Jojo Rabbit starts out quite fearlessly as indulgent satire. Its gleeful mocking of nazis is quite rapturous and infectious. Who doesn't like to laugh at nazis? From Sam Rockwell and Rebel Wilson's parodies to director Waititi's full on spoofing of Hitler the film presents at first as complete mockery and while there is something truly attractive about mocking nazis, especially in this age where so many are trying to argue some nazis are "good people," there is only so much mocking accomplishes. I understand the point of view of critics who see making light of nazism at all to be reckless and there is validity to that. I did find Rabbit's attempts to be well meaning and mostly successful, if not as visionary or groundbreaking as the film is being sold. I mean it's been done before.
But then the film introduces its main plot, the story of a young boy who has embraced his nation's culture and biases yet starts to have those values and assumptions challenged. When he discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home to keep her safe the film turns down a different path. This story too starts off very broad but has a more rounded, complete narrative. It's very touching even if director Waititi keeps it punctuated with full on laughs throughout. The story of resisters hiding Jews is a commonly told story so Jojo isn't breaking much new ground here either. But stories of resistance and breaking down prejudice are always welcome. The film stays on the lighter side (think Life is Beautiful) but near the end does get to the point where it starts to scratch the surface of just how dark this sort of racist culture could be. But it is still just a scratch. Eventually it finds a hopeful (and hopefully not dismissive) way to wrap up its story. I think this is where the movie could really find its heart and centre. But as it wraps up one theme returned which once again pulled me out of the story.
To explain this I'll jump back to the beginning of the film, to the more satirical part, where we are shown that Rockwell's nazi youth camp leader character is gay and in love with (well "love" might be a stretch for all we see) Alfe Allen's nazi character. But this being lampoon, this quality in the characters is played for laughs. They have "hilarious" moments where their sexuality is being exploited for jokes. The irony of a nazi being gay at a time when gays were being put into concentration camps, appears somewhat lost on the film. The audience is to laugh at him for his gay-like qualities. It isn't referenced often but it is obvious when it does. For a film which is so blatantly about criticizing prejudice to queer code a villain, or use his sexuality as a source of humour is really quite disgusting and disappointing. Especially framed as a youth leader, since really we need audiences to see gay men as seeking out rolls as youth leaders?? Ugh.
All of this then takes us to the ending where the film tries to make up for a this a bit where it give Rockwell's character a moment of heroics where he saves (no Jews by the way) the German kid he has come to admire, as if he wasn't such a bad nazi. It doesn't completely exonerate him or give him an out, but it makes us not hate him quite so much. And it happens just as the film has built to a rather touching conclusion. It isn't that the character is gay that's the character's sexuality is played for both laughs and for derision. The film's last minute attempt to make him less vile (on the scale of vile nazis) doesn't quite fix this issue.
So while there was so much about Jojo Rabbit I liked I kept getting pulled into these feelings of how the film throws queer folks under the bus. There was never a need to make this character gay. The plot doesn't need him to be part of a persecuted minority to follow his character arc. The director has gone on the record trying to make it seem virtuous to include gay characters in his narrative but I think that straight director has completely missed the mark here. I believe there are ways a gay character could have been used in this film which didn't play into generalized homophobia in the film's audience. I'm not sure the film is truly as groundbreaking on any of its issues as its been presented; movies make fun of nazis all the time and stories of resisters hiding Jews from nazis has been told many times, perhaps much better.
Still I liked Jojo Rabbit. It's funny. It is inspiring. Young actors Roman Griffith Davis and Thomasin McKenzie are truly engaging to watch. As light entertainment I think it mostly works without being insulting to the memory of the holocaust. I just wish I could have liked it more if it hadn't gone down this weird queer-coding road.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Starring: Taika Waititi, Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfe Allen, Sam Rockwell
Writer/Director: Taika Waititi
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