An anti-hate satire.|Oct. 18, 2019|New Zealand|108 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Comedy;Drama;War
Description: During the collapse of Nazi Germany in the fictional town of Falkenheim, ten-year-old Johannes “Jojo” Betzler joins the Deutsches Jungvolk, the junior section of the Hitler Youth. He is heavily influenced by Nazi ideals, which are personified by his imaginary friend Adolf, a comical version of Adolf Hitler. At a training camp led by Captain Klenzendorf, Jojo earns the nickname “Jojo Rabbit” after refusing to kill a rabbit to prove his worth. Encouraged by his imaginary friend, Jojo returns to demonstrate his courage by throwing a grenade unsupervised, but it explodes at his feet, leaving him scarred and limping. Despite this, his mother, Rosie, insists that Jojo remain involved, and he is assigned tasks like distributing propaganda and collecting scrap for the war effort.
One day, while alone at home, Jojo discovers Elsa Korr, a Jewish teenager and his late sister Inge’s former classmate, hiding in the attic. Though initially terrified and hostile toward Elsa, Jojo realizes that exposing her would endanger all three of them, including his mother. He begins interacting with her to uncover “Jew secrets” but gradually starts empathizing with her, often apologizing when he offends her. Elsa, both saddened and amused by Jojo’s beliefs, challenges his ideologies using antisemitic stereotypes, helping him see their flaws. Over time, Jojo develops feelings for Elsa and even fabricates love letters from her fiancé Nathan. As their bond deepens, Jojo begins questioning his Nazi indoctrination, leading to tension with his imaginary friend Adolf, who reprimands him for his wavering loyalty.
Earlier, Rosie subtly expressed her opposition to Nazism, and Jojo later sees her leaving an anti-Nazi message in town. When Rosie goes missing, the Gestapo visits their home to investigate, with Klenzendorf accompanying them. Elsa poses as Inge, and although Klenzendorf knows her true identity, he conceals it from the Gestapo, protecting them all.
Cast director: Taika Waititi
Cast actor: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, Stephen Merchant, Archie Yates, Luke Brandon Field
Original name: Jojo Rabbit