Life Is Beautiful

Rating: 7/10 (9 April 2008)

I mainly heard of this film from a trailer, and the fact that the leading actor won the Academy Award instead of Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan, and he certainly deserved it! He also directs the film, but lost the Oscar to Steven Spielberg, I think he's much more compelling as the actor. Set in the 1930's Italy, the first hour of the story sees friendly Jewish book keeper Guido Orefice (Oscar and BAFTA winning (for acting) actor, writer and director Roberto Benigni) having a fairytale romance. Using his cunning wit he wins over Italian school teacher Dora (Nicoletta Braschi) who was set to marry another guy. He basically makes it out like he is a prince who has found his "Princess", and getting the timing right he always shows up, making her smile, until she gives in. Years later Guido and Dora are living together with Guido's Uncle Eliseo (Giustino Durano), and they have a 5-year-old son, Giosué (Giorgio Cantarini), and they all seem happy. I thought the whole film was going to be a happy and charming comedy throughout, but I was wrong. It becomes a gripping drama when Guido and his son are arrested by the Germans and taken away to a concentration camp, with Dora demanding she go too. They are split, but Guido with Giosué wants to protect him from the horrible truth, so Guido tells his son that this is a holiday, and a big game where he has to get 1000 points to win a tank and leave. This lie seems to be very convincing as some of the prisoners and the Germans go the way that Guido expects, and his son does not suspect anything, even with the near catches. When Guido tells Giosué he has 1000 points, he makes him hide while he tries to escape and find Dora, but he is caught, and sadly killed. Thankfully though, Giosué comes out of hiding, a tank really does come with an American (the only English spoken in the film) soldier driving to take him, and he finds his mother Dora, both a tragic and happy ending together. Also starring Sergio Bini Bustric as Ferruccio Papini, Marisa Paredes as Dora's mother, Madre Di Dora; Horst Buchholz as Doctor Lessing, Lidia Alfonsi as Guicciardini and Giuliana Lojodice as School Principal/Headmistress. Real life comedian Benigni is fantastic being funny in the first hour, but also very compelling as a serious actor in the realistic concentration camp environment. Both a great funny film, and a great dramatic film, just a great Italian film. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Music for Nicola Piovani, and it was nominated for Best Picture, Best Film Editing and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, and it was nominated the BAFTAs for Best Film not in the English Language and Best Original Screenplay. It was number 56 on The 100 Greatest War Films. Very good!