Life Is Beautiful [DVD]

I'm giving this the 5 stars it truly deserves as it is a truly amazing piece of story telling. The natural integration of scenery and context blends beautifully to support the content, moving from the freedoms of rural life, the cultural opportunities and social milieu of a city in which the love affair between Guido and Dora begins, through to the stark imprisonment of the concentration camp.I have seen the actor playing Guido in other films, and have delighted in his apparent tendency to overact (to my British sensibilities, perhaps!) before. Here, though, that level of expressiveness is needed in order to establish (efore the camp) how the father manages to maintain the cover of a 'game' to help his young son survive the concentration camp.The strand of the story relating to the relationship between Guido the waiter and the German Dr adds to the philosophical considerations and complexity in a stunningly understated manner - this alone could be the subject of academic debate. A true contrast to the heavy handed moralising and forced emotional expression typical of many American films.This film comes with a warning though. I watched it after searching for 'the best feel good films of all time'. I really would not describe this as a feel good film! It is harrowing in parts. The clue was in the reviewer also rating 'Slumdog millionaire' as another of the best of the same genre - another film which combines the resilience of the human spirit with precisely what is required for a definition of resilience to be met - tragedy and trauma.

This film is and will always be in my top five. It covers both the best and the worst human qualities, love, romance, humour, self sacrifice, tenacity, perseverance and also cruelty, hatred and death.Despite some of the negative elements, the overall message is overwhelmingly positive and restores any faith in humanity.I defy anybody to watch it without a few tears.Amazing performance by the lead Roberto Benini. You really need to see this film!

thos is a funny film but it sad because of world war two and what they did to Jews it makes you think and you have to wach it from beginning to end such a great film

Recommended to me by a friend, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it, but I loved it! Both very funny and poignant, as well as quite sad in places, this film is one that everyone should watch. Very well acted and written, I watched with English subtitles, which didn't detract from the film at all. Excellent film which I will certainly watch again.

This Italian English sub-titled film has two sides. It starts off as a comedy, and although I enjoy humour, I didn't find it particularly funny. The second half of the film is more serious. It starts when Germany invades Italy and takes Guido who is Jewish and his young son, to the train station with the hundreds of other Jewish people. Guido's wife Dora, who isn't Jewish wants to join him an persuades the German guard to allow her to join Guido on the train of death. They arrive at a concentration where Guido proceeds to tell his young son that they are now playing a game...in order to win the prize, the young son must not cry when hungry, not ask for food, or make a noise, he should hide away when the guards come and pretend he cannot speak. The prize if he does this...is a tank...the small boy loves tanks so he plays along. In the meantime, Guido finds ways to let his wife know he is still alive. Finally at the end of the war, Guido hides his son in a steel cabinet outside in the courtyard and tells him to stay there until there is no more sound...which he does...finally the boy exits the hideaway...he is alone, the only survivors have also left and he is entirely alone...I won't tell you anymore as it will spoil the story.I have mixed feelings about this film. I'm not sure I enjoy poking fun at such a serious subject as the Holocaust - it was no joke, however, when the film ended, I was speechless, it was very thought provoking...it left me with a strange feeling that I have yet to transcribe into actual words....It is a film about the Holocaust that I will not forget... I can fully understand why it won so many awards...

Life is BeautifulLife Is Beautiful is an old favourite of mine. The story is set in Italy just before and during World War Two. The protagonist, an Italian Jew, falls in love with a woman from the local high society, who is betrothed to a man she does not like. After a sweet, funny courtship, which is punctuated by the protagonist's creative dates (including a memorable attempt to pass off a Mussolini while inspecting the school where his beloved is teaching), the pair decide to elope together.After a time skip, during which the couple have a child, the war begins and the family is deported to the concentration camps. Unable or unwilling to explain the reality of the situation to his son, the protagonist begins to pretend that the concentration camp is a competition, with a military tank as the first prize.This movie has been criticised for "making light" of the atrocity of concentration camps. I do not agree with this view, because in my opinion the funny elements of the story serve to emphasise the terrifying, incomprehensible violence of the situation, starkly exposed by the contrast between the fun-loving, affectionate protagonist and the inhuman camp guards. It is too optimistic, perhaps, in that it suggests that a person may be able to cultivate their dreams even through such an ordeal, but it also carries a hopeful message of rebirth after the war.

I don't have time to write a detailed review about how good this film is, but I saw it when it first came out about 20 years ago, and bought the DVD because I had such fond memories of its infectious charm. It's hard to describe this film, because it's set against the backdrop of persecution and murder of Jews in 1945, but I love it for the fact that it shows us that even in the bleakest of times, we can always find love, hope and happiness.