Rosie Betzler is the posthumous overarching protagonist in the 2019 black comedy-drama film Jojo Rabbit.
She is portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, who also played Lucy Miller in the titular film, Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Major Mira Killian/Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell, and also voiced Princess Mindy in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and Ash in the Sing films.
Story[]
Rosie is the single mother to Inge and Jojo, as well as a rebel against the Nazis. She hides a Jewish girl, Elsa, in her own home. Her husband Paul is missing and her daughter Inge died of influenza.
In the film[]
Rosie is first seen visiting Jojo in the hospital following his accident with a grenade. She slaps the Nazi officer responsible for the accident, showing her protectiveness for her son. This motherly nature extends to Elsa, a Jewish girl who is later revealed to be living in the walls of the Betzler home. Rosie keeps her a secret to protect her, even going so far as to hide her from Jojo.
Although Rosie and Jojo are shown to be close, the absence of Jojo's father puts a strain on their relationship. Despite several heated arguments, however, Rosie does her best to teach Jojo important lessons and skills, as well as boost his self-esteem. She also tries to expose the truth about the Nazis, but her son is too indoctrinated to understand.
Rosie works as a secret activist; she's seen leaving anti-Nazi pamphlets in public spaces. However, she's eventually caught and executed offscreen. Jojo finds Rosie's body hanging with other rebels, left in public to set an example. Her death is a factor in her son's eventual hatred for Nazis.
Personality[]
Rosie is sweet, selfless, caring, heroic, and clearly not okay with the atrocities the Nazis are committing. She can be a bit sassy and overprotective, but she knows that one day Hitler will be defeated, and she's willing to die for her cause.
Trivia[]
- Scarlett Johansson was given an Oscar nomination for the role, but lost to another Scarlett Johansson movie (Marriage Story) which she was also nominated for Best Actress.
- Avengers: Endgame and Jojo Rabbit, both of which Scarlett Johansson starred in, came out in 2019.
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