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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