"Be the rabbit!" -An enchanting and crazy satire!

Rating: 9/10 (3 February 2020)

New Zealand's Taika Waititi made a name for itself in 2017 with its MCU film "Thor Ragnarok", even if he was very busy in the film industry before. His humorous style was well received and I liked it too. Finally, a heart project of his came to the big screen: "Jojo Rabbit". Loosely based on the novel "Caging Skies" by Christine Leunen, Waititi shows a satirical but touching look at the end of the Second World War and the world of fascism. A film like "Jojo Rabbit" will certainly not please everyone, after all the topic is still anything but simple today, but I fell in love with this work, if I'm honest and can't wait to see this film again!
Germany 1945: The end of the Second World War is imminent, but the Hitler Youth is still on the march. For little Johannes Betzler (Jojo), this is his biggest dream. His idol, who would have guessed it, is Adolf Hitler himself. So much so that he imagines the Führer as an imaginary friend ...
As always, I take the view that one should go into the film without a trailer or a synopsis. The film is a satirical drama and I was a little disappointed afterwards that I saw the trailer because a lot of events are revealed. Of course, I will not do that here and try to be vague with the details of the story.
"Jojo Rabbit" primarily serves as a satire. An imaginary Hitler who is friends with Jojo? That sounds a little crazy, but it´s more complex than expect. This applies to a lot in the film. The often coarse but also astute humor in the film initially seemed out of place or too modern for me (at least in the beginning). And even if I would have liked to reduce it a tiny bit, Waititi's satire element works wonderfully in the context of Jojo and his view of Hitler & Co. It is much less about the Nazis and their shameful acts than about dealing with themselves, the subject of fascism and what it actually means. For Jojo, for example, it means being part of a gang, being part of something bigger, which certain books like "Die Welle" have shown wonderfully. But "Jojo Rabbit" takes a well-known (and unfortunately still very current) message and breathes fresh air into it. For me Waititi's humor and slapstick were neither disrespectful nor inappropriate, but clever and above all funny! Not every joke knocked me out of the chair, I was rather grinning more because the film came across so charmingly. And "charming" is such an appropriate word for me when it comes to this film!
Because even despite the jokes, despite the satirical view of a terrifying time, in my eyes "Jojo Rabbit" creates a powerful statement about the war, fascism and its effects. There are moments that hit you completely unexpected, but that's exactly why they are so strong for me. A main reason why I liked the film so much.
Let´s take a look at the cast: The little, talented Roman Griffin Davis makes his film debut and is just wonderful. Naive, energetic, but also soulful and adorable stubborn. He is the heart of the film and in my eyes deserves a lot of recognition. I didn't find his boyfriend Yorki (Archie Yates) quite as strong, even if he had funny moments. Scarlett Johansson is a charm and plays so lovingly and yet cheekily that it´s a pleasure to watch her. Sam Rockwell scores with a surprisingly multifaceted and funny figure, Stephen Merchant is great, like Alfie Allen and Taika Waititi himself (effectively and wittily) takes on the role of the imaginary leader. Rebel Wilson is also in the film, but she couldn't quite convince me. Luckily, her role is quite small.
The film is beautifully shot, very colorful and powerful. Cameraman Mihai Malaimare Jr. supports the energy of the film with an equally energetic camera work. The soundtrack is great too. Michael Giacchino delivers a solid score and the song selection (large pop songs with German lyrics) is the final icing on the cake!
Conclusion: "Jojo Rabbit" is a wonderful, over-the-top, but still ingenious film. It won't appeal to everyone, but it doesn't have to. Taika Waititi provides a funny, touching and, above all, charming view of a difficult topic. Something that many try, but rarely succeed in doing ...