Life Is Beautiful

Director: Roberto Benigni

Starring: Roberto Benigni, Giorgio Cantarini, Nicoletta Braschi

Winner of Best Foreign Film at the Oscars, Life Is Beautiful (La Vita Bella) is a hilarious and haunting comedy shaped out of the tragedy of the Holocaust. Director, co-writer and star Benigni plays Guido, an eccentric but adorable Jewish country man in Mussolini's Italy who wins the heart of his sweetheart (Braschi). In the shadow of Fascism the two manage to lead a peaceful and charming life raising their darling son (Cantarini) whilst also running their local bookshop. However as most stories go, the happiness is short lived when the family is separated and Guido and his son are shipped off to a Nazi concentration camp during the waning days of the war. Determined to shelter his son from the evils around them Guido successfully convinces him that the activities within the camp are all part of a mass game in an elaborate contest to win a tank. Despite escalating horrors and the dwindling population of the camp, Guido tirelessly maintains the ruse with comic ingenuity, ever desperate to hide his son from horrific sights and death itself within the gas chambers.

Perhaps understandably, Benigni’s comic take on World War II has not been loved by everyone, but despite criticism it is one of the most unique and refreshing stories of the war that will both make you laugh out loud and reach for the tissues. Regardless of the context of the film, Benigni's successful portrayal of a father's sacrifice to save his son is a moving and poignant tale that is identifiable with all, spanning across all perspectives and political viewpoints of World War II. So if you fancy watching an internationally acclaimed film that is comical but has real substance, is not too mushy but shows how love can really grow and blossom out of the most unlikely situations and do not mind the English subtitles, then this is definitely not one to be missed.

Karen Bhogal