Jojo Rabbit (2019)
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A young Hitler Youth member must confront his beliefs after discovering his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic.
The story
Set in the fictional city of Falkenheim during the latter stages of World War II, the film follows ten-year-old Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, a member of the Deutsches Jungvolk. Heavily indoctrinated by Nazi ideology, Jojo possesses an imaginary friend: a buffoonish version of Adolf Hitler. His world is upended when he discovers that his mother, Rosie, is hiding a teenage Jewish girl named Elsa Korr in their attic. Jojo is forced to navigate his conflicting loyalties and burgeoning curiosity while dealing with the constant threat of discovery by the authorities, all while his imaginary friend offers a comedic, albeit misguided, perspective on the ongoing war.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the fictional city of Falkenheim during World War II, Jojo, a young boy in the Hitler Youth, is mentored by a buffoonish imaginary Adolf Hitler. Jojo is nicknamed 'Jojo Rabbit' after a moment of conscience. He eventually discovers Elsa, a Jewish girl hidden in his attic by his mother, Rosie. Jojo attempts to 'uncover' her secrets while Rosie secretly works for the resistance. After Rosie is caught and executed, Jojo's perspective on the regime shifts as he realizes its inhumanity. Following the death of the real Hitler, the city faces an Allied invasion. Jojo is captured by the Soviet Red Army but is saved by Klenzendorf, who hides his identity as a Jew. Jojo eventually reunites with Elsa; they are told by a forged letter that they can escape to Paris. The film ends with them dancing to celebrate their freedom as American soldiers arrive.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States; Czech Republic; New Zealand
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Taika Waititi
- Writers
- Taika Waititi · writer
- Cast and characters
- Roman Griffin Davis · Johannes "Jojo" Betzler; Thomasin McKenzie · Elsa Korr; Taika Waititi · Adolf; Scarlett Johansson · Rosie; Sam Rockwell · Captain Klenzendorf; Rebel Wilson · Fräulein Rahm; Stephen Merchant · Captain Herman Deertz; Alfie Allen · Freddy Finkel
- Genres
- satirical comedy-drama; black comedy; satire; war comedy-drama
- Themes
- Nazism; propaganda; coming-of-age; human interaction
- Tone and mood
- satirical; dark comedy; whimsical
- Setting
- Falkenheim, Nazi Germany, during the latter stages of World War II.
- Premise and plot tags
- anti-war; historical fiction; imaginary friend
- Source material / true-story basis
- Christine Leunens' 2008 book Caging Skies
- Content notes
- violence; language
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews, though critics were divided on its comedic treatment of the subject of Nazism.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100 · review count: 57; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 96% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · won; Academy Award · Best Picture · nominated; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · nominated; Golden Globe Award · Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy · nominated; Critics' Choice Award · Best Young Performer · won; Costume Designers Guild Award · Excellence in Period Film · won; Academy Award · Best Costume Design · nominated
- Production trivia
- The film's title sequence features footage from the 1935 Nazi propaganda documentary Triumph of the Will.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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