Comedy out of Tragedy: A Jojo Rabbit Screenplay Analysis
Abstract (300 words maximum)
In the 2019 film Jojo Rabbit, we already have preconceived ideas about the characters and story, since we are put into the middle of a conflict we are all familiar with: the Holocaust. This presentation will explore the way writer and director Taika Waititi uses different characters in a familiar situation to help Jojo complete his character arc. Jojo’s arc follows the trajectory of a young German boy coming of age in one of the darkest times in modern history, and he is forced to confront his struggles with empathy in tandem with the progression of World War 2. I will also talk about Waititi’s use of comedy in relation to such a serious historical topic, and how it makes the movie more engaging to the audience. Building comedy out of tragedy helps to open the viewer’s mind to looking at something familiar from a different perspective, and the juxtaposition between the serious intensities and the lighthearted comedy not only captures the audience’s full attention, but also serves to illustrate complexities in each of the major characters.
Comedy out of Tragedy: A Jojo Rabbit Screenplay Analysis
In the 2019 film Jojo Rabbit, we already have preconceived ideas about the characters and story, since we are put into the middle of a conflict we are all familiar with: the Holocaust. This presentation will explore the way writer and director Taika Waititi uses different characters in a familiar situation to help Jojo complete his character arc. Jojo’s arc follows the trajectory of a young German boy coming of age in one of the darkest times in modern history, and he is forced to confront his struggles with empathy in tandem with the progression of World War 2. I will also talk about Waititi’s use of comedy in relation to such a serious historical topic, and how it makes the movie more engaging to the audience. Building comedy out of tragedy helps to open the viewer’s mind to looking at something familiar from a different perspective, and the juxtaposition between the serious intensities and the lighthearted comedy not only captures the audience’s full attention, but also serves to illustrate complexities in each of the major characters.