Triumph of human spirit in defiance of the horrors of reality

Rating: 10/10 (24 January 1999)

I did not bring any tissues, because I am rarely affected by movie dramas but I could have used a few today. This movie got to me!
Yes, it was noisy and a little overwhelming at first, and the subtitles is not something an American viewer is comfortable with.
The slapstick of the early part of the film underscores the life loving, light hearted spirit of Guido (the main character) - and almost leads the viewer to perceive the film as merely a light romantic comedy, Italian style. But the black clouds of the Holocaust descend rapidly and the comedy stops dead in its tracks. However, Guido's spirited optimism remains intact.. His desperate and ingenious attempts to shield, no matter the risk, his young son from the horrors surrounding them succeed brilliantly. An risks he takes. The scene where the German guard recites the camp rules to the prisoners is absolutely brilliant, contrasting the reality - a huge, coarse looking guard barking out rules with fantasy - as Guido "translates" rules of the "game". The film is a triumph of love over hate. The tank is ours. We won.