Nazi comedy brings light to the silver screen
There’s a certain brand of comedians that insist today’s generation is unable to take a joke. That they’re too sensitive, too defensive, too serious.
I’ve seen a lot of discussion about how this movie or that movie could never be made today and how, as a whole, the comedy scene is in a bad way, stand-up comedy in particular (someone might let comedians like John Mulaney or Tiffany Haddish know—they continue to be successful in spite of this apparent impossibility).
The favorite film to use as an example is Blazing Saddles, which is, of course, chock full of racist language and stereotypes.
But Blazing Saddles pushed the same limits when it was released as it does today, and the entire purpose of the film was to use racist language to make fun of the racists who make use it.
White racists were the butt of those jokes, and the fact the film continues to be misunderstood is a testament to how transgressive it was and how some audiences can’t see past their own prejudice to understand an idea.
Jojo Rabbit, released this year by New Zealand director Taika Waititi, will likely be a film much like Blazing Saddles. It doesn’t shy away from difficult subject matter, leans into the making jokes about it, while creating many genuinely funny moments.
But it also manages to be surprisingly touching, creating realistic characters and relationships that give the film genuine heart. Jojo Rabbit is easily the best comedy released this year.
The film is set towards the end of WW2, when Germany is on the ropes and the Allies are closing in. Johannes “Jojo” Beltzer (Roman Griffin Davis) is a ten-year-old boy living in Nazi Germany and he is wholly devoted to the Third Reich. He idolizes Hitler—so much so that his imaginary friend is a goofy version of the man himself.
Jojo is preparing himself to attend a Hitler youth training camp where he will learn to be the best little Nazi he can be. He’s nervous but he hopes that he can serve his Fuhrer well. Imaginary Hitler (Waititi) pumps him up by leading him through a rousing set of excited “Heil Hitlers!”
The training camp highlights the tone of the film and shows how important it is to the tell the story through the eyes of a child because, on the surface, it looks like a great time. The kids get to play with knives, wrestle with their friends, burn books, and practice throwing grenades, all with absolute glee and a complete childlike innocence.
However, some of the older boys are further along in their conversion to full blown Nazi, and make fun of Jojo when he cannot kill an innocent rabbit. To prove himself, Jojo attempts to throw a grenade, but manages to blow himself up instead. He survives, but can longer serve Germany in the capacity of a soldier. He’s reduced to spreading propaganda and collecting scrap metal as he recovers.
Soon, he discovers a terrible secret. His mother, who he loves wholeheartedly, is hiding a young Jewish girl in their walls. He cannot tell anyone or he’ll lose his mother. He decides to keep her a secret, but to pump her for information about Jews and their habits, which he’ll record in a book for posterity.
Jojo Rabbit works because, like other films of its type, the jokes are punching up. The Nazis and their ideology are absurd and we can laugh at them in spite of their atrocities.
As the saying goes, we laugh at the devil to take away his power. The cast is stellar—Scarlett Johansson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, just to name a few.
New Zealand actor Thomasin McKenzie, who has a Jodi Foster-like presence, shines in her role as Elsa, and deserves particular note. But the film rests on the shoulders of Griffin Davis, and thanks to the director of Waititi, his performance stands out among the rest.
It wasn’t too long ago that I had a conversation with a friend about who stands out among up-and-coming directors, particularly as our heroes like Scorcese and Tarantino age.
I was worried that auteurs, those directors with a single vision for challenging stories, are vanishing in the face of corporate filmmaking. Taika Waititi helps alleviate those fears.
Even though he’s now a Marvel alum due to Thor: Ragnarok, he’s made great movies like What We Do in the Shadows and now, Jojo Rabbit. Waititi makes real movies and I’m excited to see what he does in the future.