This film is one of the most successful foreign films ever made, and although it has met with much controversy, it has not tarnished this film’s appeal.
The controversy comes with the topic of the film. The first half of the film is almost slapstick in style as Guido, Roberto Benigni, uses his humour to seduce the beautiful schoolteacher, Dora, played by Nicoletta Braschi. I laughed a lot in several places, including the trilogy of jokes to do with the Virgin Mary. As far as I was concerned, this was the topic of the film and once he did managed to woo her, I wasn’t sure where the plot would take Guido and his newly acquired lady friend.
I certainly didn’t expect the second half to deal with the holocaust and a Nazi concentration camp. Even through the first half, suggestions are made about the Jews, and their abuse at the hands of the Nazis. I registered these accounts, but never expected them to take the reins of the story.
Guido and his son are sent to a concentration camp, and Dora manages to persuade the german officers to take her as well. Sadly she and Guido are put in separate camps and so it’s left to Guido to take care of his son. His son, Giosué is still very young, perhaps only 4 or 5. To try and protect Giosué’s innocence, Guido pretends that the concentration camp is all just a game, and the first one to gain 1000 points wins a tank.
This rather bizarre idea provides the warmth and feeling of the film of how a man goes to extreme lengths to shield his son from the atrocities around him, the whole time having to bear the terrible burden that is placed upon him.
One of the most powerful moments of the film is when Guido meets up with a German soldier who he knew from his past when he was a waiter. The soldier, who happens to be a doctor, is extremely impressed with Guido’s ability to solve riddles. The soldier managed to help Guido to become a waiter once more, and there is a sense that he is going to help Guido escape with his wife and son. In fact, the german tells Guido that he must speak with him on a most urgent matter. However it turns out that the german simply wants Guido to solve a riddle for him sent by one of his comrades. The look on Guido’s face is of pure horror as he realises the german’s true intentions. Moving stuff.
People have complained that the film makes concentration camps seem like a bad experience at Butlins. I disagree. We the viewer are shielded by Guido, much in the same way that he protects his son from such things. The horror I described above with the doctor provides a feeling of dread and despair, and there are other subtle instances of this in the film.
However the main story is a touching comedy about a man who sacrifices himself for the sake of the son he loves. I feel that this film, while controversial, does not suffer for it. Life Is Beautiful even in seemingly the most hopeless of times. This film reminds us of that message…
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Touching comedy about a father’s sacrifice to save his son’s innocence
Memorable moment: [0:34:09] - The Virgin Mary provides a hat 
Top 100 position: 71
IMDb: La Vita è bella
Buy it from: Amazon
Films remaining: 88
Come on Parsloe. Time you updated this thing, isn’t it?
Johnno
February 5th, 2005