The story's the thing...

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 1999)

This is the kind of film that, once you finish it, you're afraid that, because it's subtitled, not many people will see it due to the seemingly inherent laziness of the general viewing public. It's disturbing, because I left this film wanting to tell everyone I knew to go see it immediately. Fortunately, credit was given where it was due in this case, and the film got the sort of exposure that no other foreign film has gotten in my memory (I'm 28.) This is not the best film I've ever seen- that honor is still held by The Godfather. It's not the best foreign film I've ever seen- that would be Kurosawa's "Ran". It's not even the best Italian film I've ever seen- I still hold up Fellini's "La Dolce Vita". But it is, without a doubt, a great film. Begnini has a gift for comedic pathos that was previously the sole possession of the late, great Charlie Chaplin. People who profess a problem with the "realism" of the concentration camp need only take two things into account- 1.- Have they ever even seen pictures of newsreels of any camps in Italy? I know I haven't- they were always the Polish ones. 2.- The realistic, accurate depiction of concentration camp life is not the point of this film- if that's what you're after, try "Holocaust", "Sophie's Choice", or "Escape From Sobibor" to name only a few. In this case, the story's the thing- a man who so loved his son, and wanted him to feel safe, is able to convince him that the whole situation in the camp is a game. Take the realistic depiction of the camps and the realistic depiction of the settings with a grain of salt and you'll enjoy the film a whole lot more.