one word about foreign films...

Rating: 10/10 (23 June 2000)

as a general rule don't go to see a foreign film dubbed. getting used to subtitles is not hard and true language of the actors contributes so much to a film. i could not imagine seeing a dubbed version of life is beautiful. i don't know italian but it sounds amazing. this movie is brilliant. the very fact that it so controversial (in this case, but not always) indicates its underlying genius. a lesser movie would just direct us to the appropriate emotions at the appropriate time with manipulative camera work and melodramatic narrative (a la titanic), but life is beautiful is chock full of conflicting feelings. it covers all the nuances of thew human condition. you know, laugh cry blah blah blah, but it does it so so well. roberto benigni i think is one of the greatest comic geniuses of our time. i would also like to point out another thing: i am told by people who like me (i think) that on a whole i am a very insensitive person (with movies, and in real life apparently). i never cry at movies, in fact movies that i feel are trying to make me cry tick me off something fierce and i become totally apathetic to the characters. the only time i have ever even been weepy eyed was when i was just a kid and i thought E.T. had kicked the bucket. so keeping all that in mind, the fact that life is beautiful moved me so much is a testament to its success as a film. 10/10. my favorite film now, followed closely by das boot, burnt by the sun, and red. my favorite parts of this movie (ij no particular order) are 1. the hilarious part where he is "translating" for the german soldier. 2.the very underratted romantic scenes at the beginning with the red carpet and little "miracles" roberto performs and 3. the kid (what a cute kid!!) in essence, one needs to see this movie in the light that it is a modern day fairy tale. it is definitely not a realistic depiction of the holocaust, and isn't supposed to be. i can see why some people are insulted by its comedy, but i just can't agree. there are plenty of serious, upsetting movies about this subject, notably schindler's list, which was good but i never want to see it again. i think it is much harder to take this subject matter as a background and have such positive material in the forefront. in fact, i don't even think this really is a holocaust movie. it's a character study of the father-son relationship, and in that medium it is ultimately a masterpiece.