Raw human emotions in the face of maximum adversity

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2017)

This is the first film review I am writing on IMDb. I don't usually write reviews I just simply enjoy the films but this film moved me to such an extent and made me shed so many tears that I was forced to write a review. The film takes a drastic turn when Guido and his son and uncle are captured by the Nazis. It's very moving and emotional to see Dora getting on the train which was carrying her husband and son knowing fully well that she may end up dying and never meeting them. But she cannot live a life without her husband and son. When the train drops them at the concentration camp, Guido tries to find Dora but that's the last time they both get to see each other for a fleeting moment. Guido's son is so adorable and cute, you just can't hold back your tears when the young boy asks for his mother and asks for food and Guido has to tell him that he will lose the points of the game if he asks for either of these things. It's so touching how can a child live without his mother and food. The baby continuously asks Guido to take him home but despite being under huge physical stress of the concentration camp, Guido still manages to bring laugh and cheer on his son's face and still tries to convince him to be a part of the game so that they can win it. He does everything he can to protect his boy from the dangers of the camp and from being killed like the other Jewish children.
In the end, Guido could have stayed inside with the boy and saved their lives, but he risked his life to find Dora for himself and for his son. But he had to pay with his life for this bravado. Seeing his son for the last time, he still tries to keep his son safe and winks at him so that he stays inside the box. I got goosebumps so many times at these instances and cried like a small baby so many times during this film. I cannot forget it.
It must have been so difficult for the men, women and children who faced those real camps, to see that their husbands, wives and children are about to die or have died, is such a painful experience and the way in which the film brings out those emotions is truly marvelous. You will feel so much for Guido, Dora and most of all, for their adorable son. I cannot forget this movie ever, a movie of raw human emotions in the face of maximum adversity.