Still more to learn

Rating: 8/10 (29 March 2020)

75 years after the end of World War //, we continue to struggle with the unfinished business of lessons learned. For me, it's interesting to see how each new generation chips away at this problem. We are now far enough away from those most directly affected to explore new paths that previous generations found too painful to venture.
In some respects, I see the main character JoJo as a metaphor for the German people. They willingly boarded a train they thought would bring them greatness but instead, too late, realized they were on a runaway freight train to hell. The story is told in deeply personal way this time. No sweeping battles or mass executions. Instead, big themes are stripped down to essential elements that leave the viewer with nowhere to retreat or hide. The satire and dark humor, however, gives some reprieve from the shock and horror of Nazi tactics used to maintain control and to force regular people to commit unspeakable acts. Unfortunately, the ending provides no message on how to avoid a similar fate in the future.