When you believe in hope

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2011)

1939, Arezzo, Italy. Carefree Jewish-Italian Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni) has come to the town with intention of opening a bookstore. But meanwhile, he is working as a waiter at the hotel restaurant where his Uncle Eliseo (Giustino Durano) is the maître d'. Not only that, he met and fell in love almost immediately at the female schoolteacher Dora (Nicoletta Braschi) whom he calls 'princess'.
And that is despite Dora is being engaged to another man, but whom she did not like at all. Guido began popping up at unexpected timing in order to woo her. On the day of Dora's engagement which happened to be taking place at the hotel restaurant where Guido was working, he managed to whisk her away in a green horse. They managed to live happily for five years at the house of Guido's uncle, having a son along the way in Giosué. All these while the Second World War was already taking place.
But on the day of Giosué's fifth birthday, the Germans came and took away Guido and Giosué, just when the family was preparing for Giosué's birthday party. Wanting to be with her family, Dora (a non-Jew) insisted that she would be taken as well. But she would be housed at the women's side of the camp.
Pretending that he knows German when a German officer requires a translator, Guido claimed that they are playing a game and they have to collect points in order to win the prize which is a real tank. Guido did that in order to protect his son from the real reason why they are being sent to the concentration camp.
At the camp, Guido tried to build up hope for his son Giosué but his own days were beginning to be numbered. Realising his plight, he had Giosué hiding in a junction box, telling him that everyone is actually looking for him. And that is while he tries to free his wife Dora from the camp and giving his own life away at the same time.
The day after, the Americans entered the seemingly deserted camp just as Giosué emerges. Hitching a ride on the tank from the American solider, Giosué soon spotted his mother and they were being reunited.
It may be a fictional story set in a real-life scenario amidst the backdrop of a war, but the fact that the father would go all lengths to try telling his son that it is all a game and he will get his prize if he collects the points required to win a tank, it is very admirable considering of the situation the family is in. It is actually very heart-warming, with award-winning actor Giustino Durano who plays Guido reminding us why, life is beautiful.