I completely agree with this review. I also went into the film expecting it to be a little more along the lines of Mel Brooks' The Producers, more of a long-running joke than anything else. But, like you, I was pleasantly surprised at the weight of the project. I also agree that the film is successful in inviting reflection; just yesterday, I overheard a group of college students discussing the film (albeit somewhat trivially) and heard certain figures in modern American politics related to certain historical figures from the film. So, ya know...
I also feel like Waititi managed to touch on a lot of aspects of the rise of the National Socialist party that are often overlooked, especially in Hollywood blockbusters. Obviously, the indoctrination of children, but also the experience of closeted homosexuals within the party (see, Sam Rockwell's flamboyantly gay Nazi), the emphasis on procreation of the Aryan race (hey, Rebel Wilson), etc. I especially appreciated that these issues weren't heavily explored; at no point did Waititi step on a soap box or turn the film into a docu-lecture. He simply peppered in the details and let these micro-moments speak for themselves, which I think worked well to not distract from Jojo's development while it also spoke to the complexities of German society under the Third Reich.
I thoroughly enjoyed JoJo Rabbit. I laughed aloud several times, winced at a few others, and teared up more than once. Overall, highly recommend.
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Date: 2019-12-16 06:30 pm (UTC)I also feel like Waititi managed to touch on a lot of aspects of the rise of the National Socialist party that are often overlooked, especially in Hollywood blockbusters. Obviously, the indoctrination of children, but also the experience of closeted homosexuals within the party (see, Sam Rockwell's flamboyantly gay Nazi), the emphasis on procreation of the Aryan race (hey, Rebel Wilson), etc. I especially appreciated that these issues weren't heavily explored; at no point did Waititi step on a soap box or turn the film into a docu-lecture. He simply peppered in the details and let these micro-moments speak for themselves, which I think worked well to not distract from Jojo's development while it also spoke to the complexities of German society under the Third Reich.
I thoroughly enjoyed JoJo Rabbit. I laughed aloud several times, winced at a few others, and teared up more than once. Overall, highly recommend.