Life is Beautiful Review
by Walter Frith (wfrith AT cgocable DOT net)January 24th, 1999
'Life Is Beautiful' (1998)
A movie review by Walter Frith
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Member of the ‘Online Film Critics Society’
http://ofcs.org/ofcs/
Like 1987's 'Hope and Glory', much of the unpleasantness of war in 'Life is Beautiful' is seen through the eyes of a child. In reality, this film isn't really about war as much as it is about one man's way of dealing with it and finding enough humour to entertain his young son throughout it all. This film is the ultimate testament to the spirit of the human condition in that its protagonist never waivers in the face of tragedy, something that would be very easy to do, and he always finds a way to make things seem good during a bad situation.
Italy's Roberto Benigni has made a truly classic film that details family life in the simplest of texts and how the separation of it often makes the heart grow fonder. He is Oscar bound in several mainstream categories, including Best Actor and Best Director, co-author of the Best Original Screenplay and the film will almost certainly be nominated for Best Picture and at the very least, Best Foreign Language Film which, and if it is, it will be a hands down winner.
It opens in the pleasant countryside of Italy in 1939, just prior to the outbreak of World War II. Guido (Roberto Benigni) is a happy go lucky fellow. Never taking time to breathe between interludes of spreading life's good cheer among his friends, relatives and anyone else who'll listen. He aspires to open a bookshop and meets a beautiful young school teacher ((Nicoletta Braschi, who is Benigni's real life wife). He keeps running into her time after time and their partnership in life seems almost set by destiny. They marry and the film fast forwards to 1945 and they now have a five year old son (Giorgio Cantarini).
Benigni's character is an Italian Jew, and he, along with his uncle and son are rounded up by the Nazis and put into a concentration camp. The strong love his wife has for him and her son has her demanding to be taken to the camp as well, and even though she is not forced to go, this is one of the film's most memorable moments. Throughout their time in the camp, Guido tells his son that all the chores, hard ship and suffering are a game and that the winner will receive a tank for first prize when its all over. Naturally, you can't tell a five year old boy, if you have any human feelings, that you could be murdered at any minute and this whole whimsical premise casts a new light on war that I've never seen before and the film never makes you feel bad for a moment and is as important, in many ways, as any film that details the horrors of war strongly enough to repel an audience.
This is actually like two movies in one because the first half is strictly about free civilian life and it plays almost like a one man show as Benigni's character practically puts on a one man show. The jokes are slapstick like in many ways but the wit of the film's dialogue and how it relates in resolving things is a marvel to behold. The second half of the film is the concentration camp suffering. The ending should be sad, but it isn't because its balance is intact throughout its entire running time and you can't take your eyes off the screen for a moment.
OUT OF 5 > * * * * *
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* * * * * - a must see
* * * * 1/2 - don't miss it
* * * * - an excellent film
* * * 1/2 - a marginal recommendation
* * * - can't quite recommend it
* * 1/2 - don't recommend it
* * - avoid it
* 1/2 - avoid it seriously
* - avoid it AT ALL COSTS
1/2 - see it at your own risk
zero - may be hazardous to your health
More on 'Life is Beautiful'...
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