We’re halfway through with my opinionated greatest hits of Fox Searchlight Pictures. From Whip It and in this film, the studio has become a critical darling by gaining multiple accolades and earning multiple wins at the Oscars. During the 2010s, other studios popped up to be the competition for Fox Searchlight. You have Neon and A24 who have taken a stab with their films that have an indie feel to them but with a moderate budget. I didn’t know what to expect with this film when it premiered in 2019, and it only took two years later to finally sit down and watch it.
1. Jojo’s Bizarre Adolescence
Like most things, I was not aware that the film was based on a book titled “Caging Skies”. And when I say based on, I mean like a loose adaptation since the book has some heavy material and it only made sense for a comedic director to try to imbue a sense of irony and satirization. Crazy to think that this film was stuck in development hell. Meaning that, this niche idea was practically laid dormant since the director wrote the screenplay of it. With the material that was in it made it be deemed unfilmable due to just how odd it is.
I’ve already talked about Taika Waititi last year when I discussed his entry into the MCU with Thor: Ragnarök. I feel that with the unexpected success of that film, Disney basically gave him a carte blanche of doing whatever the hell he wanted as his next film. It only made sense that he would bring this concept up and make it his own. I think it’s almost risky to try to have any sense of comedy when dealing with Nazism. Like, only Waititi and Mel Brooks managed to have the talent to show off the comedy of a fascistic force such as the Nazis.
Anyways, we follow the main character as he’s part of the Hitler Youth Organization. Taking place during the final years of Nazi Germany’s existence, Jojo is a brainwashed kid who has an imaginary friend that is modeled after Hitler. Stay with me for a moment. After an incident at the camp, Jojo is sent home and uncovers a secret that his mother has been keeping.
I’ll talk about that final tidbit in a moment. I love how the film is mostly focused on Jojo’s point of view of how he sees things. He’s a kid and is heavily indoctrinated to the point where his own mother is aloof to it. Roman Griffin Davis does a great job playing Jojo. I like how he’s not just a miscreant but a boy who thinks what’s right is the dominant might of the Nazis. He wants to be tough but is a big softie when the moment arrives to show his supposed strength. And I like how he has a group of people that practically represent his whole worldview.
For instance, the supporting characters aren’t just relegated to the background and have a lot to do when they encounter Jojo. I think how they’re used to show Jojo how the world he lives in is and one where it’s his preferred vision. To start off, I love how it’s a contrast. We see Captain K and Jojo’s imaginary Hitler. Both show that the captain is miserable and imaginary Hitler is a wacky overzealous person. Jojo’s mother on the other hand, is not like the others since she’s the only positive person in his life. I love how she has this sense of positivity and how she’s basically attempting to have Jojo look at the world in a different light.
Since I brought up imaginary Hitler, I should at least elaborate on that. It’s a thing I’ve noticed with watching a select Waititi films where he does the double duty of acting and directing. His role as Hitler is just hilarious with how he has that childlike attitude as Jojo. Although, I like how he’s not just friendly but also becomes devious with how he wants Jojo to continue being hateful. To continue with that duality thread I talked about, both Jojo’s mom and imaginary friend helps him get an understanding of what’s going on with his world. And it all comes to head when he meets with a girl that his mother hides.
Elsa is probably my second favorite character in the movie that puts up with Jojo’s jingoistic tomfoolery. I love how when she’s first revealed, it’s like a horror film where Jojo is scared and when she exits the secret room, her hand grips the wall like a monster. The chemistry between the two young leads is great since Jojo is disgusted by her but is curious about her since he starts to develop feelings for her. Inevitably, it gets to a point where she is interrogated by the gestapo and it gets really tense when Jojo’s camp counselor interrogates her.
2. Growing Up
With everything that I’ve discussed, you would think that the whole movie is a hard sell due to what it’s about and the subject matter as far as it’s setting. To me, at the core of it is about a boy realizing what he believes and growing up in a place that is oppressive. It’s a unique spin on the coming-of-age story. One of those stories where we follow someone who is young and then gain or see things that change them into a mature person. Something like this is interesting since it’s revolutionary to have someone be jingoistic and grow out of it.
More so that, since the film is a comedy, it had to show the idiocy of Nazi Germany. We see just how idiotic and stupid the whole methodology of the “Heil Hitler” was with a sense of irony. All of it played for laughs which at hindsight is practically funny seeing how they conducted themselves. One thing that I will commend is that since we did see what happened to the dissidents. The moment when Jojo sees what happened to his mother is just shocking, seeing how he was at peace and having it just destroyed him.
Lastly, I never would’ve imagined that this film would be a beloved film in 2019. More so that I’d couldn’t even think that it would win an Academy Award and be nominated for Best Picture. I feel that it’s more relevant with what’s going on but uses the past to make a point about growing up. This is probably Waititi’s best film that I’ve seen so far and I’ll give credit to Disney for ultimately green lighting the film to be made. Had anyone else made it, I don’t think it would be talked about as a classic, but an oddity.
3. Overall
Jojo Rabbit is one of the best films of the late 2010s and I think one of Fox Searchlight’s finest.
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