Fox Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit has been one of the most discussed movies of 2019 and one of the more divisive films out of the Best Picture nominees at this year’s Oscars. The Taika Waititi film follows a young boy named Jojo who is a fanatical Hitler Youth in Germany during the final days of World War II. However, his worldview is thrown into question when he discovers a young Jewish girl being hidden in his house.
Despite the subject matter, the film is infused with a lot of Waititi’s signature humor while also delivering some truly heartbreaking moments. The tonal shifts didn’t work for everyone, but for many, it made for one of the best movies of the year. Here are some scenes from Jojo Rabbit that broke our hearts and some that made us laugh out loud.
Sad: Killing The Rabbit
Although Jojo spouts off Nazi beliefs and seems totally committed to the cause, it’s clear that he has a bigger heart than the average Nazi. During his Hitler Youth training retreat, we see that Jojo is intimidated by the violence and anger he is expected to share.
One pivotal moment comes when the older instructors order Jojo to kill a helpless rabbit to prove he is a true warrior. As the other kids egg him on, Jojo tries to let the rabbit run away only for the instructor to quickly kill the innocent animal and taunt Jojo for his compassion.
Funny: German Shepherds
Among the incredibly unusual characters in the story is Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell), a disillusioned Nazi officer who, after losing his eye, now oversees the Hitler Youth. Klenzendorf spends his days drinking and lamenting the fact that he is no longer on the front lines.
When planning for the protection of the city from Allied forces, Klenzendorf tells his right-hand man Finkel (Alfie Allen) to get German Shepherds. But instead of finding dogs, Finkel comes back with literal German shepherds. To make the moment funnier, we later see the hapless shepherds fighting as the city is attacked.
Sad: The Truth About Nathan
Jojo is initially terrified to find a Jewish girl hiding in his house, but he and Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) soon form an odd friendship and even begin sharing secrets about their life. Elsa says she has a fiancé fighting in the resistance named Nathan, whom she will reunite with when the war is over.
Jojo begins writing letters to Elsa pretending to be Nathan. While it starts as a cruel joke, Jojo begins getting kinder with his letters and Elsa genuinely enjoys them. Eventually, she tells Jojo the truth – Nathan is dead and she just enjoyed pretending he was still out there somewhere.
Funny: Hitler’s Plans
One of the most memorable aspects of the film is Jojo’s imaginary friend, who happens to be Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). Though Hitler is, of course, a despicable human being, the movie presents him through the eyes of a child, making the stupidity of his ideologies even clearer.
Waititi is hilarious in the role, playing a childish buffoon to perfection. Some of the funniest moments in the film are Hitler tries to divisive elaborate and terrible plans for getting rid of Elsa, including a pit filled with lava and piranhas.
Sad: Klenzendorf Final Stand
While the fall of Germany meant the end of the war, seeing his hometown invaded by the Allied forces through the eyes of a young boy was terrifying. In the confusion of the attack, Jojo is rounded up with the other Nazis, including Klenzendorf.
The terror in Jojo’s eyes is heartbreaking enough but Klenzendorf attempts to comfort him, telling him it’s going to be alright and trying to keep his spirits up. Finally, he strips Jojo’s Nazi uniform off and calls him a Jew until the Allies allow Jojo to go before executing Klenzendorf.
Funny: Friendly Greetings
The movie does a great job of showing just how ridiculous the Nazi Party was simply by displaying their own traditions and beliefs. One of the best examples of this is the scene in which the Gestapo officers come to search Jojo’s home.
The Gestapo are seen as smarmy bureaucrats who are overly occupied with their made-up protocols. The scene hilariously shows the Gestapo continuously greeting everyone with a “Heil Hitler” over and over again. It goes from funny to insane and back to funny as it continues.
Sad: Rosie And Elsa
Though we don’t know much about Elsa’s life before, the movie does a great job of making her a complex character rather than just a victim. She is strong and defiant but also disillusioned by the horrors she has faced. Some of the most powerful scenes involve her speaks with Jojo’s mother, Rosie (Scarlet Johansson).
As Rosie tries to comfort her and encourage her, we see that Elsa is struggling with maintaining hope. Rosie remarks that Elsa has lived more lifetimes than most, to which Elsa heartbreakingly replies, “I haven’t lived at all.”
Funny: Yorki The Soldier
It’s very strange to see these adorable kids running around with Nazi uniforms, which adds to the absurd humor of the film. The most adorable out of all of them is Jojo’s friend Yorki (Archie Yates). It’s clear Yorki doesn’t believe in the Nazi cause like Jojo, and that he is just doing what he’s told.
As the German army gets more and more desperate, we keep seeing Yorki rising through the ranks as a soldier, despite him being oblivious to what’s happening. Seeing this cute little kid carrying a rocket launcher and accidentally blowing stuff up is too funny.
Sad: Rosie’s Death
Scarlett Johansson gives another incredible performance in this film as Jojo’s loving and brave mother. Not only is she hiding an innocent Jewish girl in her house, but she is also one of the few Germans who seems to understand how ridiculous the Nazi Party is.
Her heroic ways eventually catch up with her as Jojo is walking through town and spots his mother’s red shoes hanging from the gallows. Devastated, he hugs her legs and tries to tie her shoes like she always did for him.
Funny: F**k Off, Hitler
Following his mother’s death, we finally see that change in Jojo we had been waiting for. He realizes the stupidity of his beliefs and his love for Elsa. However, this does not sit well with his friend Hitler.
We see Hitler confront Jojo in hysterics, ranting like a mad man, but Jojo stays firm in his new way of thinking. As Hitler begs for Jojo to come back to him, the little boy cries, F**k off, Hitler" and kicks him out of the window. That’s almost as satisfying as Hitler’s end in Inglourious Basterds.
