1944 Germany. Ten year old Johannes Betzler, more commonly called Jojo, is the son of good Germans, his father away fighting in Italy, while he is under the care of his mother Rosie, with his older sister Inge recently having passed away from illness. With only one true friend in the form of same aged, bespectacled Yorki, Jojo, in wanting to fit in, is arguably entering what he would consider the most important phase of his young life in attending a Nazi youth camp presided over by Captain Klenzendorf, Captain K’s almost too faithful assistant Freddy Finkel, and Fräulein Rahm, who takes Nazi policies in a slightly off-kilter direction.
Despite being considered an outsider by most of the other youth in town, Jojo figures he has a leg up on everyone else at camp in that he is constantly being guided by the spirit of Der Führer himself, Adolf Hitler, whose personal bodyguard Jojo aspires to be when he grows up. In his general day-to-day life but also supported by his time at camp, Jojo has a hatred for Jewish people despite not really knowing anything about them or ever having met anyone of the Jewish faith, the ultimate goal to kill them.
So when Jojo meets someone Jewish for the first time, especially as that meeting is in what is for him the most unlikely of circumstances, Jojo has to figure out what to do. While truly believing he is a Nazi despite not really knowing what that means, he has to decide either to follow what he has been taught in hating and trying to kill any Jewish person despite knowing that killing is not in his true nature, or not, which may have larger consequences with relation to family. While he decides, he truly gets to know the person beyond the label of “Jewish” which may factor into what happens.
Jojo Rabbit is a 2019 American black comedy film written and directed by Taika Waititi, produced by Fox Searchlight Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film stars Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, and Scarlett Johansson. The plot follows a Hitler Youth who finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic.
It had its world premiere at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2019, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States and New Zealand on October 18, 2019. Jojo Rabbit divided critics, drawing both praise and criticism for its portrayal of Nazis; though its performances (particularly those of Davis, McKenzie, and Johansson) received widespread praise. Its polarized reception has been compared to that of the 1997 film Life Is Beautiful.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Directed by: Taika Waititi
Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Judith Georgi, Victoria Hogan
Screenplay by: Taika Waititi
Production Design by: Ra Vincent
Cinematography by: Mihai Mălaimare Jr.
Film Editing by: Tom Eagles
Costume Design by: Mayes C. Rubeo
Set Decoration by: Nora Sopková
Art Direction by: Ondrej Lipensky
Music by: Michael Giacchino
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic content, some disturbing images, violence, and language.
Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date: October 18, 2019
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