Jojo Rabbit
It’s rare to laugh so much in a war film. Jojo Rabbit is a film that follows the life of 10 year old Jojo Betzler through World War II. Directed by Taika Waititi, the story is both hilarious and heartbreaking. When I first watched the film, I was struck by how colourful it was. The world of Nazi Germany is bright and vivid, full of art and design and style. I had never seen a war film quite like it. The world created in Jojo Rabbit can be credited largely to Production Designer Ra Vincent, and Costume Designer Mayes C. Rubeo, along with Waititi himself. Below is a compilation of research I have done on the making of this film, along with some of my own thoughts.
Setting
In so many World War II films, the colour pallettes follow similar trends: muted, cool tones. Taika Waititi and Ra Vincent wanted to change this in Jojo Rabbit. In a story that sees the world through a child’s eyes, the film suited brighter, warmer colours. And Germany at the time was bright, following the Bauhaus movement. Vincent wanted the town to be saturated and bright, full of traditional baroque houses. He found Úštěk to be the perfect location, and decided to build Jojo Betzler’s house itself at Barrandov studios in Prague.
Due largely to the colour palette, the film begins with an optimistic, innocent feeling. This combined with Waititi’s comedic writing juxtaposes the darker themes of the story. I think this makes it resonate with the audience more. It allows you to let your guard down and feel strangely comfortable within a war film. Throughout the film, Jojo’s worldview changes, and since the film is seen through his eyes, so does the view of the film. The darker moments are added subtly, but in a way that hits that much harder, and stays with you for longer. The comfort of the film is felt mostly in the Betzler home. The interiors are stylish and warm, imitating the optimism of Rosie, Jojo’s mother.
In his interview with Deadline, Vincent explains the thought process behind the rooms in the Betzler home. I particularly liked the thinking behind Elsa’s hideout. The baroque architecture of the time usually included sharp sloping roofs, to allow snow to slide off them. This meant that if the houses were renovated upstairs, as was common around the second world war, false walls would be put in where the roof got too low to stand. This provided the perfect location for Elsa to hide, and meant it could be connected to Inga’s room. Jojo’s sister Inga passed away some time before the story, but her presence remains in her bedroom. This room was designed to be “a neutral staging area for Elsa and Jojo’s relationship to bond”. It is a room stuck in time, designed using more a more Victorian style, and relatively muted tones.
Wardrobe
Fashion is another thing that separates Jojo Rabbit from other war films I have seen. Mayes C. Rubeo designed the costumes for the film. Along with demonstrating the styles of the time and place, she uses clothing to add a connection to what is happening to the characters.
The most iconic element of wardrobe in the film is Rosie’s shoes. There is an emphasis on these throughout the film. From teaching Jojo to tie his laces, to dancing on walls at his eye level, the shoes are so often in shot. They are the first thing you see when you realise what has happened to Rosie, and the familiarity and distinctness of the shoes adds a real punch in the gut. Rubeo designed the shoes herself, and had them custom made for the film.
Elsa’s wardrobe contrasts strongly with Rosie’s. She is shut in her hiding space, and has been stripped of her freedom by the war. Her outfits are plain and monochromatic, up until the final scene, when the war ends and she can step outside. She’s wearing shoes for only the second time in the film, which Jojo poignantly ties up, and she has a bright green jacket on. I think this outfit choice is deliberate, to add an element of hope and relief.
Yorki’s outfits took a lot of work in the film. Yorki is Jojo’s best friend, and holds a particular innocence. Unlike Jojo, he doesn’t hold the same admiration for the movement, and just seems to be obliviously moving through the ranks, from the Hitler Youth, up to an official soldier. In the beginning of the film, emphasis is put into the uniforms of the Hitler Youth, smart and each equipped with their own knife. By the end of the film the uniform has changed dramatically, with the boys noting that it is made of paper. As the final battle scenes progress, each time we see Yorki, his uniform is becoming quickly more and more damaged. For this, Rubeo had six versions of the outfit, made using paper, cardboard and cotton. By the end of the war, he sits in his vest - “by the end, when we find him again, he’s got nothing left”. He says he’s going to go home and hug his mum, reminding you that he is really just a little boy.
Another outfit I loved from the film was Captain Klenzendorf’s final battle outfit. I think Klenzendorf is controversial and there is a complexity to his character. An article from Medium states that the importance of Klensendorf and Freddy Finkel was their gay relationship. While not overtly noticeable, there are intentional signs throughout the film showing their closeness. In concentration camps, those imprisoned for homosexuality were forced to wear pink triangles on their uniforms. In the final battle uniforms, designed by them, the couple’s uniforms have pink triangles on them, adding to this final moment of self expression and rebellion.
I think Jojo Rabbit is a film with many layers of complexity, and little details in the setting and costumes really tie the story together. Every aspect comes together so elegantly to tell a story that holds real importance.
People of significance:
Taika Waititi, Director
Ra Vincent, Production Designer
Mayes C. Rubeo, Costume Designer