Thursday 16 January 2020

Jojo Rabbit - The scoop and digest

Writer, star and director Taika Waititi takes Christine Leunens' novel Caging Skies to the big screen.

Roman Griffin Davis - Jojo
Thomasin McKenzie - Elsa
Scarlett Johannson - Rosie
Taika Waititi - Adolf
Sam Rockwell - Captain Klenzendorf
Rebel Wilson - Fräulein Rahm
Alfie Allen - Finkel
Stephen Merchant - Deertz

Summary

Ahead of Hitler Youth training weekend, 10-year-old Johannes 'Jojo' Betzler is supported and buoyed by imaginary friend Adolf.

Jojo is teased by his superiors for refusing to snap a rabbit's neck, hence title.

Returning home one day, Jojo finds Jewish girl Elsa hiding in their attic whom his mother Rosie invited to stay.  He threatens to give 'ghost' up, but is warned Rosie would be killed if he did.

A relationship gradually blossoms.

Wunderbar or scheisse?

It's sandwiched somewhere between.

First off, I don't think this rips off Life Is Beautiful.  Sure there are similarities, but even so.

WWII satire highlights how Nazism influenced, exploited and corrupted children, but fails to balance irreverent humour and drama.

Basically, it's neither one or the other.

As for guy with infamous moustache, he's not Hitler at all.  Just the mind of a young boy interpreting him as being so.

Of Waititi's camp and goofy portrayal?

Marmite.

Given controversial subject matter, I find it quite odd that jokes (aimed at whoever), are not dangerous or even particularly offensive.

For me, geezer at the helm really missed a trick.

Davis steals the show with a performance beyond his years, Rebel Wilson is her usual likeable self and Sam Rockwell has a blast.

Near the end, after declaring his love for Elsa, Jojo tells Adolf (post-suicide) to "Fuck off" and boots ass out of nearest window.

Ha ha ha!

Jojo and Elsa dance to the opening of David Bowie's Heroes (Helden) and before credits roll:

Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final.

- Rainer Maria Rilke

FYI.

This is an excerpt from Go to the Limits of Your Longing.

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