Contains spoilers
I hesitated to watch the movie because I thought it was a movie about World War and Hitler. I thought it would be boring. But Jojo Rabbit is one of the best movies I have seen in recent times.
It was an altogether different experience to see how the Nazis trained the minds of small kids in camps. I have never heard about this kind of training in camps for little kids before watching the movie. The camp organizers brainwashing little kids about Jew people was dark. At some point, you start wondering what other horrible things had happened in the past?
It was hilarious to see the little boy trying hard to live up to his idol who is none other than Hitler himself- Dark comedy at its best! Jojo makes us see the world through his eyes, and believe me when I say- it is messed up. But the little kid is not the brightest in the camp. With all the drama with Hitler in his head, he is lucky to have survived the grenade.
Hitler as a figment of the boy’s imagination talking to him was compelling and, Taika Waititi does a convincing job as Hitler. Hitler and Jojo conversing covers everything you need to know about Nazi Germany.
One of the best things about the movie is the bonding between Jojo and his mother, Rosie. Two scenes between them have remarkable screenplay and dialogs:
- The scene by the bridge when Rosie talks about love
- The scene at home when Rosie acts like Jojo’s father.
Truly magical conversations were between Elsa- the Jew girl in the attic and Jojo- a Nazi fanatic. It was heartwarming to see how he slowly realized that Jews were not all those creatures he imagined them to be, but, actual normal humans just like him.
When Jojo recognizes his mother’s shoe and cries- tears well up in the viewer’s eyes. He ties her shoes and wipes his eyes. It is such a simple scene but the impact is immeasurable. Why does a little kid who had nothing to do with what adults do lose his parents? Isn’t it happening even today in many places around the world?
For greed, all nature is too little- Lucius Annaeus Seneca
But there is hope in humanity. Even in the movie, Captain K saving Jojo by calling him a Jew was the moment, we all fell for the man with a ‘heart of gold ’, if not when he went along with, Elsa pretending to be Jojo’s sister in front of the authority to save her.
This is not a periodic story about World war or Hitler. This movie is a beautiful story of a little kid who grows up a fan of someone dangerous and slowly understands reality.
Two best scenes –
- Jojo kicking out Hitler from his mind literally
- Jojo and Elsa dancing at the end of the movie.
Jojo and Elsa dancing will remain in your heart forever.
