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The best Jojo Rabbit quotes highlight how the Oscar-winning movie pulled off its seemingly impossible tone. Taika Waititi's satire is the kind of movie that should not work but somehow does. It tells the story of Jojo, a young Hitler Youth living in Germany during the final days of World War II. His blind loyalty to the Nazi cause is thrown upside down after discovering a young Jewish girl being hidden in his house by his mother. The movie takes one of the darker periods in history and brings a lot of humor and heart to its story.

Jojo Rabbit is one of the most acclaimed of Taika Waititi's movies even winning him an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. It is that sharp, hilarious and heartbreaking script that features some unforgettable lines. These quotes can be laugh-out-loud lines that show Waititi's sense of humor, devastating lines that speak to the horrors and inhumanity of the time, and pointed lines of satire that beautifully sum up the ignorance of these people so guided by hate. These Jojo Rabbit quotes add to what makes it such an unforgettable experience.

15 "It's Definitely Not A Good Time To Be A Nazi."

Yorki (archie yates).

Perhaps the most important thing this movie achieves is showing how little is accomplished when living a life of hate. Unlike many war movies, the Nazis in Jojo Rabbit are seen only in defeat. The end of the war in Jojo Rabbit sees their movement crumble and showing they achieved nothing. Leave it to Taika Waititi to sum up the end of the Nazis in such a hilarious and simple way. Young Yorki sums it up wonderfully and makes you realize that after all their horrific acts against other people, the Nazis only succeeded in becoming the most despised people in the world.

14 "Oh, This Guy's A Lunatic. Oh, Look At That Psycho, He's Going To Get Us All Killed."

Adolf hitler (taika waititi).

Adolf Hitler's place in history is a man of evil and hatred, but Jojo Rabbit takes the controversial approach of depicting him in a different way. As the imaginary friend of a ten-year-old boy, Hitler is seen in this movie in a more ridiculous way that makes him less scary, perhaps even a bit pathetic. When Jojo is feeling sad about the rest of the Hitler Youth calling him names, Hitler tries to make him feel better. He insists even he is ridiculed sometimes as an unhinged madman. It's not the best motivational speech.

13 "Stop Offering Me Damn Cigarettes! I’m Ten!"

Jojo (roman griffin davis).

Jojo and Hitler make a surprisingly ridiculous pair which works mostly because we see that Hitler is regularly outwitted by a ten-year-old boy. As Hitler gives supposedly inspiring motivational speeches, he continuously offers Jojo a cigarette. The gag continues throughout the movie until Jojo finally gets fed-up and yells at Hitler, " Stop offering me damn cigarettes! I'm ten. " Even for Jojo, the most loyal Hitler Youth, Hitler can be a really annoying idiot.

12 "Now She's Got Two Knives."

Despite claiming to be a member of the so-called "Master Race", Jojo certainly seems like a scared and weak little boy. And his imaginary Hitler isn't any tougher. Once they discover the young Jewish girl Elsa hiding in the house, she takes his Hitler Youth knife. Jojo regains his courage and another knife to face Elsa again. Once again, she easily disarms him. Embarrassed and frustrated, Jojo and Hitler regroup but Hitler seems mostly concerned with how she keeps taking all the knives. " How are you going to chop up stuff, " he wonders.

11 "We're Like You, But Human."

Elsa (thomasin mckenzie).

Elsa is the real hero of this story, showing strength and wisdom in the face of her terrible situation. She also cleverly tears down Jojo's belief system in the hateful Nazi movement by simply pointing out its stupidity. Jojo attempts to use her to learn more about the Jewish people and write a book on the subject. She begins by giving him a simple explanation as to who the Jewish people are, saying " We're like you, but human. " It's a funny and thoughtful insult to anyone who would share Jojo's ignorant view of people who are different from him.

RELATED: Is Jojo Rabbit Based On A True Story?

10 "It Took Him Three Weeks To Get Over The Fact That His Grandfather Was Not Blond."

Rosie (scarlett johansson).

It's very strange to see an adorable ten-year-old boy depicted as being so obsessed with Nazis and buying into their foolish beliefs. However, the film does a great job of showing that these ridiculous philosophies are the kind of thing only a naïve child would believe. When Jojo's mother Rosie talks about how her son has become this fanatic, we see that his loyalty to the Nazi Party is beyond ludicrous. If the color of his grandfather's hair is enough to send him over the edge, it's a hint that these beliefs might be pretty foolish.

9 "I'm Unemployed And Quite Fat Now."

The relationship between Jojo and Elsa, the Jewish girl hiding in his house, is the real heart of the film. Jojo tries his best to get her out of the house, but there's only so much a ten-year-old kid can do. After learning of Elsa's fiancé, Nathan, he decides to write her a letter from the boy. His attempt to fool Elsa isn't very convincing, but he nonetheless puts a lot of work into the letter in which "Nathan" explains he wants to break off their engagement. It ends with "Nathan" saying he lied about fighting in the resistance and is actually "unemployed and quite fat now".

8 "I Gotta Go, We're Having Unicorn For Dinner At My Place Tonight."

One of the most entertaining aspects of the film is Jojo's imaginary friend who happens to be Adolf Hitler , played by Waititi himself. While it might be hard for some to see a humorous take on one of the vilest people in history, the movie shows him through Jojo's eyes, making him a foolish character. It's interesting seeing Hitler as the real-life leader of the Nazi party whom Jojo idolizes, mixed with the imaginary world of a ten-year-old's mind. For him to go from discussing how to deal with Elsa to talking about feasting on unicorn is a great example of the outrageous tone of the film.

7 "Oh, It's So Sad For You. You've Lost Your Mind."

Scarlett Johansson delivers another Oscar-nominated performance in this film as Jojo's mother Rosie. Unlike the other people in town, Rosie is a genuinely good person who longs for an end to the war and risks her life to keep Jojo and Elsa safe. It is also a role that allows Johansson to show off her comedic chops. Rosie jokes around and teases Jojo, bringing laughter into the harsh world. When Jojo says he heard his dead sister's ghost upstairs, Rosie simply responds by mocking Jojo as a crazy person. It shows the silly and sweet way of dealing with her son that makes the death of Jojo's mother all the more heartbreaking.

6 "I Think You'll Find That Metal Is The Strongest Thing On The Earth Followed By Dynamite And Then Muscles."

Part of what makes Jojo such an interesting character is that he takes the Nazi cause so seriously while still being a small child who doesn't really know what he's talking about. He refutes any argument against the Nazis with such conviction, even when what he's saying sounds ridiculous. His mother tries to tell him that there's more to life than these warped ideologies, explaining that love is more powerful and is the strongest thing in the world. Jojo immediately thinks this is ridiculous as he can name many things stronger than love.

5 "We'll Burn Down The House And Blame Winston Churchill."

As uncomfortable as the image of Hitler is, the movie thankfully makes him out to be a buffoon at every possible opportunity. Jojo is the one who does all the thinking while Hitler whines like a child. Whenever he does come up with plans, they are always terrible. After finding Elsa in the house, Jojo and Hitler try to come up with a solution to get rid of her. While Jojo suggests they negotiate, Hitler's idea is a more drastic step. Again, it can be uncomfortable to laugh with Hitler on screen, but at least we're laughing at the fact that he's an idiot.

4 "Finkel, I Meant We Need Dogs For When A City Is Attacked, Not Actual German Shepherds."

Captain klenzendorf (sam rockwell).

Sam Rockwell gives another of the film's memorable performances as Captain K, the disillusioned and incompetent commander of the Hitler Youth. He is a man who misses being on the front lines and takes great satisfaction in planning the town's defenses against the Allied forces. However, he has to make do with what he has. After his right-hand man Finkle brings him actual German shepherds instead of the dogs he requested, Captain K loses his cool. However, he is quick to apologize to Finkle and admits it's a stupid name for a dog.

3 "You Were Chosen By A Pathetic Little Man Who Can't Even Grow A Full Mustache."

Elsa is another key aspect of the film and Thomasin MacKenzie gives a fantastic performance in the role. She infuses her with heartbreak over what she has gone through while still allowing her to be a strong person. One of her best scenes comes early in Elsa and Jojo's relationship . After Jojo claims the Jewish people are weak, Elsa overpowers him and proves how wrong he is. She says her people were chosen by God while he was chosen by a " pathetic little man who can't even grow a full mustache ". It's another great example of pointing out the obvious flaws in Jojo's beliefs.

2 "F**k off Hitler."

As the film goes on, Jojo gradually realizes he is not the kind of person who truly believes in the ideologies he has been spewing. His friendship with Elsa shows him this and he moves away from his Nazi ways. This causes a rift in his friendship with imaginary Hitler resulting in a hilarious confrontation at the end. As Hitler pathetically pleads with Jojo to come back to the losing side, Jojo does something we all wish we could do, he tells him to " f**k off " and kicks him out the window.

1 "Our Only Friends Are The Japanese And Just Between You And Me, They Don't Look Very Aryan."

Though Jojo considers imaginary Hitler to be his best friend, he does have a real friend who is much better. Yorkie, played by the adorable Archie Yates, is a fellow member of the Hitler Youth but spends most of his time being friendly and pointing out how none of their beliefs make sense. When the war is coming to an end, Yorki laments that the entire world is against Germany except for the Japanese. But as he wisely points out, their only remaining allies don't seem to match Hitler's description of the Aryan race. It's a hilariously spot-on example of the cowardly hypocrisy of the Nazis that is all throughout Jojo Rabbit .

• Jojo Rabbit (2019)

• Scriptwriting

What is Jojo Rabbit About? Synopsis, Quotes, & Video Analysis

D irector Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit was the anti-hate satire that many felt was needed at this precise point in history. Modern-day intolerance was challenged through the lens of a period piece comedy with a big heart. What is  Jojo Rabbit about? We’ll start with a synopsis before jumping into our Jojo Rabbit analysis and how Waititi set us up for the ultimate emotional gut-punch. SPOILER ALERT!

Watch: Jojo Rabbit – How to Direct a Gut-Punch 

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Jojo Rabbit Synopsis

What is  jojo rabbit  about.

Jojo Rabbit follows a 10-year-old boy named Johannes Betzler, an idealistic yet misguided Hitler Youth during WWII. He lives with his mother, Rosie, and is often visited by an imaginary friend — a cartoonish version of Adolf Hitler. 

While attending Hitler Youth Training Camp, Jojo is injured while mishandling a grenade. While recovering from his injuries, Jojo discovers that his mother has been secretly hiding a young Jewish girl named Elsa in their attic.

Jojo is now stuck — revealing this hideaway to the authorities would get both he and his mother executed. Instead, his plan is to learn as much as he can about Jews so he can provide this intel to his superiors. 

This plan backfires when his conversations reveal Elsa to be anything but the evil monster he assumed she was. For more on the plot, tone and satire at work in Jojo Rabbit , here's the trailer.

Jojo Rabbit Trailer

Jojo rabbit director, how taika waititi uses motifs.

Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi is no stranger to the motif. He has been crafting and implementing compelling motifs in film since all the way back in his TV days, working on episodes of the excellent 2007 HBO show Flight of the Conchords .

MOTIF DEFINITION

What is a motif in film.

A  motif  is a repeated narrative element that supports the theme of a story. A motif in film can be presented in a number of ways like physical items, sound design, lines of dialogue, music, colors, and symbols. Any motif used will vastly improve your story if it has  narrative significance . 

Visual motifs in film use recurring patterns through props, set design, costumes, symbols, and events to support the intended theme of a story.

Examples of motifs in film:

• The American flag in  Silence of the Lambs
• Mirrors in  Black Swan
• The color red in  The Sixth Sense
• Clocks in  Back to the Future

In Jojo Rabbit , Waititi uses motifs for one purpose — to make the most emotional scene in the movie like a punch to the gut. We've seen these motifs throughout the film but we aren't quite sure of their significance until the most devastating moment...

SPOILER ALERT!

Jojo's mother is hanged for treason.

As we break down the Jojo Rabbit hanging scene, you’ll find that there are two important visual motifs at play in the hanging scene: the butterflies and the mother’s shoes.

To see these repeated visuals clearly for our Jojo Rabbit analysis we’ll bring the scene into a StudioBinder storyboard . First, let's look at our first motif — butterflies. 

Jojo Rabbit  •  Storyboard of butterfly shots  •   View Storyboard

Earlier on in Jojo Rabbit, Waititi introduced butterflies as an important image. A particular feeling and emotion have been attached to the symbol, which sets us up even more for the emotional gut-punch to come after Jojo follows a particular blue butterfly.

More striking than the butterfly imagery, is the mother’s distinctive pair of shoes — the second important visual motif. 

Rosie's Shoes

Even the simplest Jojo Rabbit analysis reveals these shoes to hold tremendous significance. The mother’s shoes had great importance placed on them right from the Jojo Rabbit script. This pair of shoes is all we need to see in order to register the horrible truth of Rosie’s death by hanging at the gallows.

Setups and payoffs are an intrinsic part of writing. The best setups don’t feel like setups while they’re happening, and Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi constructs this particular setup masterfully. He has repeatedly shown us these shoes in this particular framing in lighthearted contexts, so that the image of her hanging, dead, hits us extra hard.

Jojo Rabbit  •  Rosie’s shoes  •   View Storyboard

A good director thinks about the composition of every single shot in their film. They know, for example, the rules of composition  — when to follow them and when to break them.

Waititi used a very particular and odd compositional motif. You may have even registered their oddness while watching the film but their purpose isn't revealed until the critical moment. That's how a great director plans and executes a visual motif.

Jojo Rabbit analysis

How to shift tone.

For the next stage of our Jojo Rabbit analysis, we’re turning our attention to the complex matter of shifting tone. An abrupt change of tone can instantly break a viewer’s immersion and take them out of the film. Navigating a tonal shift takes careful planning at all levels, starting with the Jojo Rabbit script.

Waititi chose satire as the ideal vehicle to shape his message. Specifically, the film falls under a type called Menippean satire, which we explain in this video.

3 Types of Satire Explained  •   Subscribe on YouTube

The difference in tone between the hanging scene and every scene that preceded it is immediately apparent when endeavoring any Jojo Rabbit analysis. Let’s use StudioBinder's screenwriting software to take a look at the Jojo Rabbit script for closer inspection.

Jojo Rabbit Screenplay  •   Read Full Script

The first indication of the tonal shift in the script comes from this action line which sees Jojo’s imaginary friend manifestation of Hitler losing his friendly, comedic edge. Without removing the element of comedy, the real hate of Hitler’s messaging is beginning to show, tipping to the tone toward the more serious end of the spectrum.

Jojo Rabbit Screenplay  •  Tonal Shift  •   Read Full Scene

On the visual side, the Jojo Rabbit director strips all of the bright, warm colors out of the image, replacing them with cold, blue tones. For more information on these types of color decisions in post, make sure you understand the difference between  color grading vs. color correction .

The shocking reveal is accompanied by a large slow down of pace. Shots linger on Jojo’s heartbreak and the passage of time is elongated through slow edits.

Tone can be reinforced or magnified through composition. A tonal shift is a great chance to change up the visual style of a film, and Taika Waititi does that in  Jojo Rabbit  by withholding visual information.

Did You Know?

The Jojo Rabbit script was based on the novel ‘Caging Skies.’ The book, written by Christine Leunens, is far darker in tone and ends in a much different manner than the film.

TAIKA WAITITI

How to withhold information.

For the final stage of our  Jojo Rabbit  analysis, we’re focusing on the things that the film’s director chose not to show. The majority of a film’s impact on an audience comes from the visual information that it conveys, but, occasionally, withholding visual information can serve to heighten an emotional moment.

In this scene, the director of  Jojo Rabbit chose not to show Rosie’s face. We know who it is instantly because her striking red and white shoes have been set up perfectly throughout the course of the film. Not allowing us as an audience to see her face is a bold choice; one that adds an extra layer of closeness between Jojo and his mother that the audience doesn’t get to share.

Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi planned on using David Bowie’s Heroes as the closing song from the very beginning of his creative process.

When asked about shooting the scene this way, Taika Waititi explained that seeing a dead loved one is an intimate thing and that the audience doesn’t have permission to see what Jojo sees at that moment.

This use of visual and narrative motifs is just the beginning of what makes this such a powerful film. To get into even more detail on the visual style of the film, here’s Mihai Malaimare Jr., cinematographer of Jojo Rabbit , explaining the camera and lighting choices that were made.

Jojo Rabbit Scene Analysis with Cinematographer

For any filmmakers looking to add layers of meaning and symbolism to their next project, look to Taika Waititi and Jojo Rabbit for inspiration. As you can see, it doesn't require a lot to use motifs to create powerful and dramatic moments. A little planning in the screenplay and storyboarding, and that's all it takes. 

Related Posts

• Visual Motifs and Creative Examples →
• Know the Rules of Shot Composition →
• FREE Download: Script Breakdown Sheet Template →

Arrival Explained

If you enjoyed this Jojo Rabbit analysis, you’re sure to like the other posts and videos in our Director’s Playbook series. Check out this breakdown of a scene from Denis Villeneuve’s  Arrival  and how he was able to use shot compositions and camera angles to tread the fine line between intrigue and fear.

Up Next: Arrival Explained →

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The Best Quotes From 'Jojo Rabbit'

It's time to vote for the best Jojo Rabbit quotes. This irreverent comedy comes from director Taika Waititi, the man who previously brought us Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnarok . He also wrote the screenplay, which is based on a novel by Christine Leunens. Befitting of an edgy satire, the movie contains dozens of funny lines, as well as some unmistakably pointed one-liners, along with some hilarious Jojo quotes.

The plot is both straightforward and slightly crazy. In Nazi Germany, a young boy named Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) discovers that his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), in the attic of their home. The comedic twist is that Jojo has an imaginary friend who guides him -- and that imaginary friend is none other than Adolf Hitler. Waititi takes on that role himself, delivering a wacky take on the real-life historical figure. Obviously, the film has generated some controversy for its approach to the character, but the intention is to mock Nazis and deliver an anti-hate message that's relevant to the world today.

The film also sports a stellar cast of supporting actors, including Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, and Stephen Merchant. 

Vote up the most memorable Jojo Rabbit quotes from the list below, regardless of which character speaks them.

Click here to watch the full movie.

The Strongest Thing In The World

Rosie: Love is the strongest thing in the world. 

Jojo Betzler: I think you'll find that metal is the strongest thing in the world, followed closely by dynamite, and then muscles. 

Not A Good Time

Jojo Betzler: Nothing makes sense anymore.

Yorki: Yeah, I know, definitely not a good time to be a Nazi.

Click here to watch Jojo Rabbit.

Scared Rabbit

Adolf Hitler: What's wrong, little man?

Jojo Betzler: They call me a scared rabbit.

Adolf Hitler: Let them say whatever they want. People used to say a lot of nasty things about me. "Oh, this guy's a lunatic." "Oh, look at that psycho. He's gonna get us all killed."

Elsa Korr: You know what I am?

Jojo Betzler: A Jew?

Elsa Korr: Gesundheit. 

Funny Uniform

Elsa Korr: You're not a Nazi, Jojo. You're a ten-year-old kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club.

Jojo Betzler: What am I going to do?

Adolf Hitler: No idea.

Jojo Betzler: Got it! I'll negotiate!

Adolf Hitler (talking over him): Burn down the house and blame Winston Churchill. Or negotiate.

Operation: Screw-Up

Captain Klenzendorf: So, a little about me. Who am I and why am I here, talking to a bunch of little t*tty-grabbers instead of leading my men into battle towards glorious death? Good question. I've asked it myself every day since Operation: Screw-Up, where I lost a perfectly good eye in a totally preventable enemy attack. And according to my superiors, you need two eyes to be a meaningful part of the war effort.

Chew On These Grapes

Jojo Betzler: You aren't eating.

Rosie: No. I am not that hungry. For now, I am just going to chew on these grapes. 

Walk The Clones

Fraulein Rahm: We need someone to walk the clones, because some of them are malfunctioning. 

Rosie (talking about love): You'll know it when you feel it. It's a pain.

Jojo Betzler: In my ass, I bet.

Rosie: In your tummy. Like you're full of butterflies. 

Jojo Betzler: Yuck. 

Treats Me Like A Person

Elsa Korr: Your mother took me in. She's kind. She treats me like a person.

Growing Up Too Fast

Rosie: You're growing up too fast. Ten-year-olds shouldn't be celebrating war and talking politics. 

Rosie: Field Marshall Jojo, you're our top man. Prepare to leave the house. 

Messed-Up Face

Captain Klenzendorf: Frau Betzler, you're looking fetching, as usual.

[Rosie knees him in the groin, causing him to drop to his knees in pain.]

Rosie Betzler: It's because of you my son can't walk properly and has a messed-up face. 

Blind Fanaticism

Deertz: I wish more of our young boys had your blind fanaticism. 

Captain Klenzendorf: Today you boys will be involved in such activities as war games, ambush techniques, and blowing stuff up. 

Adolf Hitler: You two seem to be getting on well!

Jojo Betzler: She doesn't seem like a bad person.

Fraulein Rahm: Kids, it's time to burn some books!

Show It To The World

Adolf Hitler: It's time to show it to the world, don't you think?

Imaginary Friend

Captain Klenzendorf: When I was your age, I had an imaginary friend who got me in so much trouble. 

Read Each Other's Minds

Jojo Betzler: Did you know Jews can read each other's minds? 

Big Trouble

Jojo Betzler (to Elsa Korr): If I tell on you, you'll be in big trouble.

The Camel's Humps

Adolf Hitler: Hey Jojo, you'll never guess what's in the camel's humps. Fat. Disgusting. 

Best Weekend Ever

Jojo Betzler: Are you ready for the best weekend ever?

Yorki: Yes I am!

Of Course You Can

Jojo Betzler: I don't think I can do this.

Adolf Hitler: Of course you can!

• Jojo Rabbit (2019)
• Movie Quotes
• Comedy Movies

The greatest, funniest, and most iconic movie and TV quotes from your all-time favorite comedies (and a few you probably haven’t seen).

Jojo Rabbit

Jojo Rabbit is a 2019 film about a Hitler Youth member who finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic.

• 1 Jojo Betzler
• 2 Rosie Betzler
• 3 Elsa Korr
• 4 Adolf Hitler
• 5 Captain Klenzendorf
• 6 Fräulein Rahm
• 8 Herman Deertz
• 11 External links

Jojo Betzler [ edit ]

• [talking to the mirror] Jojo Betzler. Ten years old. Today, you join the ranks of the Jungvolk in a very, special... training weekend. It's going to be intense. But today, you become a man. I swear to devout all my energies and my strength to the saviour of our country, Adolf Hitler . I am willing and ready to give up my life for him . So help me, God.
• [clarifying to his friend Yorki his position] Yorki, you're my second best friend. First place is reserved for the Führer. So unless you're Hitler hiding in a fat little boy's body, I'd be happy with second place.
• [fearfully asking Elsa to come out of her secret room] Excuse me, little girl? Umm... Jew girl in the wall? Yoohoo... Jew???
• OK, here's the situation. If I tell on you, you’ll be in big trouble and I don’t think you want that. But then you’ll tell on me and my mother and we’ll be in trouble which I don’t want. And if you tell my mother I know , then she’ll kick you out, which you don’t want. And if I tell my mother I know , then you’ll cut off my Nazi head, which I also don’t want. So it's a Mexican stalemate.
• [a fake letter from Elsa's fiance Nathan] Dear Elsa, this is hard for me to say but, I don't want to marry you anymore. I found a new woman, and we laugh a lot, and do the tongue kiss .
• [a second letter apologizing] I just wanted to let you know that I don't want to break up with you now. I don't want you to kill yourself over me, which a couple of girls have done in the past, and it's pretty stressful. I need you to stay alive. Thank God you've been taken care of by that kid, who I must say is a remarkable young man beyond his years. And brave too.
• No news from Nathan today, I'm afraid. He's probably doing something amazing , like reading a book or growing a beard.
• [after the war, Jojo realizes how horrible Hitler was, and attempts to kick him out of his life] FUCK OFF, HITLER .

Rosie Betzler [ edit ]

• [to Jojo] Mmmm-mmm-mm-mmm, my darling little cub.
• [tying Jojo's shoes] You grab the rabbit by the tail, wrap it around his ear, tie it all up and then stuff it back down the hole.
• [responding to Jojo who whines over his scar] Enjoy the attention, kid. Not everyone is lucky enough to look stupid. I for one am cursed to look incredibly attractive.
• [making dinner] Where are all our god damn knives!?

Elsa Korr [ edit ]

• [to Jojo] Hi.
• [Jojo asks for information about the Jews] OKay. We're like you... but human.
• [after Jojo tells her his race is superior, she has him in a headlock] Break free. Break free, Great Aryan , there are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants , we were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't even grow a full mustache! [releases Jojo roughly] Stronger race, huh?
• You're not a Nazi, Jojo. You're a ten-year-old kid who likes swastikas and likes dressing up in a funny uniform who wants to be part of a club . But you're not one of them.
• [telling Jojo] The last time I saw my parents was at the station. They were put on a train . I ran . Slowly found my way back to the city. But... my parents go to a place you don't come back from.

Adolf Hitler [ edit ]

• [comforting Jojo after being bullied "Jojo Rabbit"] Let them say whatever they want. People used to say a lot of nasty things about me. "Oh this guy's a lunatic." "Oh, look at that psycho, he's gonna get us all killed. [shrugs, knows he DOES kill people] Let me let you on a little secret: the rabbit is no coward. The humble little bunny faces a dangerous world every day, hunting carrots for his family, for his country .
• [after Jojo grabs books] Yes. Great thinking, Rabbit. we'll use all of these books to make a fake floor that she'll fall through, straight into a pit full of piranhas, and—and lava and... bacon. Why, she won't know what hit her.
• [After Jojo tells him Elsa is not bad] I am beginning to question your loyalty to myself and the party. [voice gets louder] You call yourself a patriot?! Yet where is the evidence? The German soldier was born out of necessity. Germany depends on the passion of these young men: passion and the readiness to FALL fot the Fatherland, DESPITE THE FUTILE EFFORTS OF ALLIED WAR PROFITEERS WHO SEND THEIR ILL-PREPARED ARMIES CLUMSILY INTO THE LAIR OF THE WOLF ! And only zealous who stand steadfast in the face of the enemy will be ETCHED in German memory forevah! IT IS UP TO YOU TO DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED, or disappear without a trace, like a pitiful grain of sand INTO A DESERT OF INSIGNIFICANCE!

Captain Klenzendorf [ edit ]

• Heil Hitler, guys.
• And even though it would appear our country's on the backfoot and there's isn't much hope in us winning this war, apparently we're doing just fine.
• [to the students, after seeing Jojo exploded by a hand grenade irresponsibly] Don't do that.
• I've been meaning to teach the HJ boys water warfare training. Y'know... in case they need to go to battle in a swimming pool.
• [seeing the HJ boys drowning, to Sub-Officer Finkel] Finkie, they're drowning.
• As part of our preparations for the invasion I’m re-designing my uniform. Note, the feathers for aerodynamics, the sparkly colour to dazzle the enemy, the boots are purely decorative. [shows another sketch] And this is a Gatling gun mounted with a radio which emits... annoying music to dishearten the enemy.

Fräulein Rahm [ edit ]

• [to Jungvolk members] We Aryans are once thousand times more civilized and advanced than any other race. Now get your things together, kids, it's time to BURN SOME BOOKS!
• A Jew hypnotized my uncle, and he became a massive drunk, and he cheated on his wife, and he had an inappropriate relationship with my sister. And said he drowned in an unrelated accident, but it—it was Jew's fault.
• My friend met some Russians and they ate them.
• [to kid] OK, see that American there? Just go give him a hug! [loads suicide grenade at his back]
• We must kill everything that we see. [carries machine gun] For Hitler. DIE, DEVIL SCUM!!! [shoots randomly, before killed by explosion]

Yorki [ edit ]

• [Jojo asks Germany's progress on the war] Terribly. Our only friends are the Japanese, and just between you and me... they don't look very Aryan.
• [wearing soldier uniform] Oh my God, it's so hard to run in this thing!
• There are bigger things to worry about than Jews, Jojo. There's Russians somewhere out there. They're worse than anyone. I heard they eat babies and have sex with dogs. The Englishmen do it too. We have to stop them before they eat us and screw all our dogs.

Herman Deertz [ edit ]

• [Klenzendorf asks how he's doing] Oh, you know how it is. Every day we take a call, "Hallo, is that the Gestapo? I believe there's a communist hiding behind my fridge. We go around to investigate, it's just some mould. So not far off. [sighs] It's all part of the job.
• [to Jojo] You and your friends may have heard a rumour that Hitler only has one ball-- this is nonsense. He has four .
• [laughs at Jojo's ridiculous antisemitic picture book] Guys you need to see this. Ah this one, he has a tail. And here, he's upside down like a bat. And this is a drawing of their heads. And who is operating the machinery of their brains? The devil. Ah, it's funny 'cause it's true.

Dialogue [ edit ]

Cast [ edit ].

• Roman Griffin Davis — Johannes "Jojo" Betzler
• Thomasin McKenzie — Elsa
• Taika Waititi — Adolf
• Rebel Wilson — Fräulein Rahm
• Stephen Merchant — Deertz
• Alfie Allen — Finkel
• Sam Rockwell — Captain Klenzendorf
• Scarlett Johansson — Rosie Betzler
• Archie Yates — Yorki

External links [ edit ]

• Jojo Rabbit quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Jojo Rabbit at Rotten Tomatoes
• Jojo Rabbit at Metacritic

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• Coming-of-age films
• Black comedy films
• Films about antisemitism
• Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners
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“Jojo Rabbit” quotes

“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a fat man with greasy hair and half a moustache.” Thomasin McKenzie - Elsa

“- Elsa Korr: I don't know anything about being a woman. Is that what it is? You do things like drink wine ? - Rosie: Sure . You drink . Champagne if you're happy. Champagne, if you're sad . You drive a car. Gamble if you want. Own diamonds . Learn how to fire a gun . You travel to Morocco. Take up lovers. Make them suffer . You look a tiger in the eye....” (continue) (continue reading) Thomasin McKenzie - Elsa Scarlett Johansson - Rosie

“- Jojo Betzler: I said to draw where Jews live. This is just a stupid picture of my head. - Elsa Korr: Yeah, that's where we live.” Roman Griffin Davis - Jojo Thomasin McKenzie - Elsa

Let them say whatever they want. People used to say a lot of nasty things about me. "Oh, this guy's a lunatic!" "Oh, look at that psycho! He's gonna get us all killed!" Taika Waititi - Adolf

“- Jojo Betzler: I'm way too busy for a girlfriend . - Elsa Korr: One day you'll make time. You'll think of nothing else. You'll meet someone, and spend your days, dreaming of the moments you can hold them in your arms again. That's love.” Roman Griffin Davis - Jojo Thomasin McKenzie - Elsa

“And it is up to you to decide if you want to be remembered, or disappear without a trace, like a pitiful grain of sand into a desert of insignificance. To put it plainly. Get your shit together and sort out your priorities.” Taika Waititi - Adolf

“- Jojo Betzler: Nothing makes sense anymore. - Yorki: Yeah, I know, definitely not a good time to be a Nazi.” Roman Griffin Davis - Jojo Archie Yates - Yorki

“- Elsa Korr: You know what I am. Say it. Say it! - Jojo Betzler: A Jew? - Elsa Korr: Gesundheit.” Thomasin McKenzie - Elsa Roman Griffin Davis - Jojo

“You're not a Nazi, Jojo. You're a ten- year -old kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club.” Thomasin McKenzie - Elsa

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Jojo Rabbit

• [ Rosie and Jojo come upon six people hanging from a gallows in the town square ]
• Jojo Betzler : What did they do?
• Rosie : What they could.
• Jojo Betzler : Nothing makes sense anymore.
• Yorki : Yeah, I know, definitely not a good time to be a Nazi.
• Elsa Korr : You're not a Nazi, Jojo. You're a ten-year-old kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club.
• Adolf Hitler : Let them say whatever they want. People used to say a lot of nasty things about me. "Oh, this guy's a lunatic!" "Oh, look at that psycho! He's gonna get us all killed!"
• Jojo Betzler : I said to draw where Jews live. This is just a stupid picture of my head.
• Elsa Korr : Yeah, that's where we live.
• Jojo Betzler : What am I going to do?
• Adolf Hitler : I have no idea.
• Jojo Betzler , Adolf Hitler : Got It!
• Jojo Betzler : [ simultaneously ] I'll negotiate.
• Adolf Hitler : [ simultaneously ] I'll burn down the house and blame Winston Churchill... or negotiate.
• Rosie : You're growing up too fast. Ten-year-olds shouldn't be celebrating war and talking politics. You should be climbing trees and then falling out of those trees.
• Jojo Betzler : But the Führer says when we win, it is us, young boys who will rule the world.
• Rosie : Pfft! The Reich is dying. We're going to lose the war and then what are you going to do, hmm? Life is a gift. We must celebrate it. We have to dance to show God we are grateful to be alive.
• Jojo Betzler : Well, I won't dance. Dancing is for people who don't have a job.
• Rosie : Dancing is for people who are free. It's an escape from all this.
• Yorki : I am going home to my mother. I need a cuddle.
• Jojo Betzler : What's going on out here?
• Yorki : The Russians, Jojo. They're coming. And the Americans from the other way. And England and China and Africa and India. The whole world is coming. Help me with this ammo.
• Jojo Betzler : And how are we doing?
• Yorki : Terribly. Our only friends are the Japanese. And just between you and me, they don't look very Aryan.
• Elsa Korr : You know what I am. Say it. Say it!
• Jojo Betzler : A Jew?
• Elsa Korr : Gesundheit.
• Jojo Betzler : I'm way too busy for a girlfriend.
• Elsa Korr : One day you'll make time. You'll think of nothing else. You'll meet someone, and spend your days, dreaming of the moments you can hold them in your arms again. That's love.
• Elsa Korr : I don't know anything about being a woman. Is that what it is? You do things like drink wine?
• Rosie : Sure. You drink. Champagne if you're happy. Champagne, if you're sad. You drive a car. Gamble if you want. Own diamonds. Learn how to fire a gun. You travel to Morocco. Take up lovers. Make them suffer. You look a tiger in the eye. And trust without fear. That's what it is to be a woman.
• Jojo Betzler : But... you know... she's Jewish.
• Yorki : There are bigger things to worry about than Jews, Jojo. There's Russians out there somewhere.
• Rosie : [ exasperated ] Where are all the goddamned knives?
• Jojo Betzler : How dare you, Jew? You are weak, like an eyelash. I am born of Aryan ancestry. My blood is the color of a pure red rose. And my eyes are blue.
• Elsa Korr : [ grabs Jojo ] Break free. Break free, great Aryan. There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't even grow a full moustache. A stronger race, huh?
• Jojo Betzler : [ to Adolf ] Fuck off, Hitler!
• [ kicks Adolph out the window ]
• Elsa Korr : Is it dangerous out there?
• Jojo Betzler : Extremely.
• Jojo Betzler : I think you'll find that metal is the strongest thing on the earth followed by dynamite and then muscles.
• Rosie : [ Jojo has told her that he hears the ghost of his dead sister upstairs ] You've lost your mind. It's sadder for me though, because I have to live with a crazy person.
• Fraulein Rahm : [ Talking to Nazi boy soldier ] Okay. Come here. Okay. See that American there? Just go give him a hug.
• [ Activating grenade strapped to boy's belt ]
• Fraulein Rahm : Go! Run! Let's Go!
• [ Notices Yorki ]
• Fraulein Rahm : Oh, Yorki. Yorki, great news. You've just been promoted, and you get your own pistol. Just go and shoot anybody who looks different to us.
• Deertz : [ to Jojo ] You and your friends may have heard a rumor that Hitler only has one ball. This is nonsense. He has four.
• Elsa Korr : Your mother took me in. She's kind. She treats me like a person.
• Captain Klenzendorf : Today you boys will be involved in such activities as marching, bayonet drills, grenade throwing, trench digging, map reading, gas defense, camouflage, ambush techniques, war games, firing guns and blowing stuff up.
• [ boys cheer ]
• Captain Klenzendorf : The girls will practice important womanly duties such as dressing wounds, making beds and learning how to get pregnant.
• Fraulein Rahm : I had eighteen babies for the Fuhrer. It's a great year to be a girl!
• Adolf Hitler : And it is up to you to decide if you want to be remembered, or disappear without a trace, like a pitiful grain of sand into a desert of insignificance. To put it plainly. Get your shit together and sort out your priorities.
• Jojo Betzler : [ after Elsa slaps him for lying about who won the war ] Yeah, I kind of deserved that.
• Jojo Betzler : If someone turned in a Jew, would they get a medal or something?
• Captain Klenzendorf : Ah, Jews, Jews, Jews. Are you still going on about those people? You know I'm preparing the city for imminent invasion, right? I'm trying to plan a defense strategy.
• [ Indicates raisins on a map ]
• Captain Klenzendorf : I've got Americans to the west,
• [ indicates almonds on the map ]
• Captain Klenzendorf : got Russians to the east.
• Fraulein Rahm : My friend once met some Russians, and they ate him.
• Jojo Betzler : Who's the walnuts?
• Captain Klenzendorf : Walnuts are just walnuts, kid.
• Captain Klenzendorf : Okay. If you see a Jew, you tell us, we tell the Gestapo, they tell the SS, and then they go out and they kill the Jew. And anyone who helped the Jew. And, because these are very paranoid times, probably some other people just in case. It's a pretty drawn-out process.
• Jojo Betzler : I look stupid. People will stare.
• Rosie : Enjoy the attention, kid. Not everyone is lucky enough to look stupid. I, for one, am cursed to look incredibly attractive.
• Yorki : There are bigger things to worry about than Jews, Jojo. There's Russians somewhere out there. They're worse than anyone. I heard they eat babies and have sex with dogs. I mean like that's bad, right?
• Jojo : Sex with dogs?
• Yorki : Yeah. The Englishmen do it too. We have to stop them before they eat us and screw all our dogs.
• Fraulein Rahm : [ looking at Jojo in the ambulance ] O-M-Gott! He looks like a Picasso painting!
• Yorki : I'm not sure we chose the right side.
• [ first lines ]
• Jojo Betzler : [ Jojo puts on his uniform and looks at himself in the mirror ] Jojo Betzler, ten years old. Today, you join the ranks of the Jungvolk in a very special training weekend. It's going to be intense. Today, you become a man.
• Jojo Betzler : I swear to devote all my energies and my strength to the savior of our country, and of his now. I am willing and ready to give up my life for him. So help me, God.
• [ Hitler walks around Jojo ]
• Adolf Hitler : Yes, that's right. Now, Jojo Betzler, what is your mind?
• Jojo Betzler : Snake mind.
• Adolf Hitler : And Jojo Betzler, what is your body?
• Jojo Betzler : Wolf body.
• Adolf Hitler : Jojo Betzler, what is your courage?
• Jojo Betzler : Panther courage.
• Adolf Hitler : And Jojo Betzler, what is your soul?
• Jojo Betzler : A German soul.
• Adolf Hitler : Yeah, man. You're ready.
• Jojo Betzler : Adolf?
• Adolf Hitler : Hmm?
• Jojo Betzler : I don't... I don't think I can do this.
• Adolf Hitler : What? Of course you can. Sure, you're a little bit scrawny and a bit unpopular and you can't tie your shoelaces even though you're 10 years old, but you're still the bestest, most loyal little Nazi I've ever met. Not to mention the fact you're really good looking. So you're gonna get out there and you're gonna have a great time, okay?
• Jojo Betzler : Okay.
• Adolf Hitler : That's the spirit, okay.
• [ Adolf turns Jojo around ]
• Adolf Hitler : Heil me, man.
• Jojo Betzler : Heil Hitler.
• Adolf Hitler : Whaaat? You can heil me better than that.
• Adolf Hitler : Just throw it away. Don't even think about it.
• Adolf Hitler : No, you're overthinking it. Heil Hitler.
• Jojo Betzler : Heil Hitaler.
• Adolf Hitler : Who's Hitaler? Do you even speak German?
• Adolf Hitler : That's not a heil. This is a heil. Heil!
• Jojo Betzler : Heil Hitler!
• Adolf Hitler : Heil Hitler!
• [ Jojo continues to yell 'Heil Hitler!' several times ]
• Adolf Hitler : Ooh, that's it! You've got it! Heil Hitler! Have a great day! Heil Hitler! You can be the best! Heil Hitler! You can do it!
• Jojo Betzler , Adolf Hitler : Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler!
• [ they both scream until Jojo runs out the door ]
• Adolf : Did you see how fast she moved?
• Jojo : Yes.
• Adolf : Like a little female Jewish Jesse Owens. And now she's got your fancy knife!
• Jojo : Mmm, my knife!
• Adolf : Yeah, like a little female Jewish Jesse Owens Jack the Ripper. You're definitely in a pickle, my friend.
• Captain Klenzendorf : As part of our preparations for the invasion, I'm redesigning my uniform. Note, the feathers for aerodynamics, the sparkly color to dazzle the enemy, the boots purely decorative.
• Jojo : Hey, Yorki. I caught a Jew. A real one.
• Yorki : Oh a Jew? I saw some that they caught hiding in the forest last month. Personally, I didn't see what all the fuss was about. They weren't at all scary and seemed kind of normal.
• [ Jojo has just run out of the fog, grabbed a grenade out of his hand, and had it blow up in his face ]
• Captain Klenzendorf : [ Instructs to the class ] Don't... do that.
• Deertz : Now this is my kind of little boy's bedroom.
• Adolf Hitler : [ after Jojo gets book from shelf ] Yes. Great thinking, Rabbit. we'll use all of these books to make a fake floor that she'll fall through, straight into a pit full of piranhas, and, and lava and bacon. Why, she won't know what hit her.
• Jojo Betzler : Shh!
• Adolf Hitler : Shh?
• Adolf Hitler : You, shush. Shush me? Let's get a book and let's go. Libraries are dumb.
• Adolf Hitler : You two seem to be getting on well!
• Jojo Betzler : She doesn't seem like a bad person.
• Adolf Hitler : Sure, you're a little bit scrawny and a bit unpopular and you can't tie your shoelaces even though you're ten years old. But you're still the bestest, most loyal little Nazi I've ever met. Not to mention the fact you're really good-looking.
• Deertz : We were just "Heil Hitlering" the boy, and then "Heil Hitlering" yourself, and then, of course, "Heil Hitlering" Freddy Finkel.
• Deertz : Heil Hitler!
• Captain Klenzendorf : Heil Hitler!
• Herr Junker : Heil Hitler!
• Herr Mueller : Heil Hitler!
• Herr Klum : Heil Hitler!
• Herr Frosch : Heil Hitler!
• Captain Klenzendorf : Heil Hitler.
• Jojo Betzler : I'm the enemy?
• Yorki : I thought I was your best friend.
• Jojo Betzler : Yorki, you're my second-best friend. First place is reserved for the Führer. So, unless you're Hitler, hiding in a fat little boy's body, I'd be happy with second place.
• Yorki : I guess I'm just a kid in a fat kid's body.
• Jojo Betzler : Case closed.
• Captain Klenzendorf : Well, if it isn't Herr Handgrenade himself.
• Rosie : You don't know him. He's a fanatic. It took him three weeks to get over the fact that his grandfather was not blond.
• Jojo Betzler : Beethoven.
• Elsa Korr : Einstein.
• Jojo Betzler : Bach.
• Elsa Korr : Gershwin.
• Jojo Betzler : Brahms, Wagner, Mozart.
• Elsa Korr : Musicians. Is that all you have?
• Adolf Hitler : Let me give you some really good advice. Be the rabbit. The humble bunny can outwit all of his enemies. He's brave and sneaky and strong. Be the rabbit.
• Adolf Hitler : Now, listen, Jojo, can I give you some really good advice? When you see what's in her mind, and where she's trying to make you go in your mind. In your mind, you must go the other way. Get what I'm saying? Do not let her put you in a brain prison. That, dear Jojo, is one thing that cannot and must not ever, ever happen to a German! Do not let your German brain be bossed around!
• Adolf Hitler : And don't give her anymore knives!

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The Best & Most Hilarious Jojo Rabbit Quotes

Jojo Rabbit is hands down one of the best movies I have ever seen — and that is largely in part because of the hilarious movie quotes.

I have been saying that Taika Waititi is a genius for quite some time now and if Jojo Rabbit is not proof of that, I don’t know what is. He somehow has you crying one minute, and laughing the next. Not to mention he actually made me like a Nazi or two. All largely in part because of these fantastic movie quotes from Jojo Rabbit. 

Be sure to check out my Jojo Rabbit review if you have not already, and enjoy this collection of hilarious quotes!

Jojo Rabbit Quotes

Here is a collection of my absolute favorite quotes from this movie. I dare you not to laugh while reading them.

It took him three weeks to get over the fact that his grandmother was not blond. – Rosie

I’m unemployed and quite fat now. – “nathan”, it’s so sad for you. you’ve lost your mind. – rosie, definitely not a good time to be a nazi. – yorki.

We’ll burn down the house and blame Winston Churchill. – Hitler

I think you’ll find that metal is the strongest thing in the world, followed closely by dynamite, and then muscles. – jojo, you’re not a nazi, jojo. you’re a ten-year-old kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club. – elsa, no. i am not that hungry. for now, i am just going to chew on these grapes. – rosie, we need someone to walk the clones, because some of them are malfunctioning. – fraulein rahm, i wish more of our young boys had your blind fanaticism. – deertz.

Let them say whatever they want. People used to say a lot of nasty things about me. “Oh, this guy’s a lunatic.” “Oh, look at that psycho. He’s gonna get us all killed.” – Hitler

Today you boys will be involved in such activities as war games, ambush techniques, and blowing stuff up. – captain klenzendorf, kids, it’s time to burn some books – fraulein rahm, did you know jews can read each other’s minds – jojo, hey jojo, you’ll never guess what’s in the camel’s humps. fat. disgusting. – hitler.

You’re growing up too fast. Ten-year-olds shouldn’t be celebrating war and talking politics. – Rosie

I gotta go, we’re having unicorn for dinner at my place tonight. – hitler, if i tell on you, you’ll be in big trouble. – jojo.

About Jojo Rabbit

Jojo is a lonely German boy who discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friend — Adolf Hitler — Jojo must confront his blind nationalism as World War II continues to rage on.

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English: Jojo Rabbit

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Film: Jojo Rabbit

Hitler Youth cadet Jojo Betzler firmly believes in the ideals of Nazism manifested by his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler. However, his foundations are shaken when he finds a Jewish girl in his house.

Production Year: 2019 Duration: 1:44:03 Rating: M

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Useful Links

• The Guardian: Jojo Rabbit review – down the rabbit hole with Hitler Taika Waititi follows a distinguished tradition with this ‘strange art comedy’ about a boy growing up in Nazi Germany, but fails to cut to the dark heart of the matter
• The Sydney Morning Herald: Hitler comedy as a concept? It's a risky move, but it works in Jojo Rabbit "The premise may be cute – a 10-year-old German boy, Jojo, struggles to be a good Hitler Youth in World War II – but there is real violence and trauma around the corner. As the kid wises up about the war, the Nazis and the reality of the lies on which he has been raised, people are dying in the streets of his otherwise picturesque small town. In that sense, it's a film about the betrayal of a child's innocence."
• The New York Times: ‘Jojo Rabbit’ Review: The Third Reich Wasn’t All Fun and Games Taika Waititi’s new film mixes farce, fantasy and drama in a Nazi-era coming-of-age story.
• Film Inquiry: The Devastating Beauty of Jojo Rabbit "Through the eyes of a child’s innocence, viewers are given a diaphanous veil to the darkness of war, brain washing and the hate that created and accelerated a war and a genocide. The seeds planted deeply into the perspective of a child, too naive to understand and too willing to follow, all while the world around him fell to devastation – a world that was more than what it seemed."
• What is Jojo Rabbit About? Synopsis, Quotes, & Video Analysis This article discusses some of the motifs, tonal shifts and withholding of visual information that create powerful and dramatic moments in Jojo Rabbit .
• GradeSaver: Jojo Rabbit Study Guide This detailed study guide provides an overview and analysis of the themes and motifs in Jojo Rabbit .

How Did Hitler Come to Power?

• BBC Bitesize: Hitler into power, 1929-1934 How did Hitler become the führer? This BBC summary - designed for upper secondary students - explores the internal and external factors culminating in the dictator's rise.

This episode of Ten Minute History (like a documentary, only shorter) covers Germany from the end of the First World War to the end of the World War 2.

Duration: 9:59

Just years after World War I, Germany and other nations are in an economic depression. Leader approval ratings of Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain are shallow, giving the rise to military dictators along with their parties. Years after Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, he and his generals plot the invasion of Poland.

Production Year: 2008

Duration: 51:20

The Final Solution

Source: Self-made by  User:Dna-Dennis , using information from  USHMM  & Wikipedia.

• Jewish Holocaust Centre: Eyewitness: The Survivor's Voice The JHC Eyewitness Project aims to preserve the fifteen-minute talks given by survivors to students. The survivors’ stories enable viewers to engage with the human side of Holocaust history.
• Holocaust Encyclopedia: Auschwitz Animated Map Animated map and timeline, including photographs, of the running of Auschwitz and its use in the Final Solution, including liberation by Soviet forces.
• Holocaust Encyclopedia: Einsatzgruppen Animated Map During the Holocaust, members of mobile killing units known as “Einsatzgruppen” (literally “operational groups”) murdered well over one million civilians, primarily in mass shootings in the Soviet Union. These events are referred to by Wiesel in the return to Sighet of Moshe the Beadle, early in Night .
• Holocaust Encyclopedia: The Holocaust in Hungary: Frequently Asked Questions Overview of the Holocaust in Hungary, and the different stages of the roll-out of the Final Solution (deportation of Jewish refugees, ghettoisation, and deportation of Jewish nationals).

Further Reading

Loss of Jewish Rights

• Holocaust Encyclopedia: Anti-Jewish Legislation in Prewar Germany A timeline of anti-Jewish legislation in the Third Reich, from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
• Holocaust Encyclopedia: Sighet A detailed article about Sighet, Wiesel's birthplace and location of the ghetto in early chapters of Night . Photos throughout the article show Sighet both before and after the 1944 deportation of its Jewish residents to Auschwitz.

The Third Reich

• BBC Bitesize: Why the Nazis were able to stay in power The Nazis crushed opposition through legal moves, fear and intimidation. Propaganda and social control kept the population in line. Popular economic and foreign policies encouraged widespread support.
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• Last Updated: May 3, 2024 1:04 PM
• URL: https://libguides.lowtherhall.vic.edu.au/english

Pioneering the Future of AI-Enhanced Storytelling

Jojo Rabbit

Driving comedy with a strong and meaningful narrative structure

In terms of narrative structure, Jojo Rabbit is a classic Coming of Age Comedy .

With an Objective Story Throughline rooted deep in the perspective of dysfunctional thinking ( Psychology ), and a personal Main Character Throughline point-of-view fixed within physical appearances and social ostracism ( Universe ), writer/director/actor Taika Waititi successfully delivers a sound message:

::premise You can be yourself when you give up being good enough for others. ::

Be the rabbit. Be yourself. Be a hero.

Fitting in, it would seem, propels both the Overall objective view of the conflict, as well as the Personal subjective perspective. This crossover point between the two elevates one singular narrative Method to the forefront: the Element of Accurate .

Tying Conflict to Premise

Defined as “being within tolerances,” Accurate finds many an Illustration in conflict over not being good enough , or assumed appropriateness that is nowhere near appropriate. The former rests in Johannes “Jojo” Betzler’s drive to land within Hitler’s tolerances, and the latter appears everywhere Nazis think themselves accurate in their understanding of the Jewish population.

This imbalance of Accuracy drives several Comedies where trying to hit a mark fuels narrative conflict. Recent standouts Teen Titans Go to the Movies , and Missing Link share Jojo’s love of poking fun at standards and practices. All three of these films share the same narrative structure and the same underlying message:

You can achieve BEING when you give up ACCURACY.

While both objective and subjective views meet at Accurate, the focal point of the Overall Throughline rests in a Method of Being .

Defined as “temporarily adopting a lifestyle,” the narrative Method of Being finds characters focused on being a certain way , on fulfilling roles , and appearing to be something they are not . Being a good Nazi, pretending to be a supporter of the party line, and fulfilling roles not suited for one’s age (ten-year-olds carrying Panzerfausts) all showcase this Objective Premise of Being.

The Challenge to Grow

A subjective point-of-view locked in this particular take on Accuracy and an objective focus on Being will only shift when confronted with an overwhelming sense of Proven .

And this is where Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell) comes in.

The Solution to problems of Accuracy, the end of the arc as it will, is an Element of Deviation . Defined as “not within tolerances,” Deviation arrives in a narrative with Illustrations of being mistaken and deviating from the norm . The first appears in Captain Klenzendorf’s gesture of goodwill towards the kids; the latter finds inspiration within the intolerable and mistaken notions of Hitler himself.

Both Hitler and Klenzendorf relay the positive aspects of deviant behavior when it comes to being yourself. They represent Deviation to Jojo’s Element of Accurate. Yet, it’s Klenzendorf’s has-been persistence that eventually drives the boy to abandon his perspective.

Both Captain and Hitler Youth share outcast status from the German army; Klenzendorf lost an eye; Jojo almost loss his in an accidental disfigurement. Yet, whereas the boy seeks approval by remaining Accurate to the Nazi code, the Captain participates in Deviation behavior—drinking around children, dancing and firing a rifle from his hip, and sketching an over-the-top uniform with brightly colored plumage.

This deviant behavior shows Jojo, despite being devalued by the Füehrer, a better way. Regardless of what proof they may have of you as a failure, you can still be yourself—and you can be so brilliantly.

The Heart of Every Story

While many would be content to play out the emotional argument between Klenzendorf and Jojo, the real heart of the story rests in the relationship between Jojo and Elsa (Thomasin MacKenzie). Playing out the precepts of a monster in the attic, the two develop a friendship from their initial confusion over who is the predator and who is prey. What starts firmly rooted in distrust grows to a shared embracing of all the dangers waiting outside for them.

Understanding the Subtxt of Conflict

Plug a Problem of Accurate into a Coming of Age Comedy, and you find an Obstacle Character Source of Drive of Proven and an Obstacle Character Issue of Value . Klenzendorf’s attitude, despite being devalued and proven worthless, correctly influences young Jojo.

You also find a Relationship Story Domain of Physics and a Relationship Story Problem of Trust and a Relationship Story Solution of Test . Chasing and trapping a monster and learning its secrets sets the stage; distrust that draws two nearer through sharing a challenge drops the curtain on their emotional play.

This juxtaposition of narrative dynamics is why everyone universally celebrates the story of Jojo Rabbit , why it won Best Adapted Screenplay, and why it scores 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Jojo Rabbit tells a complete story, maintaining the integrity of a meaningful storyform.

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There’s something impressive about someone like Taika Waititi taking all of that Marvel money that’s just sitting in a room in his house and making a movie that he otherwise never would have been able to get financed. A coming-of-age comedy about Nazis isn’t exactly on the wish lists of most studios in 2019. And there are times when “Jojo Rabbit” feels almost like an answer to the question: “Hey, Taika, what are you gonna do with all that 'Ragnarok' cash?” 

Having said that, ambition only gets you so far, and the originality of this self-proclaimed "anti-hate satire" subsides after a few minutes. "Jojo Rabbit" doesn’t quite come together the way its opening promises and, most shockingly, lacks the punch it needs to really work. It’s far from the disaster it could have been given the tonal tightrope it walks, but it’s also closer to a misfire than we all hoped it would be. Believe it or not, the “Hitler Comedy” plays it too safe.

“What if Wes Anderson made a Nazi comedy?” is a reasonable way to pitch “Jojo Rabbit” to someone interested in seeing it. Waititi’s goofy comic sensibility adapts the novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens into a coming-of-age story that just happens to be set in the fading days of World War II Germany. There is where we meet Jojo ( Roman Griffin Davis ), a sweet German boy headed off to Nazi camp, where young men learn to throw grenades and young women learn the importance of having Aryan babies (an instructor played by Rebel Wilson brags about having 18 so far). He’s eager to join the Nazi party, tossing out “Heil Hitlers” with confidence when he’s not talking to his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler himself, played with goofy energy by Waititi in a character not in the entirely-serious book. The writer/director portrays one of the most villainous people in history as a bumbling moron, always offering cigarettes to his 10-year-old buddy and suggesting very bad ideas.

Luckily, just around when the ‘Goofy Hitler’ schtick is getting tired, it recedes into the background for the most important plot of “Jojo Rabbit” when Jojo finds a Jew hiding in his attic, played by the wonderful Thomasin McKenzie (“ Leave No Trace ”). We know that it is Jojo’s mother ( Scarlett Johansson ), who is also working for the resistance, who has hidden the girl, but Jojo’s incredibly confused. After all, this Jew doesn’t look or act like a monster. He begins talking to her, trying to learn the truth about Jews so he can write a book, and forms a relationship that changes him. The parallel between the imaginary friend who is actually a monster and the girl he’s been told is a monster but is actually a friend is a nice one to unpack, and Waititi is careful not to push the arc's melodrama too much. McKenzie is delightful and Johansson is sweet and tender—they both add much needed warmth to the film.

"Jojo Rabbit" derails when its premise wears off and you start to wonder what it all means. A kid talks to Hitler and realizes Jews can dance—and there’s some tragedy along the way. That's it? I kept waiting for “Jojo Rabbit” to become more than a wink-wink, nudge-nudge joke, and when it does try to get emotional in the final act, including a tone-deaf ending for a Nazi character played by Sam Rockwell , Waititi can’t navigate some very tricky tonal waters. Without giving anything away, the final scenes of “Jojo Rabbit” are too easy for a film that needs to be dangerous and daring. A film that starts as audacious becomes relatively generic as it goes along, and even its one shocking turn ends up feeling manipulative. If the premise is risky, the execution is depressingly not so. 

When one steps back from “Jojo Rabbit” and looks at the individual pieces, there’s a lot to admire. Once again, the director of " Boy " and " Hunt for the Wilderpeople " proves to have a gift with child actors, drawing a great performance from Davis and a nearly-movie-stealing Archie Yates as his pudgy buddy at Nazi camp. And a score by Michael Giacchino and cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. (“ The Master ”) work together to accomplish that Anderson-esque atmosphere that Waititi was seeking. It’s clear that success has allowed Waititi to hire all the right people to execute his vision. And yet I left “Jojo Rabbit” thinking that the exact purpose of that vision remained blurry. 

This review was filed from the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8th. 

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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Film credits.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, some disturbing images, violence, and language.

108 minutes

Roman Griffin Davis as Johannes "Jojo" Betzler

Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa Korr

Taika Waititi as Adolf Hitler

Scarlett Johansson as Rosie Betzler

Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf

Rebel Wilson as Fraulein Rahm

Alfie Allen as Sub-Officer Finkel

• Taika Waititi

Writer (novel)

• Christine Leunens

Cinematographer

• Mihai Malaimare Jr.
• Michael Giacchino

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Analysis of ‘Jojo Rabbit’

Jojo Rabbit is a 2019 comedy-satire-drama written and directed by Taika Waititi (based on Christine Leunens ‘s 2008 book Caging Skies ), and starring Roman Griffin Davis in the title role, Waititi, Scarlett Johansson , Sam Rockwell , Rebel Wilson , and Thomasin McKenzie . Jojo is a ten-year-old German boy indoctrinated by Nazi ideology, hoping to join the Deutsches Jungvolk (DJ) in the Hitler Youth , and having an imaginary friend, a fanciful, buffoonish Hitler (played by Waititi).

The film got almost universal acclaim, especially for the performances, direction, screenplay, visual style, musical score, and production values. It was chosen by the  National Board of Review  and the  American Film Institute  as one of the ten best films of the year.

Here are some quotes:

Jojo Betzler : Adolph…I don’t think I can do this. Adolf Hitler : What? Of course you can. Sure, you’re a little bit scrawny and a bit unpopular and you can’t tie your shoelaces even though you’re 10 years old, but you’re still the bestest, most loyal little Nazi I’ve ever met. Not to mention the fact you’re really good looking. So you’re gonna get out there and you’re gonna have a great time, okay? Jojo Betzler : Okay. Adolf Hitler : That’s the spirit, okay. [ Adolf turns Jojo around ] Heil me, man. Jojo Betzler : Heil Hitler.

Captain Klenzendorf : Today you boys will be involved in such activities as marching, bayonet drills, grenade throwing, trench digging, map reading, gas defence, camouflage, ambush techniques, war games, firing guns and blowing stuff up. [ boys cheer ] The girls will practice important womanly duties such as dressing wounds, making beds and learning how to get pregnant. Fraulein Rahm : I had eighteen kids for Germany. Such a great year to be a girl!

‘Let them say whatever they want. People used to say a lot of nasty things about me. “Oh, this guy’s a lunatic!” “Oh, look at that psycho! He’s gonna get us all killed!”‘ –Hitler

[ Rosie and Jojo come upon six people hanging from a gallows in the town square ] Jojo Betzler : What did they do? Rosie : What they could.

Elsa Korr : You know what I am. Jojo Betzler: No. Elsa Korr: Yes. Say it. Say it! Jojo Betzler : A Jew? Elsa Korr : Gesundheit.

“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can’t even grow a full moustache.” –Elsa

Jojo Betzler : I said to draw where Jews live. This is just a stupid picture of my head. Elsa Korr : Yeah, that’s where we live.

Rosie : You’re growing up too fast. Ten-year-olds shouldn’t be celebrating war and talking politics. You should be climbing trees and then falling out of those trees. Jojo Betzler : But the Führer says when we win, it is us, young boys who will rule the world. Rosie : Pfft! The Reich is dying. We’re going to lose the war and then what are you going to do, hmm? Life is a gift. We must celebrate it. We have to dance to show God we are grateful to be alive. Jojo Betzler : Well, I won’t dance. Dancing is for people who don’t have a job. Rosie : Dancing is for people who are free. It’s an escape from all this.

“You and your friends may have heard a rumor that Hitler only has one ball . This is nonsense. He has four.” –Deertz, to Jojo

“You two seem to be getting on well!” –Hitler, to Jojo, annoyed that the boy is starting to like Elsa

“She doesn’t seem like a bad person.” –Jojo, defending his friendship with Elsa to ‘Hitler’

“You’re not a Nazi, Jojo. You’re a ten-year-old kid who likes swastikas and likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club.” –Elsa

“Fuck off, Hitler!” –Jojo [then kicks him out the window]

Johannes “Jojo” (which incidentally, with German pronunciation, would sound like ‘ yo-yo ‘) is a lonely little boy without his father and sister; he just wants to fit in. The problem is that he lives in one of the most exclusionary societies in history–Nazi Germany.

Having so few people in his real life to connect with, Jojo has to split his ego , along with the objects of the real world that his ego would connect with, into a pair of opposites: one of this pair libidinously linking with an idealized, exciting object of his fantasies (his imaginary friend in Hitler); and the other, an anti-libidinal ego linking with a hated, rejecting object–the conception of Jews that he’s been indoctrinated into believing is what real Jews are.

Counteracting this splitting in his mind is the ironic casting for ‘Hitler’ (Waititi is part Maori, part Jew) and the Jewish girl, Elsa Korr (McKenzie, a non-Jew, is a New Zealander of English and Scottish descent). The implication in this casting, it seems, is to make a plea for tolerance and inclusion.

To help relate a story set in the mid-1940s to our time, in which fascism is again rising (and, of course, to enhance the comedic effect), the characters speak with German accents, but also use contemporary English colloquialisms. Adding to the irony is how Jojo’s hero, Hitler, is a cartoonish clown who smokes (the real Hitler would have already permanently given up smoking decades before the time of this movie). Jojo thus has an odd way of portraying his idealizations in his mind.

Since Hitler was idealized as the hero of an indoctrinated nation, he was rather like the rock star of his time, idolized by a German public as blind to his faults as a rock star’s teenage fans are to his or hers. Accordingly, as Jojo is going through the streets of his town proudly doing his “Heil Hitler” Nazi salute, we hear the Beatles singing their German version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” which is “ Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand ” (“Come, Give Me Your Hand”). Footage is seen of young German women screaming in ecstasy at the sight of Hitler, just as teenage girls in the 1960s would have at the sight of the Fab Four (I discussed the comparison of the idolatry of fascism with that of rock stars in my analysis of Pink Floyd: the Wall ).

Because of his indoctrination, Jojo has built up a False Self of being a ruthless killer of all enemies of the Third Reich. With the DJ knife he’s been given, a symbolic phallus, he fantasizes about stabbing his enemies with it.

When this killer instinct of his is put to the test, though, his hidden True Self, a gentle boy who’d never want to harm a defenceless animal, emerges in his inability to kill a rabbit. From this, he earns the nickname of “Jojo Rabbit,” and he runs away from the Nazi youths who mock him. It doesn’t matter that he’s an “Aryan”: even he cannot fit in with the Nazi club.

It’s fitting that, earlier, we hear Tom Waits ‘s song “ I Don’t Wanna Grow Up ” during the training activities of the Deutsches Jungvolk : these are people whose thinking is completely distorted by politically immature thinking. Few white supremacists ever want to outgrow their collectively narcissistic ideology.

Desperate to prove his ‘worthiness’ as a brave Nazi, Jojo lets his imaginary friend inspire him to grab a Stielhandgranate and throw it without proper training. He is badly injured and scarred as a result of the inevitable accident, and is now bad-mouthed as ‘ugly’ by his fellow Nazis.

Only the love of his mother, Rosie (Johansson), can soothe him, though his Nazi indoctrination makes him none too appreciative of her anti-Naziism. These feelings of hers are especially evident when he learns she’s been hiding a Jewish teen in their house!

Before he discovers her, he has been wandering about lonely in his house, visiting the bedroom of his dead sister, Inge. The juxtaposition of being in her room with finding her old classmate, Elsa, immediately after establishes the beginnings of a transference of his feelings for the former girl onto the latter, though he’ll have to overcome his antisemitic prejudices first.

Another association of Inge with Elsa comes later, when the latter pretends to be the former in order not to be caught by the Gestapo inspecting the house. This tense scene strengthens Jojo’s transference of his sister onto Elsa, and we can see the empathic fear he has for the Jewish girl’s life.

His realization that she’s “a Jew,” followed by her saying “ Gesundheit ,” is–apart from being one of the best jokes in the film–full of resonant meaning. “Achoo!”–the expulsion of germs from the nose in a sneeze–is symbolically a projection of what’s sick inside a Nazi onto a Jew, the disease of antisemitism as a projected self-hate.

Similarly, Jojo’s unmitigated terror at having found her hiding in his home is a projection of the fear he causes a Jew to feel from having been found by a Nazi. Her hiding place is symbolic of the unconscious, for all of his absurd beliefs about Jews are just that–all in his head (as Elsa points out to him in her “ Dummkopf ” drawing of him), with no basis in external reality, everything bad in himself repressed, split-off, and projected outside.

When Elsa takes Jojo’s DJ knife, then later another knife he’s got from the kitchen in an apparent need to defend himself from her, these are symbolic castrations. Furthermore, when he blusters about his supposed Aryan superiority, she quickly overpowers him and puts him in his place. When he mentions his bizarre beliefs about Jews, she has no choice but to call him an idiot.

Nonetheless, the only way she can cure him of his belief in antisemitic canards is, temporarily, to humour him by going along with his nonsense. In this sense, she is playing the role of psychotherapist for him, taking in the agitation of his prejudices, containing them, then returning them to him in a detoxified form…or, at least, in progressively less toxic forms.

Wishing to write a book about Jews, he asks her to tell him all about her “race.” She repeats back to him a number of the absurd canards he already believes, while also adding false ideas to make fun of his beliefs (feeding her well will kill her, apparently), or to turn the tables on him and get him to realize who the real monsters are around him (Jews are like Nazis, only human).

His unconscious transference of dead Inge onto Elsa will help him in his ‘psychotherapy.’ Since, if he reports Elsa to the Gestapo, not only will she be taken away, but also he and Rosie will be, for having protected her, he must realize that this Jew is connected to his family intimately. He’ll thus have to give up his belief that Jews and “Aryans” are irreconcilably different.

His mother has been trying to find the real Jojo buried deep down under his Nazi False Self, but she has been failing where Elsa will ultimately succeed. This is partly because Rosie focuses on being cheerful and optimistic, whereas Elsa faces the dark, painful root of Jojo’s problem: his loss of family, his loss of connection with real people.

The boy has lost his father, missing in action and secretly working with the anti-Nazi resistance in Italy, as his mother is doing in their German town. Inge is dead, and his mother will be hanged as an enemy of the Nazi state. Because of his Hitler/imaginary friend, Jojo doesn’t sufficiently appreciate his actual friend, Yorki (played by Archie Yates ).

Rosie would dance in gleeful anticipation of the imminent Nazi loss of the war, but setting this example for Jojo won’t cure him of his indoctrination. We can dance when we’re free…but Jojo hasn’t freed his mind yet.

He’ll be mentally freed when he can integrate the split parts of his mind (to use the terminology of WRD Fairbairn , these parts of his mind are: his Libidinal Ego, linked with the Exciting Object–‘Hitler’; and his Anti-libidinal Ego, linked with the Rejecting Object–‘the Jew’), to allow him to relate his True Self (or in Fairbairn’s terminology, Jojo’s Central Ego) with real people in the external world (the Ideal Object–for Jojo, this is exemplified in Elsa and Yorki).

His frustration with his mother, over her refusal to conform with his Nazi ideals, makes her, in his mind, what Melanie Klein called the ‘ bad mother ,’ intensifying his splitting into what Klein called the paranoid-schizoid position . Rosie’s execution will cause Jojo to mourn that ‘bad mother,’ and to wish to reintegrate her good and bad sides in his mind, to experience the depressive position .

His interactions with Elsa will help him lay the foundations for such an integration. In his attempt to brag about the ‘superiority’ of German ‘Aryan’ culture, he can only bring up the names of classical composers such as Bach, Mozart, Brahms, and Beethoven (as for Germans other than musicians, I suppose Goethe slipped Jojo’s mind), whereas Elsa can mention talented, famous Jews in a wide variety of areas, including science (Einstein), poetry ( Rilke had a Jewish mother), magicians ( Houdini ), artists ( Modigliani ), and even religious founders (Moses and Jesus).

One of the major things that makes Jojo change his mind about Elsa is when she mentions her fiancé, Nathan (who Jojo eventually learns has died of tuberculosis); but when Jojo forges a letter claiming that Nathan wants to dump her, Jojo hears her softly weeping in her hiding place. The sound of her sobs makes him feel something one would never expect a Nazi to feel: compassion for a Jew. Therefore, he quickly fakes another letter, claiming Nathan doesn’t want to leave her.

This moment in the film proves my point about what Jojo needs to be cured of his Nazi indoctrination: relationships . He’s lost most of his family relationships (while Rosie’s still alive), so he’s replaced them with his imaginary Hitler-friend, and he desperately wants to join the Deutsches Jungvolk . But when they reject him, and when Elsa opens his mind, he finds himself more and more ready to reject ‘Hitler.’ Think of all those neo-Nazi skinheads, and how much of their anger and hate comes from an aggravation of social alienation .

At first, ‘Hitler’ is merely a bumbling fool (and, come to think of it now, so was the real Hitler ). Some have criticized Jojo Rabbit for its ‘inaptly’ comic portrayal of Hitler, but recall the words of a German Protestant whose antisemitic writings made him, ironically, among the Nazis’ favourite reading , Martin Luther : “I often laugh at Satan, and there is nothing that makes him so angry as when I attack him to his face, and tell him that through God I am more than a match for him.” Later, when Jojo grows more independent in his thinking, we see, more vividly, his imaginary friend’s dark side.

When the Gestapo does an inspection of his house, Jojo is worried that Elsa–him having fully achieved a transference of Inge onto her (who is impersonating his sister at the time) in his mind–will be arrested. Yet they presumably have instead found something incriminating on Rosie (i.e., her “Free Germany” messages), for she is executed soon after.

Just before he finds her hanging, Jojo has been following a bright blue butterfly fluttering before him. In other words, he has been just beginning to appreciate life and its beauty before experiencing the trauma of seeing her distinctive shoes hanging, just below eye level, before him.

As a last, symbolic gesture of love for her, he does for her what she has done so many times before for him: he ties her shoelaces. Shots of eye-like windows of the houses, surrounding him and the hanged at the gallows in the town square, suggest that he should be careful of who’s watching him show love to an executed enemy of the Third Reich.

Captain Klenzendorf (or ‘Captain K’–played by Rockwell), during the Gestapo’s inspection of Jojo’s house, has lied to protect Elsa in going along with her impersonation of Inge. Deertz gets Jojo’s DJ knife back from her and puts it down to look at Jojo’s book on Jews; then Captain K picks it up and returns it to him. (Since it’s understood that the captain is a closet gay Nazi in a relationship with his second-in-command, Finkel [ Alfie Allen ], we can see how he’d naturally sympathize with other “ Untermenschen ” like Elsa).

In his grief and rage over his mother’s execution, Jojo, with the few remaining crumbs of Nazi in him, wants to stab Elsa with his knife, blaming her in his mind for Rosie’s death. Elsa stops the blade from going deep inside her, but it does cut in a little bit. She’s allowed the tip to poke a tiny hole in her upper right chest, by her shoulder.

Her receiving of the blade symbolizes her once again curing him of his Nazi mentality by containing his rage (the contained symbolized by his knife, her body symbolizing the container ; see above for links explaining Bion ‘s theory of containment; see also this link for his and other psychoanalytic concepts). She must allow him his moment of rage before she can detoxify it. Note the feminine symbol for the container , a yonic symbolism in her wound, and the masculine symbol for the contained , his phallic knife.

Jojo loves Elsa and calls her his “girlfriend,” hence the sexual symbolism of their container/contained relationship. His conflict over this love versus his residual antisemitism accounts for the violence of this containing of his knife (a negative containment). The conflict is also expressed in the growing jealousy that his Hitler/imaginary friend feels…while lying in Jojo’s bed!

Since the Nazis know they are losing the war, Captain K has to prepare a defence against the invading Americans from the West and the Russians from the East. It’s interesting how the Russians are described and portrayed in the harshest way (in this bourgeois liberal Hollywood film), and are never called Soviets. “They’re worse than anyone,” Yorki tells Jojo. (!)

The American soldiers drive around the captured German town showing off their flag, thus being portrayed as liberators in the film; while the Soviets are seen as just a bunch of ruthless executioners, not only of all the bad Nazis, but also of our finally openly gay Captain K in his colourful, flamboyant uniform. Now, anyone who has properly read history knows it was mainly the Soviets who saved Europe from fascism, having sacrificed so many more Russian lives than the sacrificed lives of their Western counterparts. Also, it was the Americans and West Germans who gave jobs to many ex-Nazis to help them fight the USSR during the Cold War.

The tension between East Berlin and the ex-Nazis working with NATO in West Berlin, among other causes, led to the building of the Berlin Wall , or Anti-fascist Protection Wall, as the East Germans called it. Such is the needed correction to all the capitalist propaganda of the Wall as an instrument of “oppression”: it was more about keeping the fascists out (and preventing the danger of World War III) than about keeping people in .

As Jojo walks about his town and sees the death and destruction all around him, he realizes that war isn’t the glorious thing he’s been indoctrinated to believe it is. He also learns from Yorki, one of his few true friends whose indoctrination is also waning, that Hitler has not only shot himself in the head in despair over losing the war, but that he’s also responsible for the atrocities the SS has committed and kept hidden from the public eye.

And so, when Jojo sees his Hitler/imaginary friend one last time, ‘Hitler’ has a bloody wound in his left temple, and he is in a particularly grouchy mood. Jojo, no longer sympathetic to him, tells him to “fuck off,” and kicks him out the window.

Because of his choice to give up his Nazi ideology and save Elsa, and because she has so bravely endured through this whole ordeal, both of them are heroes…” für einen Tag ,” and I’d say for many more days after that. They are now free to dance and celebrate life, as Rosie would have wanted them to, hence we hear the German version of David Bowie ‘s “Heroes.”

Now, Germany may have been split in two at the end of the war, but Jojo’s splitting has been cured. He is reintegrated and able to see people as each a mix of good and bad. He can see Elsa as a human being, and not just as “a Jew.” Having revived his ability to have relationships with real, and not imaginary, friends, he no longer needs a fascist demagogue to be his hero; nor does he need to fit in with others in a superficial, cultish way. He can be his own hero, and win…” für immer und immer .”

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Published by Mawr Gorshin

I'm merging the variety of topics I've blogged about--which include literary and film analyses, anarchism, socialism, libertarian-leaning Marxism, narcissistic abuse, and psychoanalysis--into a coherent philosophy centred on dialectical materialism, dialectical monism, and object relations theory. Now, one dialectical opposition is that between the erotic and the ascetic, so accordingly, my writing encompasses the sexual as well as the philosophical; the former can be found in my publications on the Literotica website, as well as my self-published (erotic) horror writing on Amazon. View all posts by Mawr Gorshin

2 thoughts on “ Analysis of ‘Jojo Rabbit’ ”

Thanks for the analysis! When i watch the movie, i think “there’s a loot hidden here” and “i want to know more about this movie”. Your text helped with that!

Thanks for reading! I’m glad you liked it! 🙂

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Script Analysis: “JoJo Rabbit”— Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

Scott Myers

Go Into The Story

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay :

After a first pass, it’s time to crack open the script for a deeper analysis and you can do that by creating a scene-by-scene breakdown. It is precisely what it sounds like: A list of all the scenes in the script accompanied by a brief description of the events that transpire. For purposes of this exercise, I have a slightly different take on scene. Here I am looking not just for individual scenes per se, but a scene or set of scenes that comprise one event or a continuous piece of action. Admittedly this is subjective and there is no right or wrong, the point is simply to break down the script into a series of parts which you then can use dig into the script’s structure and themes.

The value of this exercise:

• We pare down the story to its most constituent parts: Scenes.
• By doing this, we consciously explore the structure of the narrative.
• A scene-by-scene breakdown creates a foundation for even deeper analysis of the story.

This week: Jojo Rabbit (2019) . You may download a PDF of the script here .

Screenplay by Taika Waititi, based upon the book ‘Caging Skies’ by Christine Leunens.

Plot Summary: A World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy named Jojo whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler , Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

Jojo Rabbit Scene by Scene Breakdown By Gareth Boucher GoIntoTheStory.com 1: 1944. JOHANNES BETZLER (Jojo), 10, gets dressed at home in his Hitler Youth uniform, topping it off with a pencil-drawn Hitler mustache. He tries his best to wink at a poster of his Hitler, but can’t quite figure out how to do it. 2: Jojo and his goofy best friend YORKI give “Heil Hitler”s to passersby on the streets of Vienna and plan to make a good impression at the Hitler Youth training weekend. Jojo wants to get into Hitler’s special guard early, and dreams of being a model Nazi. 2–4: At the Hitler Youth camp, Jojo and Yorki sit with other PRE-HITLER YOUTH CHILDREN around their age as real HITLER YOUTH BOYS AND GIRLS supervise. CAPTAIN KLENZENDORF, weathered, flanked by his loyal assistant SUB-OFFICER FINKEL, addresses the crowd of children. He welcomes them to the camp, which will give them a taste of what being real Hitler Youth will be like when they grow up. Klenzendorf introduces them to their daggers and gives a preview of what they’ll do — marching, grenade throwing, and other wartime activities. He lets the girls know they’ll learn things such as nursing wounds and how to get pregnant. 4–5: Jojo and Yorki participate in daily activities — knife throwing, which ends in an impaled leg for one BOY, shooting guns, which startles Jojo, and a war game where he and Yorki are instantly captured. The girls are shown how to dress wounds and (incorrectly) deliver a baby 5–6: In the woods, Jojo, Yorki, and other CHILDREN shout words like “horns” and “fangs” to FRAULEIN RAHM as she writes them on a board, under the heading “Jew”. Rahm tells them that Aryans are 100 times more advanced than any other race, which blows the students’ minds. After, the children burn books at a bonfire. 6–8: Jojo and Yorki lie awake in their sleeping bags, wondering how to spot a Jew. Jojo says he would kill one without question, and that he wants to catch and give a Jew to Hitler so they can become best friends — Yorki is his “second best” friend. The first spot is reserved for Hitler. Before he sleeps, Jojo whispers goodnight to his father, wishing that he’ll come home soon, and to his late sister Inga, hoping she’s happy where she is. 8–10: At a training ground in the woods, HANS and CHRISTOPH, older boys, ask the trainees who has the guts to kill a human. Everyone raises their hand, and they pick Jojo to kill a rabbit to prove he has the strength to kill. Jojo freezes as the crowd encourages him to kill it. He can’t do it, so Christoph snaps the rabbit’s neck and tells Jojo that he is a coward like his father, who hasn’t been heard from in 2 years. Jojo claims that his father is in Italy, fighting the Allies. Christoph, Hans, and the other children tease Jojo and call him “Jojo Rabbit” as he runs into the woods. 10–12: As Jojo cries alone in the woods, his imaginary friend enters: an easygoing, goofy version of ADOLF HITLER. Hitler comforts him, letting him know that his father is still fighting and is one of his most important soldiers. He assures Jojo that it’s okay to be a rabbit, that they are brave animals that outwit their enemies and face the dangers of the world every day. 13–14: At a training ground, Klenzendorf introduces the older boys to grenades as Finkel and the younger boys watch. As Klenzendorf prepares the older boys to throw grenades, Jojo snatches one out of his hand and bolts into the woods. Jojo and Hitler run through the woods, grenade in hand, and Jojo tosses it with valor. It bounces off a few trees and lands at his feet. It explodes, hurling him through the air. 15–16: At a hospital, Jojo is barely awake as he is taken through the building and into an operating room. Klenzendorf and Finkel explain to a doctor that Jojo was hurt by a training grenade. Klenzendorf wonders if he’ll be in trouble, and Jojo’s mother, FRAU BETZLER (Rosie), enters and comforts Jojo. At home, in Jojo’s bedroom, Rosie keeps him company amongst Hitler posters and stuffed animals. In the middle of the night, Jojo hears a creak outside his door. Jojo hides under the blankets and speaks into the darkness, asking Inga not to scare him. 16 -19: Jojo stands in front of his mirror and takes in his scarred face and limp arm. He thinks he’s a monster, and that he’ll never get into Hitler’s guard. Rosie assures him that he doesn’t need to be an ideal Nazi like the other boys. Jojo is unable to tie his shoe with his good hand, and Rosie helps him. She tells him that he’ll be helping out at the Hitler Youth office to get out of the house. Outside the front door, Jojo is embarrassed of his appearance, but Rosie pumps him full of confidence. 19–20: Jojo and Rosie visit a food ration store, and then part ways at the Hitler Youth office. Rosie comforts and teases Jojo, leaving him with a few red kiss marks on his face. 20–22: In the Hitler Youth office, Jojo reconnects with Klenzendorf and Finkel. Klenzendorf explains that he was demoted due to negligence and is now stuck working in the office. Jojo eagerly awaits his duties, and is instructed to distribute conscripts and propaganda. 23–24: Around town, Jojo distributes propaganda and gives “Heil Hitler” salutes to citizens who seem unenthusiastic. In the town square, he passes a gallows where five bodies hang. In a grocery store, Jojo hands a conscription to HERR GRUSCH, an older man. The conscription is for his son, Klaus. Herr Grusch tells Jojo that Klaus is dead, but that his name is Klaus too — the country is recruiting the old veterans of World War I to fight for Germany because there are no young people left. 25–28: Jojo arrives at home and hears a noise upstairs. He heads upstairs and wanders into Inga’s bedroom, where he discovers a secret door built into the wall. Jojo pries it open and discovers ELSA, 15, disheveled and emaciated, huddled in the darkness. She playfully, menacingly follows him as he darts out of the room in fear. She pins Jojo against the wall and holds his knife to his throat before he can escape through the front door. She tells him that she is his mother’s guest, and he realizes that she is a Jew. Elsa threatens to cut off his head if he speaks a word to anybody, including his mother. She keeps his knife and returns to her secret room. 28–29: In Jojo’s room, Jojo and Hitler discuss what they should do next. Hitler wants him to burn the house down, but Jojo decides to negotiate. 29–30: Jojo enter’s Inga’s room wearing kitchenware as armor and armed with a knife. He politely speaks to the wall, asking Elsa to leave. Elsa startles him from behind and he again flees the room, dropping his kitchen knife. 31–32: Jojo and Hitler again strategize in his room. Hitler tells him to use “mind powers” on her — to make her feel safe until she drops her guard. 32–36: Jojo waits in fear for hours until his mother returns. He suspiciously bombards her with questions about why she’s home so late. He tests her with more questions and comments, saying that he heard a ghost upstairs. She tells him that there are rats upstairs, and that he shouldn’t go up there until she’s caught them. Rosie puts her son to bed, and quiets his questions about what she’s up to. She tries to teach Jojo to wink, a skill he still can’t master, and kisses him goodnight. 36: That night, Jojo spies on his mother as she prepares food and brings it to Elsa. He’s confused and horrified. 36–37: At a rehabilitation center, Jojo swims and stretches in a pool along with wounded veterans. 37–39: Jojo collects his daily conscriptions at the Hitler Youth office. In Klenzendorf’s office, he stumbles upon Klenzendorf drawing fantasy cartoon guns and Finkel making a pink triangle sash. Klenzendorf shows off his drawing of a gatling gun outfitted with a radio to play music at the enemy, and tells Jojo that he occasionally works with the Gestapo. Jojo asks Klenzendorf what would happen if he saw a Jew. Klenzendorf says that Jojo would report it to him, who would report it to the Gestapo, who would kill the Jew and other people involved. He jokingly says that someone should write a book about Jews, which grabs Jojo’s attention. 39–43: At home, in Inga’s bedroom, Jojo and Elsa negotiate — he says she can stay if she tells him everything about Jews, to help him write his book. She reveals that years ago, she and Inga were friends before Inga died. She tells Jojo that his neighbors constantly watch the house as he starts his questioning. She teases him and blows him off as he asks about Jewish shape-shifting, horns on their heads, hive-building, and other absurd myths. 43–45: Jojo and Hitler plan their next move as Rosie gets home with food. Rosie, stressed and in a subtle panic, greets Jojo as she glances out the window. She leaves and Jojo peers out the window to see a car slowly pass the house. 45–48: Jojo and Rosie eat dinner and she happily lets him know that the war is almost over — the Allies have taken Italy. Jojo’s furious. He forces himself to eat everything on his plate, leaving no leftovers for Elsa. 48–53: Jojo questions Elsa and he makes her draw a picture of a Jewish hive. She doesn’t answer any questions about her family, but reveals that she has a Jewish fiancé, Nathan, who’s 18 and off fighting in the resistance. She daydreams about the future, about moving to Paris with Nathan after the war is over, which she says will be within a year. She entices Jojo as she talks about true love, but the spell breaks when Jojo starts talking about the superiority of the Aryan race. She puts him in a headlock, telling him that he is weak, as Jews were chosen by God. She releases him and shows him the picture she drew of the Jewish hive — it’s a picture of Jojo, with the word “Idiot”. He’s furious, as he wanted a picture of where Jews live. She lets him know that her picture is where Jews live — inside his head. 53–55: Jojo heads to a Gestapo office and goes into the filing room, looking for information about Nathan. He can’t find anything, so he heads to the town library with Hitler and grabs a book by Rilke, Nathan’s favorite poet. On his way home, he sees a group of fellow Hitler Youth marching and singing, led by Fraulein Rahm. 55–57: Jojo writes a letter as he reads Rilke’s book. He heads to Inga’s room and tells Elsa that he has a letter from Nathan. Jojo reads the letter he wrote, in which Nathan tells Elsa that he is leaving her for another woman. Elsa breaks down in tears and tells Jojo to leave. Later, Jojo reads a second letter from “Nathan”. He’s changed his mind and doesn’t want to break up with Elsa. Elsa’s a little amused by Jojo’s antics. 57–59: In Inga’s bedroom, Jojo and Elsa playfully fire off names of famous Germans/Jews. Elsa gains the upper hand when she lists a series names, ending with Jesus. Jojo storms out. 59–60: Jojo and Rosie wait in line for rations. Rosie confuses a shopkeeper into giving her extra food; other citizens watch with suspicion. 60–62: At a river, Rosie talks about love as she ties Jojo’s shoelaces. She tells him that it’s the most powerful thing in the world. As they get up to leave, Jojo realizes that his mother tied his shoelaces together. They laugh and chase each other as he trips. 62–64: On their way home, Rosie begs Jojo to be a normal kid again when the war is over. They arrive at home to see the numbers “0 5” painted on their front door. Rosie’s heart sinks as she yells at the neighbors; later, she and Jojo scrub the paint off as she avoids telling him what the numbers mean. 64–67: Jojo and Elsa sit in Inga’s bedroom. He’s worried about his mother, and Elsa distracts him by offering to tell him about Jews. She fills him with tales and myths about where they’re from, what they look like, and how they take places over. Jojo reminds her that Jews love ugly things, then glances at his scarred face in the mirror. 68–71: In Jojo’s room, Hitler accosts Jojo for spending so much time with Elsa. Jojo claims that it’s all for his book. Hitler, in an impassioned speech, commands Jojo to not let Elsa take control of his brain. Hitler confirms Jojo’s fears about being ugly, then takes off out the window. 71–74: At the Hitler Youth office, Jojo shows his book “Yoohoo Jew” to Klenzendorf and Finkel. They try to contain their amusement as Jojo shows off the drawings and writings. Klenzendorf shows his drawing of a flamboyant redesign of the Nazi uniform. He tells Jojo that he has no conscriptions for the day, but has another, lesser job for him to do. 74–76: Jojo wanders around town with a wagon, collecting random scraps of metal from the citizens for the war effort. He runs into Yorki, who has been made into a soldier, complete with a paper and cardboard uniform that Yorki claims is impervious to damage. Yorki tells him that he saw a few captured Jews, and that he didn’t understand what all the fuss was about, as they seemed normal. Jojo asks Yorki for a favor. 76–79: In Inga’s room, Jojo gives Elsa some new pencils, courtesy of Yorki. She offers to draw him, but Jojo refuses, claiming he’s too ugly, afraid he’ll never be kissed. Elsa offers to kiss him, but Jojo says it’s illegal for Jews and Nazis to kiss. Elsa tells him over and over that he’s not a Nazi, then takes in her dirty and tired image in the mirror. Jojo lets Elsa use his bathroom to take a bath. He listens from outside the door. In Rosie’s room, Elsa doe her hair and makeup. Jojo’s stomach growls in hunger. 79–87: In the living room, Jojo and Elsa share a sad meal of a few green potatoes. Jojo answers a knock at the door as Inga hides upstairs — it’s four GESTAPO AGENTS, led by CAPTAIN DEERTZ, accompanied by Klenzendorf. Deertz says they’ve arrived to ransack the house. The agents start to tear the house apart, opening and peeking everywhere they can. Jojo and Klenzendorf follow Deertz to Jojo’s room. Deertz notices a drawing of David killing Goliath, and asks Jojo about the numbers on the front door. Jojo doesn’t remember what they were. Jojo, Deertz, and Klenzendorf head upstairs where the other officers are ransacking the rooms. Deertz asks about Rosie’s whereabouts, and Jojo thinks she’s somewhere around town. Elsa reveals herself, pretending to be Inga, dressed in Inga’s clothes. Deertz inspects Inga’s room, and Klenzendorf stands in front of the secret door in the wall, blocking Deertz’s view of it. Deertz demands to see Elsa’s papers. Elsa finds Inga’s papers in a drawer and hands them over. Klenzendorf inspects them, and sees Inga’s birthday — May 7th. He asks Elsa what her birthday is, to which she responds May 1st. Klenzendorf hands the papers back, confirming “Inga’s” identity and covering for Elsa. Deertz and his team take some papers from Rosie’s room and leaves. Klenzendorf tells Jojo that the Hitler Youth office is scaling back their operations, and that there’s no work for Jojo anymore. 87: In her hideout, Elsa’s shell-shocked. She’s sure that her identity will be found out. Jojo assures her that Klenzendorf is helping them, and that they’ll be okay. He says he’ll tell Rosie that they’re friends, to which Elsa responds that Jews and Nazis aren’t friends. 88–89: Jojo runs into Hitler in the kitchen, who’s disappointed the Gestapo didn’t catch Elsa. He tells Jojo to step up and act his age. 89–90: In the town square, after getting his rations, Jojo follows a butterfly that leads him to the gallows. A group of ten bodies hang, with the numbers “0 5” painted on their chests. A sign explains that they have been executed for involvement in the resistance movement. A body sways and turns, revealing itself to be Rosie. Jojo breaks down, trying to reach her, but she’s too high. He desperately tries tying her shoe, but fails. Later that night, as Jojo sits near the gallows, Hitler silently comforts him. 90: Elsa reads in her hideout, and is interrupted when Jojo opens the door, holding a knife. He tries to attack her, and they struggle before he falls, hopeless. Elsa realizes what’s happened and breaks down. 90–92: Jojo and Elsa peek their heads out of a rooftop hatch as bombs drop in the distance. Elsa explains that Jojo’s mother and father were involved in the resistance, his father from afar. The “0” in “0 5” is the letter “O”, standing for Oesterreich, Austria, and the “5” represents the fifth letter in the alphabet, “E”. Together they make “OE”, the way Austria was spelled before the Nazi regime. Elsa reassures Jojo that Rosie didn’t tell him anything because she didn’t want him to know anything that would implicate him. She tells Jojo the story of how her family was taken away on a train, and how she and her cousin escaped. Elsa eventually found her way to the city, where she’s been passed from one family friend to the next in hiding. She promises Jojo she won’t leave, and they watch the bombing into the night. 92–93: Jojo and Elsa, alone, do their best to keep themselves fed and occupied — Jojo barters for food and cooks a depressing meal, and Elsa draws pictures that Jojo hangs around his room. The amount of Elsa’s pictures on the wall start to equal the amount of Hitler propaganda. As he and Elsa eat, his stomach fills with butterflies, infatuated with her. 93–94: Later, in Spring, Jojo reads a “letter” to Elsa that raves over her drawings, supposedly from an art gallery in New York. He claims that they want to do another exhibition of her work; Elsa plays along and gives him more drawings to “send off”. As he puts the drawings away, a distant bomb shakes the house. Gunshots sound off outside. 94–96: Outside, pandemonium ensues as Jojo watches as civilians, many of them women and children, being outfitted with weapons. Townsfolk run around, looking for safety. Jojo runs into Yorki, who carries and accidentally fires a rocket launcher. Yorki fills Jojo in — the Allies are closing in from all sides, and his uniform is truly made from paper and cardboard. Hans, the boy who tried to force Jojo to kill the rabbit, was killed in battle. Jojo offers to help Yorki, refusing to believe that Germany can lose. He takes some of Yoki’s ammo in his wheelbarrow and follows him. 96–97: Down another street, the fighting nears. Jojo tells Yorki that Elsa is his girlfriend, but is saddened because she’s Jewish. Jojo assures him that there are bigger things to worry about, like the Russians and the English. Klenzendorf and Finkel pass through, wearing their flamboyant uniforms from their drawings, complete with Klenzendorf’s gun outfitted with a radio. Yorki heads to the battle with his ammo, and Jojo looks for a place to hide as explosions and gunfire surround him. Jojo sprints away from the fighting. 98–99: On another street, an Allied parade of tanks and soldiers pass through. A woman excitedly tells Jojo that the war is over. Imaginary Hitler is overjoyed, as this means Elsa can go to Paris and he and Jojo can be alone. 99–101: While waiting in line for rations from Russian soldiers, Jojo takes an army jacket off of a dead German soldier. In Inga’s room, Elsa watches fireworks from the window as Jojo enters. Jojo lies and tells her that the Germans won the war. Elsa breaks down, terrified that she will be caught. Jojo assures her that she can stay with him, and that he will take care of her. Elsa sobs, hopeless. 101–102: In a classroom, Jojo attends school with other German children. A RUSSIAN TEACHER lists words like “Evil, devils, inhuman”, etc., and tells the class that they need to learn to be better Germans, as Germans are terrible. Hitler sits next to Jojo, excited. 102–104: Jojo wanders the city. Russian troops loot houses and an angry mob scouts a group of Germans. Officer Deertz, Fraulein Rahm, and Klenzendorf are among the group. Fraulein Rahm is taken with a few others and lined up against a wall. Jojo is shuffled along amongst the prisoners and protestors, and runs into Klenzendorf, who reveals that Finkel is dead. A PARTISAN threatens them and demands to know if Jojo knows Klenzendorf. Jojo tries to say that he does, but Klenzendorf shoos him away, pretending he doesn’t know him. Jojo is swallowed into a crowd and doesn’t see as Klenzendorf and other Nazis are hanged. 104–106: At the river, Jojo runs into Yorki. Yorki tells Jojo that Hitler killed himself and was hiding things from the public, which Jojo can barely process. Yorki reveals that he’s a postman now, and gives Jojo a collection of letters for his mother, from his father. Jojo accepts that his father was a deserter, and asks if he can live with Yorki’s family. 106–109: At home, in Inga’s room, Jojo reads another letter to Elsa from “Nathan”, assuring her that she will be safe. Elsa reveals that Nathan died last winter from Tuberculosis, and that she knew all along that that Jojo was kindhearted. Jojo tells Elsa that they are friends, and that he’s found a way to escape Germany. She tells him that she has found a way too — she’s going to kill herself. Jojo begs her not to, saying that they have to leave immediately. 109–112: In his room, Jojo tells Hitler that they shouldn’t be friends anymore. Jojo and Hitler argue, and Jojo professes his love for Elsa. Jojo says he doesn’t need Hitler anymore, as his father is coming home, and demands Hitler leave. Hitler does, and Jojo tears down the posters from his wall. 112–113: Jojo leads Elsa, clean and in possession of Inga’s papers, to the front door. He ties her shoe and gives a perfect wink before he opens the door. They head outside, and Elsa takes it in — Allied soldiers on the street, a Russian flag on a building. She realizes she’s safe, and Jojo says they’ve made it.

Writing Exercise: I encourage you to read the script, but short of that, if you’ve seen the movie, go through this scene-by-scene breakdown. What stands out to you about it from a structural standpoint?

To download a PDF of the breakdown for Jojo Rabbit , go here .

Major kudos to Gareth Boucher for doing this week’s scene-by-scene breakdown.

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Jojo Rabbit

By taika waititi, jojo rabbit summary and analysis of part 1.

The film opens with Jojo Betzler, a young German boy aged ten who is a patriotic Nazi youth in Germany during World War II. Jojo is very sweet and innocent, but also obsessed with Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany. He often imagines that Hitler is with him, giving him advice and acting as a kind of voice of reason in his life, urging him to be more patriotic and become a better Nazi. "I don't think I can do this," Jojo says to imaginary Hitler in the opening scene. Hitler urges him that he is up to it. In the opening sequence of the film, we see Jojo running through the streets as a German version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles plays. Over this opening sequence we see footage of Nazi rallies.

Jojo and his best friend Yorki , a portly and humorous young boy, are going away to Nazi training camp when the film begins. There, the one-eyed Captain Klezendorf and his assistant, Finkel, with whom he seems to be having a romantic affair, lead Nazi youths in training. They are accompanied by Fraulein Rahm, another ruthless Nazi officer. The officers are strict, but buffoonish, and Jojo is determined to be the best Nazi youth at the camp. Klezendorf walks all of the Nazi youths through what weapons and tools they have been equipped with including their daggers, Deutsches Jungvolkdagers, which they are meant to always have with them.

In class, Rahm teaches the boys about Jewish people, whom she say descended from a man who mated with a fish. She then tells them that they are going to burn books, and the children burst into an excited cheer. That night, Yorki and Jojo talk about how they want to kill Jewish people with their daggers. Yorki asks Jojo how he would know who is Jewish, and Jojo tells him that Jewish people smell like brussels sprouts.

One day at camp, some older boys challenge Jojo to kill a rabbit on the spot in the middle of a large forest. Jojo hesitates and is much too frightened to kill the rabbit, so the other Nazi youths make fun of him, calling him " Jojo Rabbit ." Humiliated, Jojo runs away into the forest, where he runs into his imaginary-friend-version of Hitler. Hitler encourages Jojo to go back and try again, reminding him that being called a "rabbit" isn't the worst thing in the world, and that the humble rabbit can outwit his enemies.

When Jojo goes back to the group, having been summoned by Yorki, he tries to prove himself to the older boys. As Klezendorf is going to show the other Nazi youths how to throw a grenade, Jojo grabs one and throws it into the forest. At first, it seems like Jojo will have a moment of glory, but the explosive bounces off a nearby tree and falls directly in front of Jojo, exploding instantly. Jojo is taken to the hospital, where he endures facial surgery that leaves him with large scars. He also has a limp.

Jojo goes home with his kind-hearted mother, Rosie, who nurses him back to health. Rosie is very loving and tells him he will heal soon enough, but Jojo is sad that he will not be able to join Hitler's personal guard. She convinces Jojo to come with her to Klezendorf's office. There, Rosie knees Klezendorf in the crotch for allowing her son to get injured. She then insists that Klezendorf and the others look after Jojo during the day and make him feel included.

Klezendorf introduces Jojo to the others, telling them that he has been demoted for letting Jojo get hit by the grenade. Rahm suggests that Jojo can help them by "walking the clones," and points to a group of blonde clones sitting nearby. She also says he could deliver conscriptions and hand out propaganda. Rahm tries to give Jojo a gun, but Rosie stops her from giving it to her son.

After he has hung up some propaganda, Jojo finds his mother, who is looking at a group of resistance workers who were hanged by the Gestapo. Rosie urges him to look, and he asks her what they did. "What they could," she replies, and they go home.

The film begins with the rather controversial and off-color premise of an adorable little boy who idolizes the leader of the Nazi party, Adolf Hitler. Hitler exists in the public imagination as the ultimate villain, a eugenicist who represents all that is evil in the world; rarely is he depicted in films as anything other than evil. Director Taika Waititi sets up a premise that he knows will be ethically difficult to digest as a way of bumping up the satirical nature of the film. It is difficult to reconcile the humor and levity of the script with the fact that the protagonist loves Hitler, but Waititi sets up a story that walks a thin line between irreverence and good humor and invites the audience to laugh at the more farcical elements of a figure like Hitler.

Further complicating the irreverence of the film is the fact that the protagonist is a young boy with a particularly appealing and angelic face. Waititi juxtaposes Jojo's innocence and idealism with the horrors of Nazism to show the ways that nightmarish political campaigns can corrupt even the purest, while also suggesting that purity of appearance does not necessarily translate to pure politics. Jojo and his friend, Yorki, are exceedingly charming and cute, caricatures of 10-year-old delight, but their allegiance is with Adolf Hitler. A cognitive dissonance between our perception of the children as innocent and our perception of them as politically malevolent emerges, contributing further to the shock value of the satire.

Visually, the film is crisp and often quirky, with quick cuts, whimsical angles, and zippy camerawork. This only heightens the comical and satirical nature of the film, in that the aesthetic world of the film is defined by an intersection of Wes Anderson-esque fancifulness, children's storybook majesty, and the aesthetic trappings of a Nazi film. The tonal dissonance of light and dark is reflected in Waititi's visual and design palette, which can feel like something out of a Lewis Carroll novel, but gets subdivided by darker and more sobering images of violence perpetrated by the Nazis.

Jojo is passionate about his country and becoming the best Nazi youth he can be, but he is also not a very good fighter and proves to be quite squeamish when it comes to committing the murderous tasks that are required of him. When tasked with killing a rabbit, Jojo becomes overwhelmed and goes running into the forest, humiliated by his inability to be the heartless and bloodthirsty Nazi he so dreams of being. Then, when he tries to redeem himself by throwing an explosive into the forest, he clumsily throws it against a tree, resulting in his own injury. Jojo's lack of athleticism and inability to live up to his own expectations make him an endearing protagonist who is struggling to achieve his ambitions, even if those ambitions are morally reprehensible.

Humorously enough, Jojo's vehement Nazism is contrasted with his gentle mother's sympathies with the resistance. There is wry irony in this situation, in that one would not expect the son of a more radically-minded woman would become such a vehement Nazi, and Waititi plays up the juxtaposition between a fascist child and a left-leaning mother by showing the ways that Rosie is intimidated by her 10-year-old and does not respect his political philosophies.

Jojo Rabbit Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Jojo Rabbit is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Key Scenes/Ideas

Jojo is a character who has fallen completely prey to the Nazi project and its propaganda, primarily its anti-Semitic bent. Like most German kids his age, he grows up fearing Jews, and thinking they are evil. As he gets to know Elsa, however, Jojo...

How can I do a Jojo Rabbits essay using the thoughts of Socrates, Pluto, Aristotals, Kant applying ethics

I really like this movie. You can use some of their ideas but I would pick one philosopher rather than all of them. Then research what the narrative has in common with them.

Sorry, I have not seen this film.

Study Guide for Jojo Rabbit

Jojo Rabbit study guide contains a biography of director Taika Waititi, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Jojo Rabbit
• Jojo Rabbit Summary
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Essays for Jojo Rabbit

Jojo Rabbit essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Jojo Rabbit, directed by Taika Waititi.

• Satirizing Hitler: The Effects of Nazi Doctrines in 'Jojo Rabbit'

Wikipedia Entries for Jojo Rabbit

• Introduction
• Themes and analysis

Jojo Rabbit: The Relevance of Satire

Try to imagine the following movie pitch: A ten year old German boy enamored with the values of a Nazi regime during World War 2 tries to find his place in the world with the comfort of an imaginary friend and all that in the form of a Coming-Of-Age story.  …But with fascism, anti-Semitism, and the whole Holocaust thing. You get the idea. Oh…and that boy’s imaginary friend? Adolf Hitler himself. This may or may not be an oversimplification of how exactly Taika Waititi sold his idea, but clearly the powers that be at Fox searchlight bought it.

Waititi’s talents are not limited to good movie pitches. He first popped on the mainstream radar with 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok”, a film that revitalized the Thor franchise with a fusion of irreverent humor and bombastic spectacle. Indie-film enthusiasts can go further back to 2014’s “What We Do in the Shadows” and cite Waititi’s ability to weave a tongue in a cheek narrative in subject matters not known for their humor. His many appearances during the press junket and award season circuit introduced us to a person with a self-effacing, quirky charm. He is clearly a person that doesn’t take himself too seriously.

To that end, the reactions to the early trailers of “Jojo Rabbit” were met with some trepidation. The current trend in Hollywood has been to take a more somber approach with films such as “Schlinder’s List”, “The Pianist” or “The Reader”. Suddenly, a newer generation of film audiences is introduced to the first wide release Nazi-era satire in decades. The same filmmaker that allowed us to laugh at superheroes and monsters now wants us to laugh at a real monster. Questions were asked, tweets were made, and pearls were clutched.

This is not the first time a satirical take on Nazi era Germany was committed to film. Charlie Chaplin was considerably ahead of the curve with the 1940 film “The Great Dictator”. Mel Brooks had a long and successful run with “The Producers”, which gave audiences the “play within a play” format, entitled Springtime for Hitler. “Hogan’s Heroes” – an American sitcom which ran for six seasons was about allied soldiers in a German prisoner of war camp. “The Great Dictator” has been preserved in the United States National Film Registry. “The Producers” would eventually win twelve Tony awards and “Hogan’s Heroes” would win two Emmys. Satire and specifically Nazi-era satire has had a proven track record both critically and commercially.

Yet, social media has created a bit of a paradigm shift. Information, discussions and opinions are all shared in real time and this generated a unique burden on Waititi few before him ever experienced. The film was poised to face a great deal of scrutiny, and to a lesser extent, so too was the very notion of satire in film. Casting himself as the eponymous monster was the first of many bold and creative decisions. In fact, the casting of this film is one of its greatest strengths. Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo himself captures wide-eyed innocence of youth on the cusp fanaticism. Scarlett Johansson deftly demonstrates she is ready for a post MCU world with a well deserved Oscar nominated performance. The always reliable Sam Rockwell delivers a performance that is equally measured with silliness and sensitivity. And perhaps the most overlooked performance of the year in any film of 2019 is Thomasin Mckenzie as the Jewish girl in the attic, Elsa.

Taika Waititi has managed to stack his film with a talented cast and as a result, much of the surprising charm of “Jojo Rabbit” stems from the strength of good, ensemble based story telling. Yet, the true magic of this film is found in the unorthodox rapport between Jojo and Adolf. We know immediately that Adolf is an absolute buffoon and at no point does Waititi make any attempt at empathy with both the performance and direction. We immediately see Adolf for what he is, an avatar for the absurd and abhorrent.

The first half of the film lulls the viewer into an unnatural coziness reminiscent of a Wes Anderson film. We are fully ensconced into Jojo’s horribly misguided and manipulated idealism at this point. As we follow his adventures and mishaps in the Hitler youth, Waititi seems to be telling the audience: “see how stupid this all is? It’s ok to laugh…really!” The adult characters surrounding Jojo are still caricatures and the tone is set perfectly.

Things take a darker turn as reality begins to fray the edges of his quasi-fantasy world. We learn that his mother is actually an anti-Nazi sympathizer and she is harboring a Jew by the name of Elsa. Jews were a monstrosity fueled by hate-filled propaganda with no basis in reality until now. As he confronts Elsa, he confronts himself and his relationship with his imaginary Adolf. Jojo’s private world collapses in perfect sync with the collapse of Nazi Germany around him. Sacrifices are made and people die, but Jojo’s humanity survives with the help of his newfound Jewish friend. Jojo finally severs all ties with Adolf in the most cathartic scene this side of “Inglourious Basterds”.

“Jojo Rabbit” successfully weaponizes humor and negates the power of evil. Laughter of course, is a natural by product of any well made satire, but satire in all its forms is designed to illicit a reaction in the audience. This reaction is the very litmus test of where a global audience stands in its current political and social discourse. A tender and at times hilarious story about a ten year old boy finding his place in a war torn world 75 years ago is as relevant as ever.

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