Review

Rating: 9/10 (6 February 2018)

Despite some obvious historical inaccuracies such as the number tattooed on Guido's forearm (which only happened at Auschwitz) and the nearly impossible survival of his son, La Vite e Belle is a truly beautiful story that is set in the worst of places. When thinking of what everyday life in a concentration camp is like, positive emotions don't generally come to mind, yet Guido's courage and creativity, along with the sacrifices he made for his son, makes us feel something different than just sorrow. Part of what makes death in concentration camps so horrible is that the individuals who are killed are stripped of ownership of their deaths. Guido, from the start of the camp and perhaps the war, had extremely little chance at surviving. Even with his established personal relationship with the physician prior to encampment, Guido, nor any camp subject, could have leveraged his way out. This was shown when the physician told Guido he needed a moment alone with him. Viewers and Guido together sensed this is his best and, likely, only chance at survival. Yet when the two had a moment in private, the physician merely sought the answer to a riddle who could not crack. Ultimately, while frantically searching for his wife who he believes is about to be shipped away to her death, Guido gets himself caught and is marched off into a dark alleyway to meet his death. His son, hidden away, saw the guard pointing his gun at Guido and ordering him to march, but Guido did not show fear even in the face of death. He was able to maintain the facade he had constructed for his son, much of which lived and became real through him until the end. Only in the moments away from his son could he show fear and hopelessness. At work while moving anvils, he was ready to give up and fall, but he saw his son in the factory and immediately was able to push through the day. Later on, he was carrying his sleeping son over his back and approached a mound of dead bodies. His reaction revealed his first and only priority throughout his time in the camp - that his son could not see the atrocities occurring. Guido continued to face the mound and backed away slowly, not turning around so that his son would be facing the victims and be exposed.
Though happy stories like this one are not real, the emotions portrayed pay a great tribute to the victims of concentration camps.