TIFF 2019: That Sweet Little Nazi JOJO RABBIT Will Steal Your Heart

“Love is the strongest thing in the world,” Rosie Betzler (Scarlett Johansson) tells her 10-year-old son Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) about halfway through Jojo Rabbit. Sure, it’s a little on the nose, but so is the “anti-hate satire” marketing. In fact, the whole film is so blunt in its criticism of blind fanaticism and nationalism that the line doesn’t fall flat. The whole film works because it is such an absurdist take.

Set towards the end of WWII, Jojo is a scared Hitler youth with just one friend besides his idiotic, sassy imaginary friend Adolf Hitler (played by writer/director Taika Waititi). Getting home early from his Nazi duties one day, he discovers his mother has been hiding Elsa, a young Jewish girl (the always marvelous Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic.

Obviously, at first his Nazi propaganda-shaped mind tells him he has to kill her. But as a gentle young boy, he decided instead to “negotiate” (very un-Nazi of him). He decides instead to use her as a resource to write his book all about Jews, which he’ll then present to Hitler himself – the real one, not Waititi. As they spend more time together, Jojo is forced to confront his blind nationalism and his imaginary best friend.

Jojo Rabbit is a magnificently crafted take on hate that’s just as relevant today as ever. The entire cast, but especially Davis, Waititi and McKenzie, knocks it out of the park and you can’t help but feel for Jojo’s journey. Tonally, it’s a bit inconsistent in the third act, but it blends different styles of humor with a playfully heartfelt and touching story to boot.

In a world that’s more hateful than ever, Waititi has managed to disarm far-right hate and blind allegiance to a nation and ideology. Jojo Rabbit is a bold and audacious comedy that everyone besides Nazis can enjoy.

Full of laughs and charm

Since acquiring Fox Searchlight, Disney has made it extremely apparent in the marketing that this is “an anti-hate satire.” I certainly understand their wanting to make that very clear, but the film does all the work needed.

It’s my favorite depiction of Nazis – by turning them into casually absurd, self defeatist losers, Waititi takes away their power. The whole film feels like a prank at their expense. He’s turned them into clowns, rather than give them any time of day. His depiction of Hitler is the best example of this. He’s not just silly. He’s sassy, insecure, a bit feminine and foolish. It all puts the audience at ease in what could have been two uncomfortable hours in the hands of a lesser director.

The blend of different styles of humor means that there’s something for everyone here. Hitler is played with a great physicality that reminds me of something Chaplin would do. He’d be funny even in the silent film era – especially one scene where he joins Jojo and his mother at dinner.

Subtle facial expressions and movements while they argue the merits of the war make the perfect scene without him saying a word. There are obvious political jokes, especially from Captain Klenzendorf – the Hitler youth leader played brilliantly by Sam Rockwell – about the inevitable and fast approaching defeat of the Nazi regime. There are also classic jokes, like one about the number of balls Hitler has. It’s a variety that balances out the heavy nature of what the Nazis were doing.

Jojo is more than a comedy though. It has garnered apt comparisons, not just in visual aesthetic, to Moonrise Kingdom. While the third act loses a bit of the balance that Moonrise Kingdom perfected, Jojo plays in a similar tonal space. By following a young boy who’s had one ideology engrained in him so severely, we’re able to empathize with him. Clearly, a story of an adult Nazi realizing the error of his ways doesn’t resonate quite the same. Jojo the boy is so sweet, and his relationship with his mother is so pure that he steals your heart.

It might just take Nazis for us to love each other

The message to love each other and reject hate is nothing new. Stories have been telling us this since the beginning of time. And in that regard, Jojo isn’t breaking new ground. It just shows us the lesson in a more entertaining way. You can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of what the Nazis thought of Jews.

To lean on two young leads to carry the message is no small accomplishment. In his first role, Roman Griffin Davis hits a home run. You’re able to empathize with him from the get go as an outcast and loner, even if he is a Nazi. He shows range from hard nosed loyal Nazi to a confused young boy questioning his own beliefs with great skill for such a new actor.

So when Jojo realizes his mom is hiding Elsa, it’s naturally nothing like what he expected. McKenzie is as good as ever, and portrays Elsa as sweet and gentile yet sharp as a knife and strong. We immediately sympathize with her, and soon Jojo doesn’t just sympathize with her, he falls for her.

The two show us the lies we tell ourselves to ignore the cognitive dissonance when our preconceptions are wrong. With sharp banter and a love hate relationship, the two grow closer until they are more friends than enemies. It’s not something he could learn first hand from his mom, he had to experience it for himself. And when he finally does, he’ll no longer need his old imaginary friend. It may not be a new message, but the delivery is what will win you over here.

Jojo Rabbit: A big joke with plenty of heart

The entire premise of a young boy who’s imaginary best friend is Hitler is absurd. And Waititi has managed to follow through with a screenplay and film that’s just as off the walls. It’s a letter to love each other by looking to the past through the eyes of a child. The cast plays their part perfectly, pulling off complex performances.

Jojo Rabbit pulls no punches. It’s as ridiculous and audacious as it is sweet and charming. And that combination is why it works so well.

What’s your favorite Nazi movie? Who’s your favorite actor to play Hitler? Sound off in the comments.

Jojo Rabbit hits theaters October 18.