Jojo Rabbit : A Movie Watching Experience

I think, a movie should fulfill four criteria to be considered a good movie-one, it should take you away from reality (escape function); two, it should remind you of reality (universal function); three, it should be a work of art (creative function) and it should be made ticking all the boxes of technicality(scope, camera, music etc).

Jojo Rabbit is a good movie because it fulfills all the functions in their true sense. Its trailer does paints an accurate picture of the offering yet it thankfully doesn't give it all.

JR takes you away to the world of a young German boy in 1940s. JR is refreshing as it does not paints a picture of despondency like Schindlers' List while talking of Jews but is aiming to put you through the story from the eyes of 10 year old Jojo, a Nazi enthusiast. Jojo is a soft soul as despite the constant coaxing and cajoling by his batch mates, he refuses to kill a rabbit to prove his "manliness", hence the name Rabbit.

JR is the vision to be the best of the best so that young Jojo can be the personal body guard of the Hitler. In this vision, Jojo is always upto some tiny little action to contribute in the service of the Fatherland. Jojo's mom Rosie, an excellent act by Scarlett Johansson, considers dining table as Switzerland and exhorts Jojo to live life as a 10 year old boy, climbing trees and falling from them. She secretly hides a Jewish girl, Elsa in the house and shares a beautiful bond with her. Rosie wants to see Elsa grow as a woman.

JR is whimsical in parts where the characters are grey and human. In a poignant and tense scene, one Nazi Captain K, confirms the vital details of Elsa as correct, in company of Gestapo Agents, even if the details were wrong. Towards the end, the absurdity of war and Captain K's noble nature is again manifested when he spats on the sweet Jojo for greater good.

JR's strength is in the fact that its characters speak truth and yet it appears funny. In the end, Jojo speaks about his girlfriend to his second best friend and tells him that she is a Jew. His friend, who is into Nazi young wing, casually remarks that Jews are not as big problem as the Russians and Americans!

On the parameters of reality, in its fiction JR talks about the universal emotions of love and how less different we are from each other, despite the so called tags of "isms" like Christianism, Judaism etc. The need to survive, to live, to bathe, to like the ugly and to be loved and the fear of losing some one and the difficulty of learning how to tie shoe laces is all part of the story telling. Aren't we all too similar wanting same kind of things, experiencing similar emotions and getting pissed off by the same bullshit around us?

Movie scores very high on the creative dimension. Its an adaptation of the novel which eventually won Oscar for best screen adaptation. Imagining Hitler as a constant companion of a 10 year old and to make a movie around it sounds ludicrous and interesting at the same time. Movie is an art work because without creating paraphernalia of violence it has depicted violence in hanging bodies and untied shoe laces. 

Film is a visual spectacle and ends with the quote

                                                     Let everything happen to you

                                                            Beauty and Terror

                                                              Just keep going

                                                           No feeling is final

                                                                                        Rainer Maria Rilke.

On technical aspect, movie has done great work with casting of amazing actors in suitable roles. Even small roles in the assistant of Captain K, leaves an impression upon you. Young Jojo is refreshing so is Elsa. Both scores and background music suits the theme of the movie.

Jojo Rabbit is an emotional experience and it has comedy, satire, loss and gain of humans. Life is a gift and we should be enjoying it is the key message and may be to dance. Despite the dullness of the hopelessness of the situation, JR makes you introspect the power of propaganda and how the vision of otherness is forced upon by constant othering of the enemy. Do what you can with whatever is left with you.