Jojo Rabbit

In World War II Germany, little Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) would love to be a really good Nazi. But alas, Jojo is a rabbit's foot and a klutz. For example, his attempt to throw a grenade goes badly wrong. At least his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi) stands by him even in such difficult situations and gives him the necessary motivation not to give up. But then Jojo's ethos is severely tested when he finds out that his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in her attic. Jojo knows what will happen if he betrays the girl - and he would never do that to his mother. And so he begins to spend more and more time with the Jewish girl, turning the views he's had hammered into him over the years right on their head.

With Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi (Thor: Judgment Day) pulls off a minor feat. His satire is hilarious one moment, only to punch you in the stomach with full force and bring tears to your eyes. It's a feat because in the end, despite the completely opposite tones, there's a cohesive whole. Even when the film allows itself to be delightfully silly at one point, it never falls flat, but always retains a certain charm and clever subtlety. In this way, the humorous moments definitely set up the dramatic scenes so that there is no disharmony.

It is also to Waititi's credit that he works in a very subtle way at the important moments. This is especially true of one scene that lesser filmmakers would have guaranteed to cannibalize emotionally. With Waititi, however, the simple tying of shoes is enough to hit the audience right in the heart. In addition to the New Zealander's excellent directing, however, the acting of the terrific ensemble also makes a very positive impact. Roman Griffin Davis is a true new discovery and Scarlett Johansson delivers one of the best performances of her career to date as his mother. But Sam Rockwell is also great (once again), as is Waititi himself, who appears as an imaginary Adolf Hitler.

There are a few moments in Jojo Rabbit that don't quite work. However, such minor lapses are ironed out almost immediately. Taika Waititi humorously creates a poignant plea against hate, prejudice and racism, and for life to become truly worth living only when we stop fighting each other over our backgrounds, religion or political views. The fact that this message is conveyed entertainingly and without the so often used consternation club makes this film in the end: absolutely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp