Life is Beautiful(La Vita è bella) (1997)
reviewed by Benn "Where's the Humanity?" Farrell
Set on the cusp of WWII, "Life is Beautiful" is an Italian film from Roberto Benigni (Johnny Stecchino) about a hapless Jewish man named Guido (Benigni) who falls for a woman of social stature named Dora, played by Benigni's wife Nicoletta Braschi. Eventually, the two fall in love and have a little boy just when the Nazi's cart Guido and his son to a death camp. Once there, Guido does everything he can to help convince his young boy that their capture and mortal destiny is part of a big game until a time comes when the camp can be rescued by allied forces. There are really two movies at work here. The first movie, or first half, is between Guido and Dora and his unrelenting quest to win her over. The sequences between them are adorable and hilarious. Benigni goes out of his way to set up so much early in the film to get laughs later on. It was very easy to fall in love with Dora as well as Guido. The second part of the film is Guido and his family surviving the Nazi death camps. Guido and his son are taken to the same camp, even though Guido sneaks the boy in secretly so he can keep an eye on him. Dora makes the Nazi's take her to the women's camp, saying she has nothing to live for if they are going to take her family away. She's not Jewish. That's why she wasn't being taken away with them. This part of the movie is also very funny, but it's more of a nervous laughter. Guido finds all sorts of ways to keep his son gulled into thinking they are in no danger AND keep him fed. Since there is the element of imminent danger at every turn, the film becomes extremely nerve racking and intense, but keeping Benigni's style of physical humor. The relationship between father and son, and scenes where Guido sneaks over to the women's camp to give Dora signs that they are still alive are just heart wrenching. The climax of the picture is a happy heartbreaker, which Benigni left no other recourse from. The power of this film comes with this writer/director's choices in the finale of act three. He observes the order of inevitability, so when the inevitable comes, we accept it as real and his message transcends. Overall, "Life is Beautiful" is a gut buster and a severe tear jerker and is one of the best foreign language movies to hit the states in a long time. I feel sorry for anyone who has not seen it yet. You're missing out. The film won Academy Awards® for Best Foreign Language film and a surprise that year as Benigni was honored as Best Actor. Benn - Where's the Humanity?
This is such a hilarious, sad and heartfelt project, I can completely understand its writer/director and star memorably jumping on the furniture after winning two Academy Awards® that year.