The Most Beautiful Story In The Most Tragic of Circumstances

Rating: 10/10 (28 January 2020)

A man's (Guido) unrelenting love for his "princess", Dora, for whose love he stops at nothing to win, at times in hilarious ways. Despite the circumstances of the times (the early years of WWII Italy), the fact that he is Jewish and his love is not bears no consequence to them, as they soon are married with a son, Giousue.
State racism seeps in through various forms that are not always apparent except to some, and despite the parents' attempts to ignore it and give their son a normal life, soon the state police come for both Guido and his son.
The movie's premise is Guido's unrelenting and hilarious attempts to convince his son that their experience at the concentration camp is nothing but a game, and everything they do will earn them points, which will ultimately win them a grand prize. This helps keeps Giousue safe throughout their time there, and despise the grueling circumstances of life in the camp, the little boy remains unaware of the obvious danger, and believes the "game" is real.
At the same time her husband and son are taken, Dora insists that she be taken as well, in an attempt to be with her family. Since the men and women are segregated, there are short yet romantic reminders to Dora that her husband and son are still alive, not to mention Guido's attempts to keep his young, impish son alive and safe by playing to his son's naughty behavior in order to make him cooperate and behave.
This movie is refreshingly and wonderfully funny, especially given the grave circumstances.
Never have I seen a film that has attempted to make a comedy of such a subject, and considering the monumental challenges, such an uphill battle deserves praise, absolutely since it succeeds.
It does not make light of the subject matter in any way, instead it is one man's attempt to make the best of the most horrible situation for his young child.