Never was the mind of a kid so sincerely expressed, and never was a kaleidoscope of war so uniquely unfolded. The 2019 “war-comedy” Jojo Rabbit achieved both by presenting WWII from the view of a young German. Nicknamed “Jojo”, the ten-year-old boy is a young Nazi enthusiast whose blind worship for Hitler leads him to create an imaginary Hitler as his friend. Later in the film, however, we witness Jojo’s character development as he becomes self-reformed through a series of surprising yet tragic events.

The star-studded cast’s portrayal of diverse, dynamic characters brings the major themes of the movie to the forefront. For instance, Scarlett Johansson’s grand performance of transitioning between fatherly and motherly characteristics in front of Jojo through the change of her tone and facial expressions are some of the most memorable scenes that lead the audience to consider broken familial relationships during the war. Captain K reflects the idea of “a good man trapped in a bad system”; Elsa stands for the discriminated and the persecuted during the war. These characters and more are linked together by Jojo, demonstrating the intertwined themes of war and the film’s varied perspectives.

The ambivalent Captain K is specifically memorable. As an anti-war German general, he faces a harsh choice: to serve his country or to insist on his own sense of kindness. The conflict of these two opposing choices is constantly presented throughout the film and it is only resolved during the film’s final climax. Through Captain K, we can see the horror of the war and its distortion of a person’s mind.

While the actors presented a grand performance, Jojo Rabbit’s ultimate success must be attributed to director-actor Taika Waititi. His performance as the imaginary Hitler conveys Jojo’s initial inner-self: a childish mind filled with surrealistic, exaggerated Nazi fantasies. Moreover, his unique directorial tone via his extensive use of comic relief and his ability to merge fantasy-like moments with reality sets the theme of the film as humorously thought-provoking while still maintaining a sensation of gleaming sadness. In the final war scene, for example, Captain K’s superhero-like comical outfit contrasts with the greyish war zone dominated by the sound of bombing and bullets flying through the air, illustrating how powerless and individual can be when facing the great war. The absurdity of war is thus demonstrated to the film's very essence.

Overall, the film successfully explores familial relationships, political propaganda, and personal development under a war context by extensively applying humor, sarcasm, and comic-like illustrations. Though the film is suitable for all age groups, it is especially a good pick at family occasions, for its comedy characteristics and its educational purposes are the best combination that fits every expectation at a family gathering.