Jojo Rabbit Film Analysis Essay

The Holocaust is among history's most heinous crimes. A nationwide survey of Holocaust awareness among younger generations revealed that several people were unaware of the genocide's fundamental aspects. According to Greg Schneider, the vice president of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, sixty-three percent of those questioned were unaware that the Holocaust resulted in the deaths of millions of Jews. Antisemitism has existed in Europe for millennia, but it approached its peak in Germany throughout the Nazi regime. This tragedy involved the killing of multitudes, and it was all brought about by the hatred of Jews. Racism and antisemitism are both still issues in today's world, and in the film, Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi tells the narrative of a young kid who realizes that Jews and Germans are both humans. Waititi utilizes Jojo, the main character, to represent how mindsets may change when things are perceived from a new perspective. Throughout the film, Waititi explores the idea of antisemitism by using semiotic symbols, contextual aspects, and mise-en-scene elements to bring awareness and educate those about the forgotten Holocaust. 

Throughout the short film, the incorporation of contextual aspects is evident. During the setup, audiences can observe how the characters seem to be more family-friendly while still demonstrating the gruesome events that occurred during the Holocaust. The Nazi faction and their abusive anti-semitic government regime are a recurring pattern in the film. Jojo genuinely strives to blend in with his fellow Nazis. Furthermore, Jojo's imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, accompanies him everywhere and encourages Jojo to continue to despise Jews (Waititi). Despite its comedic portrayal, Nazism is the director's primary antagonistic, threatening horrendous bloodshed and jeopardizing the characters' liberty. The film Jojo Rabbit needed to stand out from other brutal wartime films. Waititi intended to bring it up to date so that young people could realize simply how this scenario could potentially occur in the present.

The execution of semiotic aspects can be found everywhere in the film, but the most prominent symbol was the dagger. Jojo obtains his knife for the first time at the Hitler scout camp. He is told to carry it with him at all times in the event that he sees a Jew. The knife is intended to symbolize the Nazis' imagined strength and dominance over everyone else (Waititi). The director uses the dagger to represent the brutality that Jojo is finally unwilling to perpetrate. It helps the audience by giving them a virtual representation of the hatred the Nazis had for the Jews that made them want to kill them. It displays how anti-semitic the Nazis were since they were so concentrated on killing the Jews that they gave knives to children, and made them grow up with such evil beliefs.

The implementation of mise-en-scene components is used throughout the film, but it is most significant in Act II. During the setting, the audience witnesses two individuals, one who is a full-blood Nazi and the other who has a compassionate heart. As the Gestapo walk in, they greet each other with "Heil Hitler." Herman Geertz, one of the Gestapo officials, claims that the Gestapo are doing a regular investigation after searching Jojo's house. The director places Geertz and Captain Klenzendorf stand parallel to one another in this scene, emphasizing the height difference as Deertz looks down on the captain (Waititi). Ultimately, the Nazis strived to ensure that no one betrayed them, going to extreme lengths, such as invading homes, searching through papers, and executing those who did. They utilized their authority to exemplify to others that what they were doing was the right thing.

Winston Churchill explains, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” In such a statement, Churchill exemplifies how individuals must, however, learn from their errors of judgment in order to avoid the possibility of repeating them. However, how can individuals and future generations avoid repeating such tragedies if they are not educated about such events? Waititi addresses the issue of antisemitism throughout Jojo Rabbit, incorporating semiotic symbols, contextual features, and mise-en-scene elements to raise information and engage people about the Holocaust.  In addition, he uses scenes in his film that allow people to view kid-friendly characters while simultaneously educating them about the horrendous events of the massacre. The Nazis had such a profound hatred for Jews that they required young boys to carry knives and be vigilant at all times in case a Jew needed to be 'taken care of.' Waititi invites audiences to see the Nazis' domination over society in numerous scenes, encouraging children to grow to despise Jews and fight, further fueling anti-semitism. Ultimately, the fundamental goal of Waititi's film is to help teach those who are unaware of the Holocaust and its repercussions on people and religion.