Jojo Rabbit (second-pass)
Cert: 12A / 108 mins / Dir. Taika Waititi / Trailer
Like most movies with a comedic element, Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit isn't as funny the second time around. Having already watched the film, knowing the rhythm of the setups telegraphs the punchlines somewhat, lending a reassuring familiarity which removes the element of surprise that made them so resonant to begin with. The guffaws still sounded around the auditorium, but my own had been replaced with throaty chuckles, wry smiles and a deeper appreciation of the film's raw, heartbreaking and unflinchingly savage beauty.
The central performances from Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie stand out just as strongly, but a closer examination shows Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell to be on absolute awards-worthy form here; a duetting-masterclass in physical emotive acting and piercing subtext, made all the more weighty with the knowledge of where the movie is headed. Tragedy is sewn into every frame by cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr, in a lesson about seeing simple beauty in the darkest of times without ever ignoring those horrors which surround. It's a story about childhood, trust, indoctrination, questioning what we see around us and knowing truth when it's staring us in the face.
This is all projected through the liberal-lens of 2020 of course, but then it's a movie made for a 2020 audience. Even documentary footage can be subjective in its framing, Jojo Rabbit wears its colours defiantly and with good reason. A tale in a vintage setting which will never get old, yet has arrived at just the right time. Since the official UK release date is January 1st, this is your film-of-the-year, right here.
I didn't laugh as much the second time I watched Jojo Rabbit.
Cried more, though...
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Adapted from Christine Leunens' Caging Skies, Taika Waititi screenwrites and directs Jojo Rabbit, a fantastical coming-of-age tale set in the dying days of the Second World War. In smalltown Germany, 10yr old Johannes Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) lives with his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansonn), his father already off fighting abroad in the conflict. An enthusiastic if inept member of the Hitler Youth, Jojo's rigid world is thrown into turmoil when he discovers Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a young Jewish woman who's been hiding in their house. To make matters worse, his imaginary friend Adolf (Waititi) is growing increasingly erratic and unhelpful. We follow Jojo as he tries to make sense of his place in the world, in the war, and the propaganda he must now reconcile with what's in front of him.
Every so often, a film comes along which yearns to be watched. Jojo Rabbit's core audience of indie/arthouse appreciators is locked in anyway, but this story of defiance, doubt, acceptance, love and humanity needs to be seen by a wide audience in 2019. And as is typical, the very people who would benefit most from its message are the ones who either won't be interested, or will hit Stop and select something else once it becomes clear that the movie isn't just a goofy comedy as the trailer may have suggested. And yes, this paragraph is a bit soap-boxy (and not a little bit presumptuous), but here we are. In 2019. Where this is essential viewing.
Jojo Rabbit is adorable and horrifying in equal measure, but always razor-sharp in its satirical execution. Outstanding performances from the central cast elicit many guffaws and more than a few emotional hammerblows, and it's true that Waititi lifts every scene he's in from brooding whimsy to a surrealist pantomime.
Unlike Marielle Heller's imminent must-see, this isn't a film to make its audience feel better. It's a film to help them be better. It may be set three quarters of a century ago, but its heart is now. Even in the theatre of quasi-fantasy, Jojo Rabbit shows life being mundane, terrifying, hilarious and heartbreaking, exploring where those feelings intersect and overlap. Waititi doesn't lecture the audience, but he's got plenty to say. We should all listen.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Like most movies with a comedic element, Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit isn't as funny the second time around. Having already watched the film, knowing the rhythm of the setups telegraphs the punchlines somewhat, lending a reassuring familiarity which removes the element of surprise that made them so resonant to begin with. The guffaws still sounded around the auditorium, but my own had been replaced with throaty chuckles, wry smiles and a deeper appreciation of the film's raw, heartbreaking and unflinchingly savage beauty.
