...a film that is worthy of Chaplin...

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 1999)

Every once in a while an star/director will make a perfect film. Mel Gibson did it with BRAVEHEART and now Roberto Benigni has done it with this film. It's no secret that Benigni is the spiritual successor to Chaplin (and Keaton as well) but he has now made a film that is worthy of Chaplin. In fact, while Chaplin's THE GREAT DICTATOR is uneven - thanks to it being ahead of it's time - Benigni has managed to complete the work and convey the message that Chaplin attempted valiantly with that film. Benigni's heart, humor, intuition and artistry has resulted in a miracle - a comic masterpiece set in the holocaust.