Jojo Rabbit back F**k off, Hitler!

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INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - MORNING
EXT. TOWN - STREET - DAY
EXT. WOODS - HITLERJUGEND CAMP - DAY
MONTAGE - HITLER YOUTH TRAINING CAMP...
INT. HITLER YOUTH CAMP - TENT - AFTERNOON
EXT. HITLER YOUTH CAMP - DUSK
EXT. CAMP - NIGHT
INT. TENT - NIGHT
EXT. WOODS - TRAINING GROUND - MORNING
EXT. WOODS - DAY
EXT. WOODS - TRAINING GROUND - DAY
EXT. WOODS - JOJO'S POV
INT. AMBULANCE
INT. HOSPITAL - CORRIDOR - DAY
INT. HOSPITAL - OPERATING ROOM - DAY
INT. HOSPITAL - WARD - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - MORNING
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - LOUNGE ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - MOMENTS LATER
EXT. HITLER YOUTH OFFICE - DAY
INT. HITLER YOUTH OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER
EXT. TOWN SQUARE - DAY
EXT. STREET - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S BEDROOM - LATER
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - JOJO'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - JOJO'S BEDROOM - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - LOUNGE - EVENING
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - ROSIE'S ROOM - NIGHT
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - JOJO'S ROOM - NIGHT
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - JOJO'S ROOM - NIGHT
INT. REHABILITATION CENTRE - POOL -DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S BEDROOM - MORNING
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON
INT JOJO'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S BEDROOM - MORNING
INT. TOWN - LIBRARY - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - JOJO'S ROOM - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S BEDROOM - AFTERNOON
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - JOJO'S ROOM - AFTERNOON
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S BEDROOM - AFTERNOON
EXT. RIVER - DAY
EXT. RIVER - LATER
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S ROOM - AFTERNOON
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - JOJO'S BEDROOM - LATER
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S ROOM - NIGHT
EXT. HITLER YOUTH OFFICE - DAY
INT. HITLER YOUTH OFFICE - DAY
EXT. TOWN - HOUSE - DAY
EXT. TOWN - STREET - DAY
EXT. TOWN - METAL DEPOSIT - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S BEDROOM - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - LATER
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - ROSIE'S ROOM - LATER
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
INT/EXT. JOJO'S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - CONTINUOUS
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALL - CONTINUOUS
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - ELSA'S HIDEOUT - MOMENTS LATER
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER
EXT. TOWN SQUARE - TOWN SQUARE - AFTERNOON
EXT. TOWN SQUARE - TOWN SQUARE - DUSK
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - ELSA'S HIDEOUT - NIGHT
EXT. JOJO'S HOUSE - ROOFTOP - NIGHT
MONTAGE - JOJO AND ELSA
EXT. STREET - DAY
EXT. TOWN - STREET - DAY
EXT. BATTLE GROUND - CONTINUOUS
EXT. TOWN - STREET - DAY
EXT. BACK STREET - LATER
EXT. COURTYARD - CONTINUOUS
EXT. TOWN - STREET - MOMENTS LATER
EXT. JOJO'S HOUSE - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - INGA'S BEDROOM - EVENING
INT. JOJO HOUSE - JOJO'S ROOM - DAY
INT. JOJO'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY
EXT. JOJO'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
scene
Jojo gets a pep talk from Adolf Hitler, his imaginary friend.
Jojo and his friend Yorki head off for the Hitler Youth camp.
Captain K gives a welcome lecture at the camp.
The kids do Hitler Youth camp stuff. It's all pretty violent, and while presented with humor, rather dark underneath.
Jojo and Yorki talk about being a Nazi.
A sadistic camp counselor tries to get Jojo to kill a rabbit. Jojo won't. The kids mock him, call him Jojo Rabbit. He runs into the woods.
Adolf shows up and consoles Jojo. Yorki shows up to console him.
Jojo runs up, grabs a grenade, throws it. But it bounces back on him, blows him up.
Jojo is taken to the hospital, into surgery. Rosie, his mother, visits him in the hospital afterwards.
Rosie consoles Jojo. She's awfully nice. She persuades him to go outside in spite of his scars.
Rosie and Jojo go to the Hitler Youth office. Rosie kicks Captain K for letting Jojo get hurt. She insists that they find Jojo work. They give him notices to hang up.
Jojo and his mom see bodies of resisters hanging in the town square.
Jojo hangs propaganda posters.
Jojo comes home. He discovers a Jewish girl named Elsa living in his wall. She terrifies him into not turning him in.
Adolf gives some totally useless advice on what to do about Elsa. Jojo decides to try to talk her into leaving.
Jojo talks to Elsa. She takes another knife from him.
Adolf gives Jojo more bad advice.
Rosie comes home. Jojo tells him he heard his sister's ghost in the house.

Rosie and Jojo have some mother-son time.
Jojo's mom talks to Elsa, tells her she has to be quiet. She tries to say that she'll put Elsa out if it risks Jojo, but can't bring her to do it. She encourages Elsa.

Jojo hears something and knows for certain his mom knows about Elsa.
Jojo swims. He talks to Captain K. He tries to get advice about dealing with Jews, though doesn't reveal about Elsa. Captain K makes a comment about writing a book about identifying Jews.
Jojo makes a truce with Elsa. He asks her about Jews, research to write the book about them.
Adolf encourages Jojo. Rosie comes home. She burns paper in the fireplace - it's suspicious.
Jojo and Rosie argue over politics. She pretends to be his father and turns a rough moment into a nice one. They end up dancing.
Elsa tells Jojo about her fiance Nathan.
Jojo gets a book of Rilke poetry from the library to set up a trap for Elsa.
Jojo writes a mean letter to Elsa that he pretends is from Nathan. She is hurt and he feels bad about it.
Jojo writes another pretend letter from Nathan, this one nice. The two still argue about Germans vs Jews, but it's friendly now.
Jojo and Rosie have a nice moment by the river. She tells him being in love feels like butterflies in the tummy. She talks about the importance of romance and dancing.
Elsa makes up stories about Jews for Jojo. He believes them and writes them in his book.
Adolf is annoyed with Jojo for getting friendly with Elsa.
Rosie talks with Elsa, about being in love and living her life bravely.
Jojo tells Captain K about the book he's writing about Jews. Captain K shows him the design of his fancy new uniform. Captain K sends him out on a job.
Jojo dressed as a robot gathers scrap metal. He sees his mother putting out anti-Nazi literature.
Jojo sees his friend Yorki, who is now a soldier. Though a rather poor type of soldier. Jojo tells Yorki that he caught a Jew.
Jojo gives Elsa colored pencils. He realizes that he's in love with her, butterflies and all.
The Gestapo arrive at Jojo's house, search around. Captain K shows up too.
The Gestapo search around. Elsa appears, pretends to be Jojo's dead sister Inga. Captain K helps her maintain the pretense. The Gestapo see the Jew book and find it hilarious. Charmed by the book, they leave. Captain K tells Jojo he doesn't need him at the office any more.
Elsa and Jojo realize Captain K covered for them. Elsa is worried.
Adolf is upset at Jojo for getting friendly with Elsa.
Jojo finds Rosie dead, hanging with the resistance types in the town square.
Upset, Jojo attacks Elsa, but not effectively.
Elsa and Jojo talk about Rosie. Elsa says that when she is free she will dance.
Time passes, Jojo and Elsa live on.
Jojo sees Yorki getting ready for battle. He tells him about Elsa and how she's basically Jojo's girlfriend. Yorki tells him that Hitler shot himself.
Jojo walks into a battle in which the people of his town, old people, children, civilians, try to fight off the Russians and Americans. It's not good, but it is a bit surreal and rather comic. Jojo ends up hiding.
The battle ends, the Germans lose. Jojo is nabbed by a Russian soldier who mistakes Jojo for a soldier. But Captain K sacrifices himself to let Jojo escape.
Jojo encounter Yorki. Yorki survived the battle. Yorki mentions that now Elsa can go free. Jojo is not happy at that turn.
Jojo tells Elsa the Germans won so that Elsa won't leave him. But he can't stick to it. He says he'll help her escape.

She reveals that Nathan, her supposed fiance, has been dead for a year.

They get ready to leave the house.
Jojo encounters Adolf. He finally rejects Adolf completely. Jojo makes his choice.
Jojo takes Elsa outside. She sees the Germans lost. At first she's angry at him for lying, but then they are happy. They dance.
Tone
Farce
There's dark undertones to the farce: it's making fun of some pretty bad stuff. Antisemitism. Book burning. But it's still presented in a farcical light.
Now things are getting serious. This scene has some real drama in it, and a real choice for Jojo. But we're not quite in the world of true tragedy here - though it comes close when the counselor kills the rabbit, showing us that the stakes here are life or death.
And we're back to farce.
Rosie's 1:1 scenes with Jojo are sweet. The tone is a loving coming-of-age film. Though there's humor here, it's realistic humor.
But when we see Rosie with Captain K, the comedy gets broad, including a kick-in-the-balls, a broad comedy staple.
This is the first deeply tragic moment. There's no comedy here.
This scene is played for farce.
The initial scenes with Elsa are comic, contrasting this normal girl with Jojo's fears of a monster Jew.
There's some humor in the scenes, but again when Jojo and Rosie are together, the humor is more realistic. And Rosie's loving decency shines through. It's more humorous coming-of-age than farce.
The more Nazi the surroundings, the more farcical. And there's plenty of farcical touches in this scene, showing the absurdity of the Nazis.
There's comedy here, but not as broad as the Nazi scenes. Although the things that Elsa tells Jojo about the Jews are absurd, the scene itself is more realistic.
Of course, any time Adolf appears, the farce comes out strong.
Comic but sweet and realistic, like most Rosie scenes.
Kind of comic, but turns sweet when Elsa is hurt and Jojo makes it up to her.
We're deep in sweet coming-of-age tone here.
Still farce, but starting to get a little darker.
Sweet coming-of-age.
Once again, Captain K is reliably on the pro-farce side of the ledger.
Mix of farce and concern - the robot costume is ridiculous, but Rosie's actions lend a note of concern.
Sweet coming-of-age love story.
This sequence is a strong mix of farce and drama. The Gestapo are farcical with their constant Heil Hitlers, but there's a deep undercurrent of fear when they are around.
Adolf's scene now has only a touch of humor but is generally pretty grim.
Now we're in tragedy.
A touch of farce in the Adolf scene in the montage, otherwise fairly melancholy.
The battle is a strong mix of tragedy and farce. There's something tragic about watching such inappropriate soldiers fighting a war. But there's deeply farcical touches, such as Captain K's uniform and the actions of Fraulein Rahm.
Things are serious drama now. Sweet coming-of-age stuff, but still fairly serious with high emotional stakes.
There's a touch of farce, and certainly the way Jojo boots Adolf out the window is over-the-top. But there's a serious meaning here.
And the ending is sweet, and the coming-of-age story comes to a climax.
Joe structure
Act one: setup.

Teaser sequence: meet Jojo and Adolf, see Jojo run through town with the titles playing.
Sequence: Hitler Youth Camp.
End of sequence.
Sequence: Jojo adapts to post-explosion life.
End of sequence.
Begin Act Two: Elsa the enemy.

Sequence: Meet Elsa, Jojo's enemy. She defeats him.
End of sequence.
Sequence: Jojo's truce with Elsa.
End of sequence.
Sequence: Jojo hurts Elsa.
End of sequence.

End of act two: Elsa is no longer the enemy: now she has started to become Jojo's friend.
Act three: Jojo becomes Elsa's ally.

Sequence: Jojo falls in love.
End sequence.
Sequence: Jojo protects Elsa.
End sequence.
Sequence: Consequences: Rosie's death.
End of sequence.

End of act three.
Begin act four: the war.

Sequence: the passage of time.
Sequence: the battle.
End sequence.
Sequence: what happens to Elsa now?
End of sequence.

End of act four.
3-act structure
Inciting incident - Jojo wounds himself with a grenade, which keeps him out of school, which means he finds Elsa.
Plot Point 1: Commence Act Two. Meeting Elsa sends the film into Act Two.
Midpoint - Jojo's guilt over the mean letter, combined with his trying to make it up to Elsa, is the Midpoint.
Plot Point 2: Commence Act Three. This time transition montage may move us into Act Three.
Climax. The battle is the climax.
Save the Cat Beats
There is no explicit statement of the theme.
Opening Image (p1).
Begin Set-Up (p1).
End Set-Up (p10)

Note that trying to save the rabbit functions like a save-the-cat moment: it makes Jojo likable. And we certainly wouldn't like him if he killed the rabbit.
Catalyst (p12)
Debate (p12-25)
Break into Two (p25).
Begin Fun and Games (p30).
B-story (p30) - the B story is all about the Jew in the Wall.
End Fun and Games (p55).

Midpoint (p55)
Bad Guys Close In (p55-75)
All is Lost (p75).
Dark Night of the Soul (p75-85)
Break into Three (p85).
Finale (p85-110)
Final Image (p110)
Hero's Journey
The ordinary world.

Establishment of the hero's status quo.

The Departure begins.
The Hitler Youth Camp represents a false call to adventure.
Meeting the Mentor.

The Hero needs help from someone.
Jojo refuses the false call when he refuses to kill the rabbit.
Jojo accepts the false call here, but it immediately and literally blows up in his face.
Crossing the First Threshold.

Here we have the true adventure begin, and it's an internal adventure. Jojo meets Elsa, and growing to show empathy for her is his true adventure.
Tests, Allies, Enemies.

The Hero faces challenges, meets allies.
Approach to the Inmost Cave.

The Hero gets closer to his goal.

In this case, he starts to see Elsa as a person, shows compassion for her.
Ordeal.

The Hero faces his biggest test of all.
Reward.

The Hero sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
The Road Back.

The challenge to get back is harder than it seems.
Resurrection.

The Hero meets the final test.
The Return.

The Hero returns with the prize.
Mazin/LeFauvre
Craig Mazin did an episode of the Scriptnotes Podcast where he described his theory of structuring a screenplay. It applies quite well to this movie. This lane analyzes Jojo Rabbit in terms of the Mazin theory.

For more details on the theory, see here: https://johnaugust.com/2019/scriptnotes-ep-403-how-to-write-a-movie-transcript
Introduce the antithesis: be a Nazi! Jews are bad!

And Adolf personifies the antithesis.
The first challenge to the antithesis: should Jojo kill the rabbit?
Adolf helps convince Jojo that he doesn't have to kill the rabbit, he can identify with it. This is an argument for the antithesis.
Elsa becomes the big challenge to the antithesis. Maybe Jews aren't that bad after all.

But in Jojo's initial exposure to her, she seems pretty bad.
Rosie is a second argument for empathy and anti-Nazism. She functions as Mazin's example of someone who lives a different way.
Jojo rationalizes his decision not to turn in Elsa. And comes up with a good pro-Nazi reason to spend time with her - research about Jews.
This is Jojo's first moment of empathy for Elsa. It's his first sign that there's another way. This is the challenge to his belief in the antithesis.
Jojo starts having a real connection with his mother now that he has started to see her way.
The personification of the antithesis is challenging Jojo's gradual move away from it.
In helping Elsa avoid being discovered, Jojo has acted in accordance with the thesis, with empathy. And Captain K's action to help the coverup is another model for Jojo to take.
Adolf argues strenuously against Jojo showing kindness to Elsa. The antithesis is fighting back.

Note that this is the last time when Jojo willingly puts on a Nazi uniform.
This is the price of acting with empathy: Jojo loses his mother.
At first, he responds in line with the antithesis. Something horrible has happened. Jojo's first instinct is to kill a Jew - but he can't carry through with it.
Captain K saves Jojo by pretending Jojo is a Jew. He acts the Nazi, but really shows empathy and self-sacrifice.
Jojo has his last temptation: use lies to keep Elsa locked up, to let him own her. It's a very Nazi approach to the problem.
But Jojo finally rejects Nazism by expelling Adolf from his life.
And he finally shows empathy by letting Elsa go. And figuratively takes his mother's role by tying Elsa's shoes (as his mother always tied his) and then dancing with Elsa (because his mother was strongly identified with dance).
SP: Yorki the soldier
We meet Yorki on the way to Hitler Youth camp.
Yorki is less enthusiastic about Nazis than Jojo, but still onboard.
Yorki is a soldier. But one in a shoddy uniform. And not super-enthusistic.
Yorki is about to fight in the war. He's pretty bad at it, though.
Yorki has survived and is no longer at all pro-Nazi.
SP: Rosie's turn
Rosie isn't intimidated by German soldiers.
Rosie speaks kindly of the resisters. They did "what they could."
It's clear that Rosie is hiding Elsa, a clear act of resistance.
Rosie is doing something with secret papers.
Rosie is clearly anti-Nazi in this argument.
Rosie is distributing anti-Nazi literature, literature that we've already seen is associated with executed resisters.
Rosie is killed by the Nazis.
SP: The Jew in the wall
Jojo finds the Jew living in his wall.
Elsa is hard to deal with, certainly too tough for Jojo.
Rosie clearly knows about Elsa and isn't going to abandon her.
Jojo's relationship with Elsa starts.
Jojo and Elsa start to become friends.
Elsa is becoming a major source of friction between Jojo and Adolf.
Jojo tells Yorki about Elsa.
Jojo loves Elsa.
Elsa's life is in jeopardy due to the Gestapo.
Jojo blames Elsa for Rosie's death.
Jojo and Elsa reconcile and have a nice though sad moment.
Jojo faces the possibility that Elsa will leave.
Jojo tries to trick Elsa into staying.
Jojo lets Elsa out. They reconcile.
SP: Captain K the soldier
Captain K is pretty unenthusiastic as a soldier.
Captain K was demoted for Jojo's accident. Yet somehow he's still a captain.
Captain K doesn't care about persecuting Jews at all.
Captain K's uniform is a bit of a spoof on the Nazis. Not exactly patriotic.
Captain K helps hide Elsa's true identity.
Captain K is fighting, now in his ridiculous uniform. But we never see him kill anyone, in spite of having seen him be a crack shot.
Captain K sacrifices himself for Jojo, pretending to be an enthusiastic Nazi.
SP: Yoohoo Jew
Jojo gets the idea of a book from Captain K.
Jojo tries to get Elsa to help with the book.
Jojo builds on his book.
Jojo tells Captain K about the book.
The book is funny enough that it distracts the Gestapo.
From script to screen
Yorki doesn't show in the movie - it's all Adolf.
In the film, he hangs the posters, then they see the hanging bodies.
deaders
A rabbit, with neck broken by one of the sadistic counselors.
Rosie
The real Hitler (offscreen)
A whole lot of Germans who we've met to date.
Captain K