For a director relatively new to the Hollywood scene, Taika Waititi is on one great hot streak. His films have a consistent personality and a signature biting sense of humor, yet each one since “Eagle vs Shark” progresses and heightens the story up a couple of notches. Considering his most recent effort is a Marvel film, his career is somewhat akin to an indie musician skyrocketing to arena status through records that evolve from one to next. His next film, “Jojo Rabbit,” is certainly a departure from “Thor: Ragnarok,” but in returning to a small scale, Waititi is going in an ambitious direction never before taken.
Well, with Tarantino revisionism aside, Nazi satire goes back all the way to Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator,” where Chaplin brilliantly understood that one of the best ways to combat a figure like Adolf Hitler is to lampoon him. Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit” aims for the same goal of communicating anti-hate through Nazi characters. Understandably so, Waititi’s vision is unique in a shocking sense, for the footage seen so far showcases a tone that is both hilarious and horrifying.
The film’s synopsis goes as such:
“Set during World War Two, an awkward young German boy (Roman Griffin Davis) whose only ally is his imaginary friend Hitler (Taika Waititi) has his naïve patriotism tested when he meets a young girl who upends his world views (Elsa Korr).”
While the content is nervously risqué in the current cultural climate, there’s no denying that Waititi’s voice is now one of the strongest in Hollywood, hinting towards a career that can balance both blockbusters and original, unique independents. Controversy is sure to surround the TIFF premiere and anticipated release, so here’s to hoping that the film achieves its anti-hate goal, as opposed to instigating stark division (à la “The Hunt”).
Joining Waititi in the ensemble cast is a couple of Marvel alum, Scarlett Johansson as the boy’s mother and Sam Rockwell as a Nazi captain, along with British comedians Rebel Wilson and Stephen Merchant.
“Jojo Rabbit” is scheduled to be released on October 18.