Hitler, he begins to question his beliefs and confront the conflict between propaganda and his own humanity.
What it’s like
Bright, storybook colour framed in tidy, symmetrical compositions, with pastel interiors, a wood-panelled German town rendered like a children's picture book, and a sunny, slightly unreal glow that sits oddly against the grim subject matter. Camera moves are playful: whip pans, sudden static holds, and cheerful tracking shots through cluttered rooms, while the soundtrack leans on bouncy, anachronistic pop and warm period-style melodies. The vibe is brash, tender and absurd, with sharp satirical edges that keep puncturing the mood. Pacing is brisk and jokey, with quiet, sincere pauses that let the emotion land. Violence is present but mostly off-screen or cartoonishly stylised, with occasional sudden, startling real-world cruelty that jolts the viewer; there is no gore and no sexual content, but the war backdrop, fear and bombing are real and sometimes disturbing. Its arc follows a lonely, indoctrinated boy slowly learning to see the people he was taught to despise. For viewers who want a funny, warm film that still confronts something painful, and who are comfortable with dark comedy about atrocity.
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