Hauntingly Funny

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2005)

A fable, especially when transferred to film, can be a beautiful thing. It becomes even more beautiful in contrast to the horrors of reality all around it. But not only can a fable be beautiful, it can be hilarious, heart-warming, and heart-breaking, and Life Is Beautiful shows us a wonderful film that is all of these things.
Life Is Beautiful gives us Guido Orefice, a Jewish man who is innovative, brilliant, and extremely funny. He works for his uncle in Italy in pre-WWII Italy, before all mayhem breaks loose. He meets a female school-teacher, Dora, whom he entertainingly wins over. Years pass, a son is born, Eliseo, and the threesome is seized and taken to a concentration camp, where Guido refuses to give up hope.
Roberto Benigni is incredible in his performance as Guido, who works against the odds, out of his overwhelming love. Nicoletta Braschi does a good job too in her role as Dora, and the biggest surprise of all is little Giustino Durano's solid performance as Guido's son. These three characters are so rich and captivating, and most of the minor characters too are strong, but a few of the characters with tiny roles seem strangely unmotivated and seem to take away the tiniest bit of magic from this film.
Benigni's direction and co-writing with Cerami, though, is terrific, and reminiscent of classic films. It's all so beautiful, so warm, real, and full of color, that one can't help but immediately fall in love with the film. It never loses its ability to entertain, but it never loses its sense of reality, either, making it lovely and strangely horrifying simultaneously. Piovani's score is excellent as well, and displays the atmosphere of a fairy tale in its haunting beauty.
Life is Beautiful is exactly what a film should be all about, and it never loses its focus: human emotion that within which lies the beauty of life.
Final Grade: A.