Ten-year-old Johannes Betzler (Jojo) is a proud, patriotic Nazi. At least, he believes that he is. After all, his imaginary best friend just happens to be Adolf Hitler. But then he discovers that this mother is harbouring a young, orphaned Jewish girl and his world is turned upside down. Will he betray his country for a girl for whom his love is forbidden?
Ten-year-old Johannes Betzler (Jojo) is a proud, patriotic Nazi. At least, he believes that he is. After all, his imaginary best friend just happens to be Adolf Hitler. But then he discovers that this mother is harbouring a young, orphaned Jewish girl and his world is turned upside down. Will he betray his country for a girl for whom his love is forbidden?
Jojo is about to embark on the Hitlerjugend Training Weekend. He's a little nervous about it. What he needs is for his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, to give him a confidence boost.
Adolf
Jojo Betzler. What is your mind?
Jojo
Snake mind.
Adolf
And Jojo Betzler, what is your body?
Jojo
Wolf body.
Adolf
Jojo Betzler, what is your courage?
Jojo
Panther courage.
Adolf
And Jojo Betzler, what is your soul?
Jojo
A German soul.
Adolf
Yeah, man. You're ready.
Jojo
Adolf?
Adolf
Hmm?
Jojo
I... I don't think I can do this.
Adolf
Was? Of course you can. Sure you're a little bit scrawny and a bit unpopular and you can't tie your shoelaces even though you're ten years old. But you're still the bestest, most loyal little Nazi I've ever met. Not to mention the fact you're really good looking. So you're gonna get out there and you're gonna have a great time, okay?
Jojo
Okay.
Adolf
That's the spirit! Okay. Heil me, man!
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Adolf
Whaaaat?! You can heil me better than that.
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Adolf
No... just throw it away. Don't even think about it.
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Adolf
No, you're over-thinking it. Heil Hitler!
Jojo
Heil... Hitaler.
Adolf
Who's Hitaler? Do you even speak German?
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Adolf
That's not a heil. This is a heil. HEIL!
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Adolf
Heil Hitler!
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Adolf
Heil Hitler!
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
[This exchange continues for some time with ADOLF providing encouragement and enthusiasm]
Clip 2
Captain Klenzendorf gives his opening speech to a crowd of adoring Jungvolk.
Captain Klenzendorf
Heil Hitler, guys.
Crowd
HEIL HITLER!
Captain Klenzendorf
Jungvolk! Welcome to the Hitlerjugend Training Weekend. In which we will make men and women of you all. My name is Captain Klenzendorf. You may call me "Captain K."
Subofficer Finkel
Captain K! Woooo!
Crowd
WOOOO!
Captain Klenzendorf
This is Subofficer Finkel, this is Fraulein Rahm.
Fraulein Rahm
Hey, Heil Hitler, everyone.
Captain Klenzendorf
So a little about me. Who am I and why am I here talking to a bunch of little titty-grabbers instead of leading my men into battle to its glorious death? Great question. I've asked it myself every day since Operation Screwup where I lost a perfectly good eye in a totally preventable enemy attack and according to my superiors, you need two eyes to be a meaningful part of the war effort.
Clip 3
Can you spot the disparity in the activities planned for boys and girls during the Hitlerjugend Training Weekend?
Captain Klenzendorf
Today, you boys will be involved in such activities as marching, bayonet drills, grenade throwing, trench digging, map reading, gas defence, camouflage, ambush techniques, war games, firing guns and blowing stuff up.
Boys
WOOOO!
Captain Klenzendorf
The girls will practice important womanly duties such as dressing wounds, making beds and learning... how to get pregnant.
[There's an understandable lack of enthusiasm from the girls]
Fraulein Rahm
I've had eighteen kids for Germany. Such a great year to be a girl.
Clip 4
Jojo has discovered Elsa hiding in the attic. He's cornered. And scared. And you know what? I never really considered how similar "A Jew" sounds to "Achoo!"
Elsa
I'm not a ghost, your highness. I'm something worse but I think you already know that, don't you? You know what I am.
Jojo
N... no.
Elsa
Yes. Say it. SAY IT!
Jojo
A Jew?
Elsa
Gesundheit!
Clip 5
What to do about the Jew? Adolf and Jojo consider their options. One of them is sensible. The other is a crazed dictator for whom death and destruction is the answer to everything.
Adolf
You're definitely in a pickle, my friend. Uhh, what to do. What to do... Ooh!
Adolf & Jojo
[In unison]
GOT IT!
[Simultaneously]
Jojo
I'll negotiate.
Adolf
I shall burn down the house and blame Winston Churchill.
[There's an awkward pause as JOJO considers ADOLF'S suggestion]
Adolf
Or negotiate.
Clip 6
A second attempt to rid his house of the hidden Jewish girl has ended in failure. It's time for another strategy. Jojo and Adolf consult. Sort of.
Elsa
Get the hell out of my room.
[JOJO leaves]
Adolf
She's pretty rude, you know. That's just my two pfennig. And now she's got two knives.
Jojo
[Muffled under his bed clothes]
I know!
Adolf
How you gonna chop up stuff?
Jojo
[Muffled under his bed clothes]
I don't know!
Adolf
Oh, and she's still up there, too. That... that thing, that... that -
Jojo
Jew!
Adolf
Yeah, Jew, yeah. Woah, what are we gonna do about that Jew?
Jojo
You think of something.
Adolf
Huh! Now I'm the expert?
[He offers JOJO a cigarette from his case]
Jojo
STOP OFFERING ME DAMN CIGARETTES... I'M TEN!
Adolf
All right! Sorry! I'm stressed out!
Clip 7
Adolf finally comes up with a semi-sensible plan. Only he doesn't know what to call it.
Adolf
Make her feel safe and then she'll drop her guard and then you will be the one in control.
Jojo
Reverse psychology
Adolf
Don't complicate things. Just use my backwards mind-power trick and everything will be fine. Oooh, I've gotta go. We're having unicorn for dinner at my place tonight.
Clip 8
Jojo has finally realised that his options are limited. He outlines to Elsa exactly where they stand. It's a pretty bleak picture.
Jojo
Okay. Here's the situation. If I tell on you, you'll be in big trouble. And I don't think you want that. But then you'll tell on me and my mother and we'll be in trouble which I don't want. And if you tell my mother I know, then she'll kick you out. Which you don't want. And if I tell my mother I know, then... you'll cut off my Nazi head. Which I also don't want. So it's a Mexican stalemate.
Elsa
It's just a normal stalemate.
Clip 9
When you're small, when your "enemy" is larger and braver, it's probably best to keep your ridiculous racist views to yourself. As Jojo is about to discover to his considerable cost.
Elsa
Your mother managed to find me some bread. She's kind. She treats me like a person.
Jojo
But you're not. Not a proper person.
Elsa
Are you?
[This enrages young JOJO and he slams down his book, stands and approaches ELSA]
Jojo
How dare you, Jew! You are weak. Like... an eyelash. I am born of Aryan ancestry. My blood is the colour of a pure, red rose and my eyes are blue -
[ELSA is bigger and stronger than JOJO, a fact he might have done well to remember before starting his particular rant. She grabs him, puts him in a headlock and begins to counter his argument]
Elsa
Break free! Break free, great Aryan. There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't even grow a full moustache. Stronger race, huh?
Clip 10
Jojo is hungry for information about the Jewish race. So hungry, in fact, that he doesn't realise that Elsa is playing him like a fiddle.
Jojo
I said to draw where Jews live. This is just a stupid picture of my head.
Elsa
Yeah. That's where we live.
Clip 11
If you're going to start an argument about which race has provided more geniuses in the arena of stage, screen and music hall, don't pick a fight with someone who's Jewish. You'll lose.
Jojo
Beethoven.
Elsa
Einstein.
Jojo
Bach.
Elsa
Gerschwin.
Jojo
Brahms, Wagner, Mozart.
Elsa
Musicians? Is that all you have?
Jojo
Rilke.
Elsa
Oh, yeah, of course, your favourite, Rilke. Jewish mother.
Jojo
Dietrich, then.
Elsa
Houdini.
[She snaps her fingers in obvious victory]
Jojo
No. That's impossible!
Elsa
Believe it, brother. Just ask P*ssaro, Modigliani, Man Ray, Gertrude Stein, Mr. Moses and the king of them all, Jesus Christi, Amen.
[She mimics pistols with her fingers, making "pew!" noises as she mimes shooting JOJO down]
Jojo
Well, you're just saying any old name now. I've never heard of these people and now I'm fed up!
Clip 12
This is a conversation every boy should have with his mother. Because unless you know what love is, you're almost certain to suffer the pain of losing it at some point.
Rosie
Love is the strongest thing in the world.
Jojo
I think you'll find that metal is the strongest thing in the world. Followed closely by dynamite and then muscles. Besides, I wouldn't even know it if I saw it.
Rosie
Surprise, surprise... your shoelaces are undone. Again. Oh, Jojo. You'll know when it happens. You'll feel it. It's a pain.
Jojo
In my ass, I bet.
Rosie
In your tummy. Like... like you're full of butterflies.
Jojo
Yuk!
Rosie
Yeah, yuk! Come on Sh*tler. Let's get a move on.
Clip 13
Elsa is propagating the very same myths and lies told about the Jewish race throughout Nazi Germany. And Jojo is lapping them up. But he does have ONE concern. About penises.
Elsa
You want me to tell you about the Jews?
Jojo
Don't care.
Elsa
In the beginning, we used to live in caves. Deep, deep in the centre of the earth.
Jojo
[Suddenly interested, he grabs his notepad]
Wait!
Elsa
Scary places, full of strange and wonderful creatures all with one thing in common.
Jojo
Mmm hmm... stealing the ends of penises.
Elsa
No, you idiot! The love of art.
Jojo
No cutting penises off?
Elsa
Do you want the story or not?
Jojo
You may continue but I know it's true. The penis thing? Rabbis use them for earplugs.
Elsa
And.... moving on!
Clip 14
The Gestapo have arrived to search Jojo's house. Elsa has run off to hide. Captain Deertz introduces himself and his colleagues to a stunned and very scared Jojo.
Captain Deertz
Heil Hitler! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Herman Deertz of the Falkenhain Gestapo. With me, Herr Mueller, Herr Junker, Herr Clump and Herr Frosch. May we come in?
[JOJO is still stunned and motionless and DEERTZ considers this invitation enough]
Captain Deertz
Thank you so much. Heil Hitler!
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Herr Mueller
Heil Hitler!
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Herr Junker
Heil Hitler!
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Herr Clump
Heil Hitler!
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Herr Frosch
Heil Hitler!
Jojo
Heil Hitler!
Clip 15
Good God, how long did greetings take in Nazi Germany? When two men meet four other men, there's a lot of Heil Hitlering to be done!
Captain Klenzendorf
Hey, guys! Good to see you. My bicycle got a flat tyre. So I carried it.
Captain Deertz
Captain Klenzendorf! Heil Hitler!
Captain Klenzendorf
Heil Hitler!
Herr Mueller
Heil Hitler!
Captain Klenzendorf
Heil Hitler!
Herr Junker
Heil Hitler!
Captain Klenzendorf
Heil Hitler!
Herr Clump
Heil Hitler!
Captain Klenzendorf
Heil Hitler!
Herr Frosch
Heil Hitler!
Captain Klenzendorf
Heil Hitler! You know Freddy Finkle?
Captain Deertz
Heil Hitler!
Finkle
Heil Hitler!
Herr Mueller
Heil Hitler!
Finkle
Heil Hitler!
Herr Junker
Heil Hitler!
Finkle
Heil Hitler!
Herr Clump
Heil Hitler!
Finkle
Heil Hitler!
Herr Frosch
Heil Hitler!
Finkle
Heil Hitler!
Captain Klenzendorf
So, did I miss anything?
Captain Deertz
No, no. We were just Heil Hitlering the boy and then Heil Hitlering yourself and then, of course, Heil Hitlering Freddy Finkle and now we are in the midst of a routine inspection.
Clip 16
Jojo has had enough of Adolf's bullsh*t and when they meet for the final time, Jojo demonstrates his frustration by kicking the führer through a window. Nice!
Adolf
Heil me, little man.
Jojo
No.
Adolf
Heil me. Come on -
Jojo
No.
Adolf
A little Heil. Just a little Heil. Please.
Jojo
FU*K OFF, HITLER!
Adolf
No, no -
[JOJO kicks ADOLF through the window and he falls screaming to his death]