Roberto Benigni should be locked away

Rating: 3/10 (6 July 2001)

1998 saw the release of three high-profile films about WWII, and "Life Is Beautiful" is by far the worst. It's silly, manic, zany--all good qualities if we're watching a Mel Brooks film. But there's something distinctly distasteful about a joke built around the drudgery prison camp inmates were forced to undergo. Call me a stick in the mud. Tell me I missed the point of this movie. I've heard it all. However, I didn't miss the point of this movie. Roberto Benigni isn't exactly Ingmar Bergman, and his points aren't all that hard to grasp. And I don't mind the point of the movie. I just hated the execution of it.
As for the other two WWII movies released that year, I thought "Saving Private Ryan" stunk too. I know, call me sacriligeous, but there you have it. On the other hand, I thought "The Thin Red Line" was breathtaking--a stunner, pure and simple.