Optimism and humour despite tragedies and setbacks. A great film!

Rating: Null/10 (15 May 2000)

Robert Benigni delivers a beautiful performance as Guido Orefice, an Italian Jew who is forced into a Nazi death camp with his family and struggles to keep his adorable son Giosué alive.
This film showed not only that life can be beautiful, no matter what, if you want it to be, but also the beauty of the Italian language. I bought this video and before she took my money, the store keeper said "you know this is subtitled don't you?" as if subtitles somehow make the film less enjoyable.
It is a shame that the average American/British filmgoer is not interested in watching foreign films, because they miss out on some real gems, and the films in turn do not get the money or the success they deserve.
This film was inspiring, yet also realistic. I would have given it 10/10, but I found Benigni's constant machine-gun-like delivery a bit wearisome by the end, so I'll give it a 9. Go and watch it!