JoJo Rabbit
Based on the Book “Caging Skies” by Christine Leunens
Main Story Beats Analysis by Shari Goodhartz
Act I
Set-Up Main Character’s “Daily Life” through Action, includes Inciting Incident
- JOJO (10) has Nazi aspirations and wacky ADOLF is his imaginary friend
- CAPTAIN KLENZENDORF runs a youth training camp that JoJo attends
- JoJo is bullied for father’s MIA status, and when he refuses to kill a bunny, receives nickname JoJo Rabbit
- Adolf convinces JoJo to humiliate bullies by a display of strength: throwing a live hand-grenade; JoJo is “blown up”
Plot Point I
- JoJo’s mother ROSIE is revealed as incredibly playful and loving
- JoJo discovers ELSA (17) a Jewish girl hiding in his dead sister Inga’s room Elsa easily takes JoJo’s camp knife
Act II
Conflict and Confrontations
- Adolf pushes JoJo to confront Elsa; she gets a second knife
- Rosie denies any knowledge of a “ghost” in Inga’s room
- JoJo confirms Rosie is hiding Elsa, “Bad mama.”
- Instead of confronting Rosie, JoJo visits Captain Klenzendorf to learn about demonic nature of Jews
- Captain K demurs, but thinks a book like that could be useful; JoJo decides to write such a book by interviewing Elsa
- Rosie is happy because the Allied forces seem to be ascendant, which pisses off JoJo; she cheers him up
Mid-Point
- JoJo writes a letter posing as Elsa’s finance to hurt her, which works, he quickly writes a second letter undoing the first
- Rosie tells JoJo not to mourn loss of the war, but celebrate life… dance in gratitude! JoJo isn’t interested in dancing
- Elsa tells JoJo he’s not a Nazi, which he denies; but also realizes he’s in love
- Gestapo agents visit JoJo’s house, Elsa pretends to be JoJo’s devoted-Nazi sister; agents are charmed by JoJo’s illustrated book on Jewish demonology, Klenzendorf slyly helps with Elsa’s ruse
- Adolf questions JoJo’s commitment to him
Plot Point II
- JoJo goes door-to-door collecting metal for war effort; finds Rosie hanging in the street with other subversives
Act III
Resolution of Dramatic Premise
- Elsa tries to comfort JoJo; Elsa suspected Rose and JoJo’s MIA father work for the resistance
- JoJo fears Rosie hated him for being a Nazi, learns how Rosie saved Elsa
- JoJo learns Hitler killed himself; Allied troops approach
- Klenzendorf saves JoJo’s life, then is killed by Russian soldier
- Elsa admits her fiancé died last year of TB; she and JoJo decide to love each other as friends
Climax
- JoJo power-kicks Adolf out his bedroom window
Ending Scene or Sequence
- JoJo takes Elsa outside recalling a ruse Rosie used earlier; Elsa slaps JoJo, who admits he deserved it
- Elsa and JoJo dance in the street as American soldiers drive past
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