It’s been a minute since I’ve posted here. A HOT minute. And oh so much has happened I think it’s only right to be making this post.
Here we are, in the depths of 2020 all disappointed for some reason or another, be it politics, society, family, pandemics, quarantine… what have you. All too often recently I find myself questioning the morals of society in this country. Think what you will about politics, you have to admit that right now, this 2020 election is a crazy anxiety-inducing time that will be remembered in history books as either what saved us or what led to our eventual downfall as a country. That might be dramatic, but it’s on brand to say the least.
Recently I have been getting back into studying history, most specifically WWII in the European Theatre. Let’s just say, the similarities between that time and this are SCARY. But instead of getting into that… let’s watch a damn good movie.
Taika Waititi’s controversial satirical masterpiece Jojo Rabbit. Is. Your. Movie.
If you have qualms about the subject matter of this movie, I am telling you that once you watch it, anything you were originally worried about will go away with his masterfully written script.
The film follows Jojo Betzler (played wonderfully by Roman Griffith Davis), a 10 year-old German boy and the Hitler Youth’s newest recruit. Jojo wants nothing more than to be the best Hitler Youth member and impress all of his higher ups, but his good-natured innocence gets the best of him and he is left doing more menial Hitler Youth work around his home town. Eventually, Jojo discovers that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl in his attic (played by Thomasin McKenzie), forcing Jojo to reevaluate what he believes to be good and true in the Nazi-ruled society he has been brought up in. Jojo’s growth throughout the story is most notable in his interaction with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (played by Taika Waititi).
I know this sounds daunting, but the performances and writing will make you laugh, cry and learn, bringing to light the issues of having to decipher what is right and wrong in a society dictated by hate. Waititi’s writing is both heart-warming and heart-breaking and the characters he treats has you rooting for them all, showing how easy it is to get mixed up in the evil of the world.
This is NOT to make light of the events that happened in WWII or the Holocaust, this is a movie against hate. ANTI-HATE. Mark my words.
This film can be found on HBO Max, Hulu or AmazonPrime. Let me know what you are thinking, feeling, hoping for. This is (as always) open for discussion:)
Jojo Rabbit trailer: https://youtu.be/TxJt02r91L4
What To Watch When I Feel... 