A Comedy Used as a Weapon of Mass Destruction

Rating: 8/10 (24 November 2019)

GRADE: B
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A flawed but memorable dark satire about Nazism.
JIM'S REVIEW: It so hard to make a Nazi comedy. The sheer subject of their heinous acts of brutality shown in satirical terms is off-putting from the start. Even with decades between WWII and the present day rise of white supremacy and hate crimes, the pain and cruelty is not easily forgotten, nor should it be. This is not to say that using comedy as weapon is a new approach. And now. some eighty five years later, we have Jojo Rabbit taking direct aim at the Hitler regime.
Taika Waititi wrote, directed and starred in this independent film and while his intent is admirable, his execution is slightly flawed. As a director, he creates many memorable scenes with powerful images that carry with them a rare beauty and insight. At times, there is sheer brilliance in his vision, as with his opening credit sequence which mixes anachronistic lyrics of the Beatles' Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand, sung in German, with actual Nazi archival footage showing the mass hysteria of a mob mentality. But at other times, he wallows in sentimentality and the obvious targets of blundering Nazis.
As a screenwriter, his coming-of-age tale about a young impressionistic Hitler youth living with his widowed mother and dealing with an imaginary friend named Adolf has an intriguing premise. He layers his narrative with bittersweet moments and comical conflict. We meet a 10 year old boy caught up in a nationalistic frenzy whose bedroom walls are covered with pro-Nazi propaganda rather than sport figures or movie idols, a telling sign. Something is amiss in Johann. He is an enigma, a child soldier who will parrot the hate speech he is carefully taught but yet sensitive enough to discover the beauty of that aforementioned solitary blue butterfly flitting through his war-torn village. But Mr. Waititi's dialog lacks substantial power, some of the comedy elements are broad slapstick and don't work, and most of his supporting characters are cliche-ridden stock types. Also, story-wise, the plot loses its logical path with a plot twist that comes unexpectedly midway through the film and has some trouble recovering from it. Still there is so much to admire due to his filmmaking skills and the fine photography by Mihai Malaimare Jr.
As an actor, Mr. Waititi is effective. Yet he never captures the goofiness and comic edge of Der Fuhrer, which is a minor misstep in this pivotal role. His interpretation should have been more outlandish and farcical. He just doesn't show the menace or the charisma. His character annoys rather than enthralls. Perhaps another actor would have been a better choice and would have given him some distance in this filmmaker trifecta.
However, Roman Griffin Davis in the title role is excellent. Perfectly cast, this young actor gives one of the most natural performance by a child ever filmed and his portrayal of a boy coming to terms with the insane world around him is quite moving. His expressive face conveys a child learning war games but unable to tie his own shoes. Thomasin McKenzie plays Elsa, a Jewish girl hiding in Jojo's house and she has a nice chemistry with Mr. Davis. Scarlett Johansson provides some tender moments as Rosie, Jojo's loving mother. The reliable Sam Rockwell tries to add some depth in his sketchy role as is Captain Klenzendorf, an Army officer in charge of a Hitler Youth camp, but Rebel Wilson as his assistant can't keep her German accent straight, let alone find the essence of her role. Stephen Merchant delivers the creepiness as a Gestapo agent and Archie Yates brings some wonderful comic timing as Jojo's clumsy friend, Yorki.
Jojo Rabbit is another reworking of the sum of its parts being better than the whole. Nevertheless, the film remains a welcome and strong indictment to hatred with Mr. Waititi definitely a talent to watch. His film uses comedy as a lethal weapon and it lands mainly on target. This reviewer look forward to his next venture and so should any serious moviegoer.Comedy as a Weapon of Mass Destruction