During the press tour for Jojo Rabbit, writer/producer/director/actor Taika Waititi described the film as an “anti-hate” satire. An irreverent and farcical Nazi comedy about a Hitler Youth member who falls in love with a Jewish girl, Jojo Rabbit takes many liberties with its approach to genre and tone. The 2019 film was praised upon its release for the way it blends comedy and profundity, and Waititi's screenplay earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as well as five other nominations.
The film follows the young Jojo Betzler as he tries to be the best little Nazi he can be, in spite of his complete lack of athleticism. Meanwhile, his mother, Rosie, is working tirelessly for the resistance and hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic. Throughout the film, the mother and son struggle to understand each other as they fight for opposite sides of the war effort. All the while, Waititi infuses this highly serious subject matter with bombastic and ridiculous humor, making the more disturbing elements farcical whenever he can.
While the film was nominated for six Academy Awards, critical response to the film was mixed, with some citing its irreverent attitude towards World War II as either offensive, or else politically empty. Richard Brody wrote of the film, "Today, making fun of Hitler and his minions is both easy and pointless, because he poses no threat; Waititi is kicking a dead bull." Still, other critics praised it. Anthony Lane wrote, "There is genuine zest in the unease of Jojo Rabbit, and it's weirdly convincing as a portrait of childhood under surreal strain."
